Edmonton mayor backs motion supporting Alberta remaining in Canada
Mayor Andrew Knack said separation talk is harmful; Albertans vote in October on whether to hold a referendum.
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Edmonton city council voted Tuesday to back Alberta remaining in Canada, with Mayor Andrew Knack saying any separation conversation damages the province.
"I wish this motion didn't have to happen," Knack told reporters. "It feels a little bit odd that we're having this conversation. But I do think it's important that council provide clear direction that this is important to our city."
This October, Albertans will vote on whether they think the province should remain part of the country and begin the legal process for a separation referendum.
Knack said complacency sends the wrong message. "By being complacent, by sitting back and letting others vote, we don't send the clear message that we need to send to the business community, we need to send to people who live here, we need to send to the broader world that we're going to continue to work hard to support this country."
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Albertans are proud Canadians but that new federal policies could ease separatist concerns. He called for pipeline approvals, carbon tax elimination, and a strong resource economy. "If Albertans get the sense that those ideas are proceeding, that they'll be more inclined to celebrate national unity," Poilievre said.
