Fall referendum will ask Albertans whether government should explore process for separatism vote, Smith says

Calgary mayor welcomes placing the query to voters, would marketing campaign ‘strongly’ to remain

I cowl metropolis corridor for CBC Calgary. When requested in regards to the upcoming referendum in the present day, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas instructed reporters the Alberta government crossed a line when it introduced it plans to attraction the court docket determination that quashed the Stay Free Alberta petition’s approval.

“You cross a red line when you actively sue to undermine treaty rights that we’ve respected in this province for 150 years,” he mentioned.

Farkas welcomes placing the query to voters and will be “campaigning strongly” in favor of Alberta remaining inside Canada, he mentioned. Although, he added that the prospect of a separation query on the poll in October is scarring funding away from Calgary, Alberta’s largest metropolis.

“There’s many people sitting on the sidelines right now who are waiting for this question to be resolved,” he said.

The mayor urged for a “very clear and well-defined question.”

“It could be much more damaging for Albertans to go to the polls and be requested a query that was in any other case ambiguous, not clear. We must settle this as soon as and for all and transfer on from this,” Farkas mentioned.