+34
Red FM host Rishi Nagar, an immigrant to Canada, says Alberta separation worries racialized communities and could deter newcomers from choosing the province.
Rishi Nagar, a Red FM radio host and immigrant to Canada, has spoken out against Alberta separation after hearing from listeners who share his opposition to the idea. Nagar, who moved to Canada from India and settled in Calgary, said his experience as a newcomer shapes his view that the province should remain part of Canada.
Immigration Journey to Canada
Nagar and his wife were working as teachers in India when they decided to immigrate to Canada. They were thinking about the future of their son, who was five years old at the time, and believed he might receive a better education in Canada.
At that point, Nagar had no idea that Calgary or Alberta would eventually become the place his family would call home. Like many Indians considering immigration, he thought about Canada as a whole rather than a specific province or city, though places such as Brampton, Ontario, and Surrey, British Columbia, are well known in India for their large Indian communities.
He said the draw for many prospective immigrants is simply Canada, a country of opportunity, diversity and new beginnings, rather than any particular city. For six years, Nagar waited for his application to be processed before receiving a letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in 2008 asking him to prepare for a medical examination and other formalities.
The letter carried an embossed maple leaf, an image Nagar said became permanently etched in his mind as the symbol of Canada and the new life awaiting his family. When he finally landed at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, he was excited, alongside his equally excited wife and their 12-year-old son.
Building a Life in Alberta
The year 2009 was difficult because Canada was going through a harsh recession. Nagar initially moved to Toronto because some of his former students lived there, but he was advised to move to Vancouver because British Columbia was preparing to host the 2010 Winter Olympics and there might be more job opportunities.
He followed that advice and secured a security guard licence. He still remembers his first day of work in Canada, when his first assignment as a security guard was at the CBC building in Vancouver. For someone who had previously worked as a television presenter in India, standing inside CBC was an extraordinary feeling, and he thought that a former TV presenter from India was now at CBC.
Soon after, Nagar joined Red FM as a news presenter, returning to journalism and broadcasting. When an opportunity arose in 2013 after Red FM established a station in Calgary, he chose to move there. Alberta gave him tremendous opportunities, he said, where he built his career as a journalist and broadcaster, raised his family, bought his first home and became deeply involved in the community.
He served two terms in the University of Calgary Senate and contributed to community initiatives, including anti-racism committees. Those experiences taught him that citizenship is not only about what a country gives but equally about what one gives back. Nagar is pictured with his wife, Renu Sharma, and son, Amiteshwar Nagar, alongside a judge who presided over their citizenship ceremony in 2014.
Views on Alberta Separation
Through all his moves, Nagar said he never thought of himself as moving from one separate place to another. Toronto was Canada, Vancouver was Canada, and Calgary was and always will be Canada for him. He described himself as a proud Canadian in Toronto, a proud Canadian in Vancouver, and he remains a proud Canadian in Calgary.
He said that if Red FM had opened a new station in the United States or in an independent Alberta, he would never have opted to go there because his dreamland was Canada. Recently, he held a radio talk show about the referendum question, and every caller who participated supported Alberta remaining part of Canada.
The callers were all of South Asian background and represented different backgrounds, including seniors, permanent residents who were not yet Canadian citizens, people with varying levels of education, working and middle class Albertans, and university students. Yet their message was remarkably similar: not one caller supported a separate Alberta.
Many feared that separation would lead to increased racism against racialized communities. Many also said that immigrants like them would not pick Alberta as a place to move because what they know about separation makes them concerned they would not be welcome. Nagar acknowledged that one radio phone in cannot represent the views of every Albertan.
The discussion reflects broader debates in Alberta, where residents are divided on immigration and about half remain undecided on nine non separation questions, according to a poll. Nagar's account adds a personal perspective to the conversation, highlighting how separation concerns resonate among immigrant communities that have chosen to build their lives in the province.
Rishi Nagar Alberta Separation Red FM Calgary Immigration Canada South Asian
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Alberta Referendum 2025: Students Debate Immigration and Separation Ahead of Oct. 19 VoteAhead of Alberta's Oct. 19 referendum, University of Alberta students share views on immigration and separation, with a CBC Edmonton panel discussion set for Oct. 2.
Read more »
Alberta Referendum: 10 Questions on Immigration, Constitution, SeparationMillions of Albertans will vote on 10 referendum questions covering immigration, constitutional reform, and possible separation from Canada on October 19.
Read more »
Stephen Harper warns against Alberta separation in latest columnFormer Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper published a column cautioning against the prospect of Alberta separating from Canada. He argued that even a symbolic vote would be a fraught approach involving significant risk. Harper criticized the federal government for fostering provincial discontent but maintained that separation would not resolve these issues, while also calling for unity between Liberals and Conservatives.
Read more »
Ottawa Studies $18-Billion Economic Shock From Potential Alberta SeparationInternal federal documents reveal Ottawa is assessing an $18-billion fiscal shock, corporate head office flight and a mass exodus of Albertans if Alberta separates from Canada.
Read more »