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A fast-moving grass fire that killed at least ​four soldiers at a western Canadian ‌military base on Saturday was sparked by an exercise using live ​grenades, a senior defense ​official said on Thursday. High winds ⁠then propelled the blaze across ​the army base in Wainwright, ​overwhelming dozens of soldiers. The incident was one of the worst peacetime ​tragedies for Canada’s military. “The fire ​initiated on the automatic grenade launcher range … [it] ‌initiated ⁠as a result of routine military training that was happening on that range at ​the time,” ​Brigadier-General ⁠Vanessa Hanrahan told reporters. Officials said 27 people remain ​hospitalized,...

Residents of Alberta voted on Monday to remain part of Canada, rejecting a campaign to try to separate the oil-rich western province from the rest of the country. Voters in a referendum endorsed remaining in Canada over the option of holding a second vote on whether to secede. With just over a third of votes counted, 76 percent of voters chose to remain part of Canada with 23 percent seeking another vote. Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the result. “Albertans chose Canada,” he said in a statement. “All Canadians will move forward together with renewed purpose and high ambition.” In...

Question 10 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? Option 1: Alberta should remain a province of Canada. Option 2: The Government of Alberta should commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada. SNIP

Polls open at 9 a.m. Monday for Alberta's 10-question referendum, but Airdrie residents need to check where they're assigned to vote before heading out. Airdrie falls within two provincial electoral divisions, Airdrie-East and Airdrie-Cochrane. Voting is scheduled to continue until 8 p.m. The vote follows preliminary figures released Sunday by Elections Alberta showing 1,356,873 Albertans cast advance votes or special ballots, representing 43.1 per cent of eligible electors. SNIP What are Albertans voting on? Monday's referendum contains 10 questions covering immigration, access to provincially funded services, proposed constitutional changes and Alberta's future within Canada. Questions 1 through 5 address immigration...

Prime Minister Mark Carney tries to rally oil-rich province to stick with country SUNDRE, Alberta—This town nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains is known for its annual pro rodeo in June, which includes a parade of cowboys and cowgirls on horseback, school marching bands and colorful floats celebrating the heritage of rural Alberta.This year, a feud erupted over a proposed parade float festooned with Alberta provincial flags. Volunteer parade organizers rejected the idea as too political amid campaigning around a referendum on Alberta staying in Canada or moving toward independence—and were then met with an onslaught of harassment...

A “serious incident” at a military base in Alberta on Saturday caused a major fire and left people dead and injured, Canadian officials said. “I’m saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base,” Defense Minister David McGuinty said at a news conference. Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada said in an earlier statement that a “serious incident creating a major fire” had occurred. In a post on social media, Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, described it as a “significant and tragic fire” that was “affecting many of...

Elon Musk has backed Quebec independence and said Alberta and Saskatchewan should leave Canada, too, coming days after the separatist Parti Québécois returned to power. “Good. Quebec should separate,” the billionaire owner of X wrote on Wednesday, responding to a post about incoming premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s pledge that Quebec independence would one day be achieved. “They would be better off. Alberta and Saskatchewan should separate, too,” he added. The remarks from one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent allies come amid growing scrutiny of American interest in separatist movements in Canada, including contacts between U.S. officials and separatists in...

With a little more than three weeks to go until the Oct. 19 referendum, a new poll done for CBC News suggests support for separation has softened since spring. Janet Brown Opinion Research, in a random survey of 1,200 Albertans between Sept. 8 and 21, asked respondents the same question they’ll face on referendum day: “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?” Twenty-three per cent of respondents said they’d vote...

The oilsands became a pillar of global oil supply growth during the first 15 years of this century but the oil price collapse has reaffirmed that a long-standing challenge -- perennial cost escalation -- continues to threaten future developments. Factor in a new cap on greenhouse gas emissions, long-term pipeline constraints as well as higher taxes and a report released Wednesday by U.S. energy consultants IHS concluding the vast oilsands resource in northern Alberta that's made Canada one of the world's major crude oil producers is at "a turning point." "The industry is shifting to a new period in which...

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is working on a “massive deal” to purchase potash from Belarus. “The pricing would be for substantially less than we are currently paying to Canada, very good news for our Farmers and Ranchers,” he posted to Truth Social on Monday. Canada is the leading exporter of potash, shipping about 22.9 million tonnes in 2024, accounting for over 39 per cent of global exports according to the Government of Canada. The leading destination of Canadian exports of potash is the United States. The U.S. imports nearly 85 per cent of its potash from Canada. Belarus...

This morning, President Trump announced on social media that the U.S. is working on a trade deal that would enable purchases of potash from Belarus: The conflict in Iran has raised the cost of fertilizer to American farmers, so the administration is under pressure to address that cost. Potash (potassium) is an important fertilizer, but its cost has been impacted only slightly by the Iran conflict. Still, a trade deal that would lower the cost of potash would be welcomed by farmers. Hence this morning’s announcement. But there is not yet a deal with Belarus. What is going on is...

Alberta & Saskatchewan have chosen the United States as their most important partner in trade negotiations, as Mark Carney's government seeks to draw Canada closer to China.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday compared Alberta’s vote on whether to move toward independence to Brexit, calling it a potential “dangerous bluff.” Danielle Smith, the premier of Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta, said last week a vote would be held Oct. 19 on whether Alberta should stay in Canada or take legal steps under the Constitution to hold a binding referendum on leaving. Carney drew on his experience with Brexit in his comments. Carney was the governor of the Bank of England in 2016 when Britain voted to leave the European Union, and he helped navigate the central...

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,...

An Alberta judge has quashed a separatist petition, saying the provincial government had a duty to consult with First Nations. Justice Shaina Leonard says the petition should never have been issued. Lawyers for several Alberta First Nations had argued the province’s referendum process and its use by separatists are unconstitutional, as there’s no requirement for Indigenous consultation. They also said separation would violate treaty rights. Lawyers for the province defended the process and pushed for the separatist petition to play out. The separatist group Stay Free Alberta handed in its petition last week and boasted that it had nearly 302,000...

On May 4, the organizers of the Alberta Independence Movement announced they had accrued a massive number of signatures, well in excess of the required number to submit their petition to trigger an independence referendum.They needed 177,732.🚨 BREAKING: 301,620 signatures have officially been announced for the Alberta independence petition.That is far beyond the required threshold to trigger the Alberta independence vote on October 19th.A massive day for the Alberta Independence movement. pic.twitter.com/RbeIDkNf7e— Rise Of Alberta (@RiseOfAlberta) May 4, 2026Classically, it ain't over 'til it's over, and even getting the referendum on an October ballot is a dogfight.Just because you followed...

With a separatist movement brewing across some parts of Alberta, Canada's Prime Minister is attempting to build bridges with that province's Premier. As Xiaoli Li tells us, a pipeline project is at the centre of those discussions.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Alberta separatists said Monday they have formally submitted almost 302,000 signatures to try to trigger a referendum on the province leaving Canada. The group needed 178,000 signatures to force the province to consider such a vote. The question of separation could go on a provincewide ballot as early as October, as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she would move forward if enough names are gathered and verified. Smith has said she personally does not support the oil-rich province leaving Canada. A “yes” vote would not trigger independence automatically. Negotiations with the federal government would have...

Foreign actors are attempting to undermine Canadian interests by interfering in Alberta's separatist debate, according to new report. Actors from Russia and the US are attempting to promote separatist ideas in what researchers behind the report described as a threat to Canada's "democratic integrity". The findings come as a proposed independence referendum in the western Canadian province could face a vote as soon as this autumn. Earlier this week, a group behind a citizen-led petition seeking independence for Alberta said that it had acquired the number of signatures needed to trigger a referendum. The Alberta separatist movement has its roots...

Alberta separatists said Monday they have formally submitted almost 302,000 signatures to try to trigger a referendum on the province leaving Canada. The group needed 178,000 signatures to force the province to consider such a vote. The question of separation could go on a provincewide ballot as early as October, as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she would move forward if enough names are gathered and verified. Smith has said she personally does not support the oil-rich province leaving Canada. A “yes” vote would not trigger independence automatically. Negotiations with the federal government would have to take place and...