Canada Allows Signature Collection for Referendum on Separation of Main Oil-Producing Province
Canada has allowed the collection of signatures to begin for a referendum on the independence of Alberta – the country's main oil-producing province. The Alberta Elections Commission supported the initiative of the group Alberta Prosperity Project, CBC reports .
Alberta province on the map of Canada. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
By early January, the group must appoint a financial director, after which the campaign can be officially launched. The petition proposes to put the question to a vote: "Do you agree that the province of Alberta should cease to be part of Canada and become an independent state?"
According to the rules, organizers must collect at least 178,000 signatures within four months, which accounts for about 3.5% of Alberta's population. The group itself already has about 2,000 members, and another approximately 240,000 residents are reportedly ready to support the initiative with their signatures.
Earlier this year, an attempt to hold a referendum failed: the court deemed the initial wording of the question unconstitutional. After this, the rules for conducting referendums by citizen initiative were changed, which allowed the group to rephrase the question and resubmit the application.
Panorama of night Edmonton. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Alberta is a key oil-producing province of Canada, home to 95-97% of the country's proven oil reserves, primarily in the form of bituminous oil sands. The province is located in the west of the country, bordering the American state of Montana to the south.
Alberta joined Canada in 1905. Its administrative center is Edmonton, and the largest city is Calgary. The province's population exceeds 4 million people.
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