Though there’s been no official tally, Jeffrey Rath, the lawyer for the Alberta Prosperity Project, said organizers have already collected more than the 177,732 signatures needed to put provincial separatism on the ballot next fall. (The Logic)

Talking point: Rath said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s decision to sign a wide-sweeping pipeline pact with Prime Minister Mark Carney has helped the separatist cause. The governments missed two key milestones in the deal Wednesday. Ottawa had agreed to suspend clean electricity regulations in Alberta if they could reach an agreement by April 1 to raise the industrial carbon price to $130 per tonne. They also missed the deadline to sign a trilateral MOU to deliver the Pathways carbon capture development with participating companies. The prime minister said Tuesday that even though he didn’t expect to meet the deadline, there was still momentum behind the talks. More than half of businesses surveyed recently by the chambers of commerce for Alberta said talk of provincial separation has had an effect on the economy, and many are already feeling the negative impact.