In the vast, resource-rich interior of western Canada, a province that powers much of North America's energy economy is preparing to ask its citizens a foundational question: should the right to vote on independence even be on the table? Alberta's coming ballot measure is not yet a declaration of separation, but it is something equally consequential — a formal test of whether regional grievance has matured into a constitutional confrontation, and whether the bonds of federation can hold when one of its wealthiest members feels unheard.