#NotAngryAB trending in Alberta as response to negative message

Jan 17 2019, 6:13 am

When former Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean posted a message to Facebook on Monday, January 14, he painted the picture of a province filled with angry residents, a bleak future, and failing leadership.

Much of the message highlighted the problems Alberta has been facing over the past few months, including the indefinite suspension of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, the difficulty in getting Albertan oil to new markets, and the impact that prioritizing train cars for oil transport might have on the agriculture industry.

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“All Canadians should be angry. Albertans are furious,” Jean stated in the message.

While he saw a significant amount of praise in his Facebook comments — with many calling for him to start what he called a “Mad as Hell” Party, even amid other supporters worrying that would split the vote on the right during the next provincial election — another group of Albertans rose up in response to speak to the state their province.

Started by blogger, author, Calgarian, and conference-creator Mike Morrison, the hashtag #NotAngryAB sprouted up on social media, quickly gaining traction as Albertans detailed the joys of living in the Wild Rose Country.

“Conservatives keep saying Albertans are furious. But I’m not,” Morrison wrote in a January 14 tweet.

“It’s never been safer for me and my boyfriend to be together. I get same-day doctors appointments. I don’t pay a sales tax. My business is successful and I’m hiring. And look at my cat. She’s so cute.”

The tweet prompted other Albertans to write about the positives that come with their lives in Alberta and why they aren’t quite as “furious” as they may be depicted to be.

Many of the people posting to social media took a further cue from Morrison, including a photo of their pets in their post.

Some pushback to the hashtag had called #NotAngryAB illegitimate, seeing as Morrison himself was not born in the province, though he quickly made a point against that argument:

By January 15 the hashtag had become the third most trending topic in Canada, with thousands of contributors in the first 24 hours.

Two days after the initial post, and the hashtag is still going strong.

DH Calgary StaffDH Calgary Staff

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