The city of Lloydminster straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border and would theoretically be bisected by an international border if Alberta were to become independent. It creates an unusual circumstance, but such situations aren’t unprecedented, and accommodations can be made.

Some of the infrastructure currently shared between the provinces in the city would have to be recreated. The RCMP detachment would have to move to the Saskatchewan side of the border, while a new hospital would have to be constructed on the Alberta side, for example. Postal outlets and federally managed offices or buildings would likewise have to be dispersed appropriately.

Border control would be dependent on the relationship between Canada and Alberta at the time of separation. It would surely be a time of stress between the nations, but pragmatism could overcome hurt feelings, and something as intrusive as a border wall running up and down the main street could be avoided.

Several European cities operate with international borders within them. Baarle/Nassau is a city with shared Netherlands and Belgian land with a convoluted border and even some fully segregated enclaves. They have multiple mayors and tax rules but share infrastructure such as a library and fire department. Tornio/Haparanda is a similar city split between Finland and Sweden but still functions pragmatically with some shared services while being independent.

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Lloydminster already has some unique rules such as PST exemptions on the Saskatchewan side of the border as well as remaining in the Alberta time zone to avoid time changes in a single city.

Having an international border running through the city of Lloydminster adds complexity to the separation of the countries but doesn’t offer an insurmountable barrier. With a practical approach, the city could still remain functional with relatively free flows of people and goods in a scenario where Alberta becomes independent.