Alberta to hold referendum on separation from Canada in 2026 if...

Canada will face the challenge of keeping all its provinces together in 2026 as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she will hold a referendum on the province's separation from Canada next year if a petition manages to get the required number of signatures. "Should Ottawa, for whatever reason, continue to attack our province as they have done over the last decade, ultimately that will be for Albertans to decide," she said. "I will accept their judgement." The demand for separating from Canada intensified after the Liberal Party won the election last week.

Danielle said she didn't want to presume that a referendum will certainly take place but she said she will honor the voting process. Smith said her government has no plans to put the question of Alberta separating from Canada to Albertans, but her government is taking steps to demand respect from Ottawa.

"I do not support Alberta separating from Canada," Smith said.

"I personally still have hope that there is a path forward for a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada. So I am going to do everything within my power to negotiate a fair deal for Alberta with the new Prime Minister."

"In the months ahead, there will be many who will try to sow fear and anger among us. Those who would like to see Alberta divided," Smith said.

Will Alberta get separated from Canada?

Alberta introduced legislation which would cut the threshold required to trigger a provincial referendum, if passed. Under the proposed bill, a petition would need signatures from 10 per cent of the eligible voters in a previous general election — down from 20 per cent of total registered voters. Applicants would also get 120 days, rather than 90, to collect the required 177,000 signatures to open a referendum vote. She said there has always been frustration in Alberta against Ottawa and that frustration has only increased in recent years. "It's always ebbed and flowed, but that has always been in the background in Alberta electoral politics and it just happened to have flared up right now," she said.