Idea of Alberta separatism is closer than ever to mainstream

Of course, it doesn’t have majority support. Almost one-third of Albertans may say they want to leave Canada, but that means around 70 per cent say they want to remain. Yet even if a separatist referendum fails, the process could be profoundly destabilizing to Alberta and Canada. It could affect the investment climate in the province for years to come. It could permanently reshape, for better or for worse, the relationship that Alberta has with other provinces, as they see one province actively working to break up the country instead of trying to make it work. If a substantial percentage of Albertans voted to leave, it would send a strong signal to Ottawa, potentially boosting the Alberta government’s position in negotiations for more powers. Or, alternatively, as some within the governing United Conservatives fear, a vote to stay in Canada could give Ottawa needed cover to steamroll provincial rights, undoing what progress Alberta has made in standing up for itself.