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Alberta Votes on Separation Referendum Question Oct. 19
The government added a 10th question after court rulings and competing petitions, as polls show most Albertans want to remain in Canada.
Albertans head to the polls on October 19 to vote on a 10th referendum question asking whether the province should stay in Canada or hold a binding vote on separation.
Strains of western alienation date back decades to the federal National Energy Program, though Premier Danielle Smith stresses her preference for a "sovereign Alberta within a united Canada."
While an Alberta Court of King's Bench judge quashed a previous separatist petition, a University of Calgary report estimates an initial five-year price tag of $50 billion to $170 billion for independence.
The United Conservative Party recently lost a Calgary-Shaw byelection to the Opposition NDP, with critics citing the referendum as a contributing factor despite a $4-million government advertising campaign.
Thomas Lukaszuk's "Forever Canadian" petition remains in limbo as the government reviews whether gathered signatures should trigger a legislature vote or a referendum.