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Alberta Independence Could Cost Up to $170B, Estimate Says

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 4:01 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Alberta Transition Council says independence would require $5 billion upfront and could generate $22.2-32.1 billion surplus each year.
University of Calgary School of Public Policy estimates five-year independence costs at $50-170 billion.
Former Treasury Board senior manager Lennie Kaplan projects setup costs above $200 billion and $50 billion annual expenses.
Trevor Tombe says the council’s surplus estimate is unrealistic because it depends on cutting services such as seniors’ benefits.

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Story summary

Alberta Transition Council says independence would require $5 billion upfront and could generate $22.2-32.1 billion surplus each year.
University of Calgary School of Public Policy estimates five-year independence costs at $50-170 billion.
Former Treasury Board senior manager Lennie Kaplan projects setup costs above $200 billion and $50 billion annual expenses.
Trevor Tombe says the council’s surplus estimate is unrealistic because it depends on cutting services such as seniors’ benefits.