Canada at a crossroads

Regional election in the country’s largest oil producing province will have lingering impacts on national energy policy for years to come

In western Canada, the winds of change are called Chinooks—gusts of warm air that blast over the Rocky Mountain and herald the spring thaw. Snow melts, puddles form and the oilfields sink under a deluge of mud and muck known by locals as 'break-up'. Now the winds of change are blowing in Alberta, home to 80pc of Canada's oil production. The province's government has called a snap election that has broader implications for the country's national energy policy—or lack thereof—post 16 April. Given uncertainty over future development of pipelines and environmental issues surrounding the world's third-largest oil reserves, it promises to be a rancorous fight that could call into question Canada's