Alberta independence explained: Why Canada's oil province wants out and where Trump fits in

Why Canada’s oil province wants out and where Trump fits in (Reuters photo) Alberta, the Canadian province of oil fields, cowboy country and the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, is preparing to ask a question that would have sounded almost unthinkable in mainstream Canadian politics a few years ago: Should it begin the process of leaving Canada?Next month, the country's fourth-largest province will vote on whether its government should start the legal process required to hold a binding referendum on whether Alberta should separate from Canada.A “yes” vote will not make Alberta an independent country. There will be no new border posts on the Trans-Canada Highway and Calgary will not suddenly become the capital of a new nation.The October 19 vote itself is non-binding. It would simply open the door to a much bigger constitutional and political fight. Elections Alberta says voters will be asked to choose between remaining a province of Canada and directing the government to begin the legal process required for a future binding referendum on separation.But even taking that first step would be a remarkable moment for a province that has spent decades complaining about Ottawa while remaining...