An article published last week by The Globe and Mail has ignited debate from Ottawa to Alabama, after boldly declaring that Canada, by one key economic measure, had fallen behind the Yellowhammer State.
Titled “How Canada became poorer than Alabama,” the piece by journalist Tim Kiladze examines gross domestic product per capita data showing that, after adjusting for purchasing power, Canada’s provincial average slipped below Alabama’s in recent years. The comparison, drawn from International Monetary Fund data and research by economist Trevor Tombe, landed with what the paper itself described as “an overdue wake-up call.”
The Globe reported that “it was a shock” when IMF calculations showed Canada had, at least temporarily, fallen behind the southern state on a per capita GDP basis.
To understand more, the newspaper traveled to “the Deep South,” devoting significant space and multiple prominent photographs to Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, who is featured in striking images inside City Hall and throughout the community.
Battle reflected on Huntsville’s economic strategy, telling The Globe that when he first took office in 2008, “we had great entry-level jobs. Hospitality, landscaping, etc. And we had great jobs on the top end, which was, you know, your rocket scientist, your technical person, your doctorate people who worked out at Redstone Arsenal. That middle ground was where our work force was lacking.”
The Globe highlights Huntsville as home to the Saturn rocket program, the HudsonAlpha biotech campus and major aerospace and manufacturing investments, including a $6 billion Eli Lilly plant announced in December. Battle promoted “Huntsville as a smart place,” a tagline the newspaper says now carries new weight as global companies compete for investment.
For many Canadians and even those closer to home, the state still carries long-standing stereotypes. “Alabama tropes are hard to shake: The state is backward and full of bible thumpers and bigots – allegedly,” the article reads.
Battle acknowledged those perceptions. When local companies try to recruit from outside the region, he told the newspaper, spouses often respond the same way: “‘Huntsville?’ With one question mark. Then they say, ‘Alabama???’ With three question marks.”
But the article argues Huntsville is helping rewrite that narrative.
The piece also points to Alabama’s 2.7 percent unemployment rate, its rise as an auto manufacturing powerhouse and a business climate focused on what former Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield described as “speed to market.” In Alabama, he said, companies can secure permits and begin construction quickly. “Red tape was for suckers,” the article notes in describing the state’s aggressive approach to recruitment.
At the same time, The Globe makes clear the comparison is not simple, stressing that per capita GDP “is not the Holy Grail.”
The story has since generated widespread reaction across Canada, including discussion on CBC News, where economists debated whether GDP per capita is even the right way to measure prosperity.
“I don’t think we should be trying to compete with Alabama,” economist Mike Moffatt said during the CBC segment.
The Globe piece ultimately frames Alabama as a warning sign for Canada.
“If Canadians remain complacent, the rest of the world will eat our lunch,” the article concludes.
For Alabama, the viral moment represents more than a headline. It is a striking spotlight from one of Canada’s most influential newspapers, complete with full page photography of Huntsville’s mayor and a sweeping examination of the city’s rise as a technology, biotech and advanced manufacturing hub.
The article also allows readers on both sides of the border to see Alabama through a different lens. The state is no longer being framed as a punchline but as a case study in economic reinvention, speed to market and strategic growth. For Alabamians, reading the piece offers a rare glimpse into how the state is perceived abroad and how dramatically that perception is shifting.
In the end, the debate sparked by The Globe and Mail may center on GDP statistics, but the broader takeaway is clear. Alabama, and Huntsville in particular, is competing in a global arena. And increasingly, the world is paying attention.
