The premier of the Canadian province of Alberta, Danielle Smith, said that during a referendum in October, residents would be asked if they wanted the province to separate from Canada.
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“I will ask our government to add an additional question to the previously announced October 19th referendum vote,” Smith said in a video message.
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He added that residents of the province will be asked whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or whether the government of Alberta should initiate a legal procedure to hold a binding provincial referendum.
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“Since the proposed referendum question does not directly trigger the secession process, and if approved will only instruct the government of Alberta to begin the necessary legal procedure to hold a binding referendum on the issue, the recent court decision will not apply, and the question I formulated may be put to a vote,” Smith said.
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In December 2025, the legislative Assembly of Alberta adopted a civil petition on the separation of the province from Canada – the initiators were allowed to collect signatures in support of a referendum on this issue. Supporters of the idea of separation argue that this territorial unit makes a disproportionately large contribution to the Canadian economy, while not receiving proper political representation.
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In May, the court banned the counting of signatures on the petition, arguing that the authorities had not consulted with the indigenous peoples of the province before allowing the signature collection process.
