Alberta secession talk 'unhelpful,' ATCO chief executive says

Lauren Krugel · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 14, 2025 6:39 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

The main enforcement of ATCO Ltd. says discussions astir Alberta secession are already hurting the concern climate.

Nancy Southern says Asian partners successful a large hydrogen task person said they won't marque last concern decisions unless determination is certainty astir the Alberta separatism question.

She says the imaginable of Alberta independency is raising excessively galore questions for companies to consciousness assured making large concern decisions.

Those see however it would get its products to coastal ports, what benignant of commercialized deals it would person with its neighbours, what currency it would usage and however unchangeable the system would be.

In absorption to Southern's comments, Charles St-Arnaud, main economist with Alberta Central, told CBC News "it's not surprising. We cognize businesses don't similar governmental uncertainty."

He said the aforesaid has been observed successful each lawsuit wherever there's a question of independence oregon a accidental of a referendum, for example in Quebec and Brexit successful London.

"That uncertainty becomes a headwind for investment."

Southern said she understands Albertans' vexation with the national authorities implicit biology regulations affecting the vigor sector, but that she believes Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to alteration things.

"I deliberation the separatist treatment is precise unhelpful and not constructive to Alberta," Southern said successful an interrogation pursuing her company's yearly shareholder meeting.

St-Arnaud said helium anticipates much radical whitethorn travel Southern's lead, speaking retired astir the antagonistic consequences of secession talk successful the province.

"For astir businesses, particularly those who person to pull superior from extracurricular Alberta oregon adjacent companies that are benignant of connected the obstruction of whether oregon not they should beryllium investing successful Alberta oregon successful Ontario oregon B.C., it can beryllium a deciding origin successful presumption of whether oregon not concern happens successful the province," helium said.