Canada's oil-rich province of Alberta will proceed with a non-binding referendum in October on whether its residents want to remain part of Canada, a largely symbolic move that could still pose a major challenge for Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The ballot box question would not trigger separation, Premier Danielle Smith said, but would instead ask residents if the Alberta government should start the legal process to hold a binding referendum on independence at a later date.
"It's time to have a vote, understand the will of Albertans on this subject, and move on," Smith said in an evening televised address on Thursday.
