In June of this year, the Alberta government commissioned a sole-sourced $1.5 million study to examine the costs, benefits, and potential consequences of establishing a sovereign nation where the province of Alberta now stands. The University of Calgary's School of Public Policy was selected to conduct the study, which came out a month in advance of the October 19 referendum. The referendum will ask Albertans 10 questions — most significant among them whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada, or commence a secession process which would ultimately include a second, binding, provincial referendum.
Per the report, it could cost up to $170 billion over the first five years to establish a sovereign Alberta, requiring an additional 70,000 civil servants, plus an ongoing extra $60 billion a year in assumed federal responsibilities. That's if negotiations with what the report calls Rest of Canada (RoC) don't go smoothly. If they do, the price tag might be lower, around $50 billion.
The authors of the report freely admit that the task they were given was "impossible" due to the range of factors outside of Alberta's control. The counterfactuals they construct — the "smooth" vs. the "difficult" Alberta exit trajectories — do not consider the legality of Alberta separation.
Go Premium to keep reading
Try unlimited ad-free access as a Peak Premium trial subscriber for 60 days. Cancel anytime, or continue as a subscriber for as little as $1.75 per week.
Try Peak Premium For Free
