Alberta Businesses Worry Province Might Separate Economy From Reality First

A new Calgary Chamber of Commerce survey suggests Alberta businesses have discovered a troubling side effect of constant talk about provincial separation: markets apparently don’t enjoy existential political experiments.

The survey found 28 per cent of companies say the ongoing debate about Alberta leaving Canada is already affecting their business. Of those, 88 per cent described the impact as negative, indicating investors may be irrationally biased toward places that intend to remain countries next year.

More than half of respondents ranked “Alberta separation” as the most important issue facing businesses, ahead of minor concerns like trade with the United States or building pipelines.

Among the expected outcomes identified by companies: recession risk, investment delays, companies quietly packing their headquarters into U-Hauls, and skilled workers fleeing to jurisdictions where the national borders are less… negotiable.

Economists say uncertainty can slow growth, though Alberta may soon solve that problem entirely by replacing the economy with a spirited, province-wide debate about passports, tariffs, and whether the new national currency will be oil barrels or commemorative pickup trucks.

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