By Lisa Johnson Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she will hold a referendum on provincial separation next year if citizens gather the required signatures on a petition. Smith, in a livestream address Monday, said she wants a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada but there is a growing number of Albertans who are unhappy with Confederation, and are organizing petitions to push for an exit. “The vast majority of these individuals are not fringe voices to be marginalized or vilified. They are loyal Albertans,” she said. “They’re frustrated, and they have every reason to be.” The speech comes a week after Smith’s United Conservative government introduced legislation that, if passed, would sharply reduce the bar petitioners need to meet to trigger a provincial referendum. The bill, introduced the day after…
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