Alberta's separation question

The Business Council of Alberta, which speaks for more than 130 chief executives, urged voters to choose Canada. Its president, Adam Legge, said Alberta needs leverage for 'more fairness in the federation'. He called marking Option 2 as a message to Ottawa 'a pretty risky gamble, one that is not consequence-free'. The business council said separating could raise mortgage and loan costs and affect home values. Legge also contributed to the Canada West Foundation report that put set-up costs at $200 billion. Keith Wilson, a lawyer and co-lead of the Alberta Transition Council, which advocates independence, had argued that Alberta would negotiate from strength. 'They cannot relocate our natural resources, our expansive agricultural production, our oil and gas,' he said. A government-commissioned University of Calgary cost study was expected in the weeks after September 8, 2026.