WESTERN SWAGGER is as much a story of political drama as football. While the discovery of oil in Alberta solidified Canada as an energy superpower during the 1970s and 80s, the province’s prowess on the gridiron was being ignited by the Edmonton Eskimos’ unprecedented five consecutive Grey Cup titles. With the mighty Eskimos dominating on the field, former Eskimo and Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed battled Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the boardroom over the National Energy Program, which risked putting Alberta’s economy in a dangerous tailspin and tipping the country on a brink of constitutional chaos. WESTERN SWAGGER demonstrates Alberta’s unshakable determination on and off the football field and the beginnings of an East vs. West rivalry that can still be felt today.
