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The fate of this province of five million people will be in limbo for the next five months, as Alberta voters consider a serious question: Are we here to stay or are we going?
Albertans will go to the polls on Oct. 19 for a historic referendum that could change the course of not only the Prairie provinces, but also Canada.
The vote, announced on February 19, initially contained nine questions related to immigration and possible changes to the Canadian Constitution.
Then on May 21, Premier Danielle Smith announced that a 10th question had been added, leaving the issue of Alberta separatism in the hands of voters.
The question: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada? Or should the Alberta government initiate the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should secede from Canada?”
So how did we get here?
Over the past few months, Global News journalists across Alberta have been digging into the issues at the heart of the independence referendum and this week, those stories are being shared.
Global News presents “The Road to the Referendum.”
This week-long series will explore a wide range of topics, starting with major developments leading up to the decision to hold a referendum.
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We’ll hear from separatists about what motivated them to leave Canada – as well as federalists who desperately want to stay in Canada.
We’ll explore practical questions Albertans have about the real-life logistics of leaving Canada: what happens to the border, currency, military and more?
What’s happening in places like Lloydminster, located on both sides of the Alberta and Saskatchewan border?
Constitutionally, what would a yes vote or even hold a referendum on treaty rights – a constitutionally recognized interstate treaty signed more than a century ago between the Crown and Canada’s indigenous peoples mean?
The territories of five different treaty states lie within the boundaries of Alberta: the three major treaties are Treaty 8 in northern Alberta, Treaty 6 in Edmonton and central Alberta, and Treaty 7 which stretches from southern Red Deer to the Canada–US border. Small portions of two other areas also extend into Alberta: Treaty 10 near Cold Lake, and Treaty 4 east of Medicine Hat.
First Nations have won a pair of significant court battles that limited the provincial government’s ability to hold constitutionally binding referendums. We spoke with members of the First Nation leading the fight to remain in Canada about their perspective on the referendum.
What impact will a referendum or partition have on the economy?
What about the new pipeline to high tide that the Alberta government has long championed and now, has a memorandum of understanding with the federal government to make it a reality?
Financial and business analysts have said that the separatist movement is scaring away investors and major companies, raising questions about the future of Alberta’s economic prosperity.
Proponents of Alberta independence argued that writing our own economic story would bring prosperity and end the economic stagnation caused by federal policy.
Opponents dispute the claim, arguing that answering the question would eliminate investment and jobs, leaving Alberta as a landlocked state with fewer options than before.
Canada has experienced separatism debates before. We explore the cautionary tales emerging from the referendum in Quebec and what long-term impacts could emerge from the referendum campaign in Alberta in the months ahead.
Prominent provincial leaders, political and economic experts, as well as those who are trying their best to stay in and leave, are all invited to join the discussion on our newscast.
This story will be updated with daily coverage. More to come…
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
