Calgary mayor wants anti-separation campaign but provincial rules block the city

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas is pushing back against provincial restrictions that he says prevent the city from actively campaigning against Alberta's October 19 separation referendum.

Farkas announced Thursday that he plans to commission research on the economic effects separation would have on Calgary and educate Calgarians about those consequences ahead of the vote. But provincial legislation limits municipalities to $1,000 in spending to promote or oppose any outcome — a threshold Farkas says effectively silences the city's voice.

"I am going to fight tooth and nail against this misguided proposal. I'm going to be advocating for us to fix this country and not turn our backs on the rest of Confederation," Farkas said after a Calgary Stampede event with Premier Danielle Smith.

Lynne Davies, the city's acting solicitor, said at a council meeting this week that individual councillors can independently voice their opinions and motion for staff analysis of referendum impacts. But she raised uncertainty about whether the city can publicly report those conclusions without violating provincial legislation.

Only registered third-party advertisers can spend beyond $1,000 on the referendum, and the city is not allowed to fulfil that role, Davies said. The Justice Minister's office said the Alberta government cannot amend legislation before the fall sitting at the end of October, but offered that "there are many ways for the Calgary mayor and councillors to advocate their positions on the upcoming referendum without the municipality acting as a registered third-party advertiser."

Albertans will vote on whether they want the province to stay in Canada or start the process toward a second, binding referendum on quitting Confederation.