Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the desire among Albertans to separate from Canada is the highest she has ever seen, and that Ottawa has the tools to address the grievances fueling the sentiment.
Smith made the comments at an unrelated press conference in Calgary on June 26, citing the nearly 18 percent of the vote won by separatist candidate Cameron Davies in a recent provincial byelection in the rural riding of Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills.
She said separatist sentiment may subside if Ottawa changes the policies she says have hindered the province’s economy over the past decade.
“I’ve never seen such a high level of separatist sentiment,” she said. “I take that seriously, and I hope that the federal government takes that seriously.”…