Alberta to hold fall referendum on whether to have binding referendum on separating from Canada

CBC News ^ | 05/21/2026 | Michelle Bellefontaine

[DFG]

Premier Danielle Smith says Albertans will be able to vote in the fall on whether they want the province to hold a binding referendum on separating from Canada.

In a pre-recorded speech broadcast Thursday evening, Smith said a question will be added to a provincewide referendum in October that will ask, “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”

Smith said a vote in favour of separation doesn’t trigger the process, but will instead allow Alberta to start a legal process required to hold a binding referendum.

In her address on Thursday, she also affirmed that she would vote in favour of staying in Canada.

In a ruling last week, Justice Shaina Leonard of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta put a stop to a petition calling for a referendum on independence that was being circulated by the pro-separatist group Stay Free Alberta. That petition asked Albertans if they wanted Alberta to “cease to be part of Canada to become an independent state.”

Smith had strong words in her address on Thursday for what she called “a legal mistake by a single judge” and a “troubling court decision.”

Smith and Stay Free Alberta said they are going to appeal the decision. However, the premier, in her speech, reminded people the process could take years to resolve.

“Kicking the can down the road only prolongs a very emotional and important debate, and muzzling the voices of hundreds of thousands of Albertans wanting to be heard is unjustifiable in a free and democratic society,” Smith said.

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TOPICS: Canada
KEYWORDS: alberta; canada; daniellesmith; seccession

[DownInFlames]

This is basic liberty, to be free from tyranny and determine one’s course of government. It’s no different from our 1776 event.

[dfwgator]

This is basic liberty, to be free from tyranny and determine one’s course of government

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Some people prefer tyranny.

[ChuckHam]

I hope they separate and become their own country. We’ll have a great trade relationship with them.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Some have speculated that Alberta could become a US state.

That seems a longshot but see if they really vote to secede from Canada.

[captmar-vell]

Installed WEF globalist banker tool Mark Carney says the answer is no. Before any vote, no. After any vote, no.

[dfwgator]

It’s more likely that Canada will join the EU.

[cornfedcowboy]

They will not vote to succeed from Canada. These referendums though give tremendous swagger to Alberta. They are rich with resources and Toronto and Montreal take advantage of them. Trump calling for Alberta to become a state was one of the best things to ever happen for that province.

[House Atreides]

An independent nation of Alberta would have citizens who would be much wealthier and largely free of the tyranny of Canada. They would love it.

[cornfedcowboy]

Secede

[qam1]

They would be stupid to become a US State, with our debt and immigration, they should be their own country. They just got to convince the rest of BC to kick out Vancouver and join them so they have a port.

[Sirius Lee]

Ask the Confederacy about that. And then ask a skankee.

[captmar-vell]

Agree banker Carney desires this outcome, along with his pal Keir undermining and scheming to get the UK back in.

They know they cannot implement their WEF global Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and 15 Minute City surveillance state gulags without everything tokenized onto the blockchain if there are still individual pockets of freedom existing on the Earth.

The USA is their biggest hurdle, they are playing the waiting game.

[whitney69]

“In her address on Thursday, she also affirmed that she would vote in favour of staying in Canada.”

And if you buy this one I’ve got some stock in a diamond mine to offer you. In a televised address on Thursday, Smith told Albertans that while she supports Alberta remaining in Canada, she is “deeply troubled” by the recent court decision to quash an Alberta independence citizen petition. So she wants to remain connected to Canada, but she is playing both sides against the middle by offering the citizens an olive branch. She’s going to do what she wants anyway, and she has already displayed her not wishing to secede. The only difference between an Iranian politician and a Canadian one is the canuks are closer.

wy69

[PGR88]

a referendum, to have a future referendum

Sounds like politics.

[canuck_conservative]

FedGov and Big Canadian Media are just waiting for the chance to blame Premier Smith for the break-up of Canada, that’s why she has to play the good trooper, strictly following the Law

I think the actual vote, whenever it happens, will shock a lot of the complacent Eastern Canadian Establishment (the “Laurentian Elite”) ... in no small part due to the discriminatory and abusive way that Alberta consistently gets treated in this “Confederation of equals” (lol)

[Gay State Conservative]

Wow! IIRC Quebec had a similar vote some years back and it came quite close to succeeding. Scotland's vote a few years back was something like 53-47 against.

If the vote happens and it succeeds will Alberta really want to be independent of will they seek to become a state?

[HIDEK6]

Sounds like politics.

It’s a slow walk.

[dfwgator]

[captmar-vell]

Thanks, I’ve visited many times Vancouver was my favorite and even had a temporary work visa in Calgary for a time, never made it for the Stampede, my loss.