Alberta Separation Could Cost Billions, Report Warns

A new report from the University of Calgary School of Public Policy estimates that establishing an independent Alberta would cost between $50 billion and $170 billion over a five-year period.

The report, commissioned by Alberta's government in June, outlines two possible scenarios: a 'smooth' option where negotiations to exit Canada would be quick and favorable, and a 'difficult' option where those negotiations would be protracted and unfavorable.

The report states that separation would give Alberta the freedom to set its own environmental laws, potentially boosting the energy sector. However, independence could also make the province more dependent on shipping oil through the United States, with unpredictable consequences.

A separate expert advisory panel assessment agrees that significant costs are incurred in the short term and that long-term outcomes are 'highly uncertain'. The panel notes that separation would harm not only Alberta but also Canada as a whole.