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With about a month to go before this fall’s Alberta referendum, Calgary’s mayor wants the city to take an official stance on remaining a part of Canada.
But his council is divided about whether to wade into the debate.
Earlier this week, Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he expects to soon ask his colleagues on city council, through urgent business or calling a special council meeting, to formally endorse Calgary remaining within a united Canada.
The idea followed a new report from the University of Calgary School of Public Policy this week that found separation could cost Alberta up to $170 billion over a five-year period.
Local mayors and councils are not permitted to raise money or advertise support for either side of the referendum. But they’re allowed to take a position on the debate.
The mayor of Alberta’s capital city took a similar stance already, earlier this year. Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack’s motion that Alberta should remain in Canada was backed by his council.
And some Calgary councillors are supporting Farkas’s call to take a more formal position in the debate.
Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Yule said he was clear about his support to remain in Canada while campaigning for municipal office last fall, adding that he promised voters he would reflect the stance in his decisions and actions on council.
Yule added he supports Farkas’s idea to make an official stance, to send a positive message to investors.
“What we’re hearing about investment pushing pause or not wanting to come to Calgary just with this uncertainty, it’s time to nip that in the bud,” said Yule.
Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness said it’s a no-brainer vote for her to stay in Canada.
“We’ve seen the reports come out that say this is not a free endeavour for us to do, which is captain obvious in the room. I think most people realized this was not going to be a free endeavour,” said Wyness.
“But also at the same time, it won’t necessarily make it better for the younger and next generation.”
While Wyness sees some disagreement among residents about council’s role in the debate, she said she believes much of her ward wants their elected officials to firmly declare their position.
Some division on council’s role
But some of Calgary’s councillors argue the referendum is outside of their jurisdiction to take a formal stance.
On the heels of a public back-and-forth with Farkas about leaked budget documents, Ward 14 Coun. Landon Johnston told CBC News that council should focus on city business like upcoming budget deliberations rather than taking a position on the referendum.
CBC News obtained an email Ward 1 Coun. Kim Tyers sent to her colleagues where she also said she doesn’t support holding a special meeting about the referendum. She argued the issue isn’t an emergency that requires an urgent response from city council.
“Special meetings should be reserved for extraordinary circumstances requiring urgent municipal action. This matter does not meet that threshold,” Tyers’s email said.
“Council is not being asked to solve a crisis, direct emergency operations or make a time-sensitive decision.”
She added that while individual councillors can express their own opinions, it’s not council’s role to hold a special meeting “simply because a topic is politically significant or generates strong feelings.”
Staying in city council’s lane
While Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean said he’d be fine to debate whether council should take a stand on this fall’s referendum, he said he would rather focus on the upcoming budget. He said he supports remaining in Canada, but doesn’t think council should formally take a stance.
“This is a provincial matter. There’s always talk about staying in our lane. Everybody says ‘stay in your lane,’ and this isn’t really our lane,” said McLean.
Alberta’s Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams has previously said he would “course correct” municipal governments that step outside of their lane.
But Ward 8 Coun. Nathaniel Schmidt argued the referendum is relevant for council to weigh in about, because other levels of government fundamentally affect how the city operates, especially when it comes to securing funding for city infrastructure.
“No matter what level of government, no matter who you are, the country we live in, we all have a say in that. And I’m not going to shy away from that conversation,” said Schmidt.
Schmidt said he would support Farkas’s stance, adding that he feels strongly a large part of his ward wants to remain in Canada.
Ward 9 Coun. Harrison Clark echoed Schmidt’s argument about the impact Alberta’s decision to remain or leave the country will have on Calgary. He said he’s been an unwavering supporter to remain, and he thinks it’s important to make that clear.
“While I understand that some folks might think this is outside our purview or outside of our jurisdiction, the reality is the implications will impact every facet of the business that the City of Calgary is engaged in, so it fundamentally is our business,” said Clark.
Only a month remains before an Oct. 19 referendum question asking whether Alberta should remain in Canada, or commence the legal process to hold a binding referendum on separation.
