Canada

Bloomberg - Should they stay or should they go? That’s the question Albertans may soon confront when voters in Canada’s energy heartland decide this fall whether to begin a legal process that could ultimately lead to secession.

• Premier Danielle Smith says she’ll hold a referendum on Oct. 19 in a bid to contain independence sentiment within her United Conservative Party, which has governed the province since 2019.
• The decision follows a court ruling that blocked an earlier push to petition the government for a secession vote. The judge sided with indigenous groups, whose treaty rights predate Alberta’s creation as a Canadian province in 1905.
• Polls show separatism remains a minority view, with especially weak support among women and residents of major cities.
• The French-speaking province of Quebec offers a cautionary tale. Rising separatist sentiment there in the 1970s drove many businesses to Toronto from Montreal. Quebec voters ultimately rejected independence in a razor-thin 1995 referendum.