July 9, 2026· Alberta Fact Check
Fact Check: Corey Hogan Said Separation Talk Hurts Investment. Then Meta Invested $13 Billion.
On the same day Liberal MP Corey Hogan warned that Alberta's independence debate was a "drag on investment," Meta broke ground on a $13-billion AI data centre in Sturgeon County — the largest private-sector tech investment in Alberta's history.
Alberta Fact Check points out the timing problem with Liberal MP Corey Hogan's claim that Alberta's independence debate is scaring off investors. Hogan told the Toronto Star that the separation debate "is a drag on our economy" and "a drag on investment." That very same day, Meta broke ground on a $13-billion AI data centre in Sturgeon County — the largest private-sector technology investment in Alberta's history, expected to create roughly 3,000 construction jobs and more than 300 permanent operating jobs.
As the piece notes, major investment decisions are made based on decades-long outlooks, not single-day headlines, and Meta had every opportunity to walk away if it saw Alberta as too risky. Instead it doubled down with a historic commitment, undercutting the claim that the current debate is already driving investors away.