Alberta to vote on whether to begin process of separating from Canada

People in Alberta, an oil-rich province in western Canada, will vote on 19 October on whether to start the process of separating from the country.

The vote is about whether to begin that process, not an immediate decision to become an independent country.

Supporters say national decision-makers in Ottawa have overlooked Alberta.

They also argue that federal environmental policies have limited the province's ability to develop its natural resources.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called the proposed referendum a “dangerous bluff” and compared it with the Brexit vote, which led the UK to leave the European Union.

The vote matters because it could open a debate about Alberta's future within Canada.

The sources do not say what would happen after the vote.