Alberta to hold referendum on whether to remain in Canada

Alberta to hold referendum on whether to remain in CanadaJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNadine YousifSenior Canada reporterReutersAlberta separatists have publicly pressured Premier Danielle Smith to include a question on independence in an October referendum. Alberta will hold a referendum on whether the province should remain in Canada or move ahead with a second binding vote on separation, marking the first significant test of the country's unity in decades. Thursday's announcement by Premier Danielle Smith comes after a citizen-led petition calling for separation gathered more than 300,000 signatures early this year and a separate petition advocating for Alberta to stay gathered more than 400,000.A restive independence movement has been growing in the oil-rich province, built on a long-held sense that Alberta is overlooked by decision-makers in Ottawa.Still, opinion polls suggest that the majority of Albertans would vote against separating.The provincial referendum has been scheduled for 19 October, the premier said.Smith, in a televised address, said the question being put to Albertans this coming autumn will be be: "Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?"The premier said she herself will vote in favour of Alberta remaining a part of Canada.This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.Canada