Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The Premier made it clear, that she would vote to stay.
Earlier this month, a movement fighting for the separation of the Canadian province of Alberta said it had collected enough signatures to trigger a referendum on secession from Canada.
And now, the date has been set for that very referendum, as the residents of Alberta will be heading to the polls this October, multiple broadcasters, including the BBC, report.
The citizens must decide whether to stay in Canada or force their provincial government to begin the legal process toward breaking away entirely.
The question on the ballot
Premier Danielle Smith revealed in a televised address the exact question that will appear on the ballot:
Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Alberta government initiate the legal process provided for in the Canadian constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on the question of whether or not Alberta should secede from Canada?
Smith plans to vote for Alberta to remain part of Canada. However, she wants to use the vote to pressure federal leaders for more local powers, accusing the central government of taking power away from the provinces.
A rival battle
Two rival campaigns are fighting for support. Former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk leads the Forever Canadian movement. To keep the province inside Canada, his group collected over 456,000 signatures.
Lukaszuk wrote on social media that his team will fight for unity. Meanwhile, Smith described the initiative as an intention to “hold a referendum on holding a referendum on the destruction of Canada.”
On the other side, the Stay Free Alberta campaign submitted 300,000 signatures to push for secession. Local election officials have not yet verified those names because a court order paused the process.
Legal challenges ahead
An Alberta court ruled that breaking away would violate Indigenous rights. In her ruling, Justice Shaina Leonard wrote that “The Alberta government breached its duty to consult” with First Nations groups.
First Nations leaders emphasize that their historic treaties were signed before the province was created in 1905. These agreements allowed settlers to use the land. They did not transfer ownership.
Outside interference is another growing concern. The platform DisinfoWatch warned that actors in Russia and the US are exploiting these divisions. Security officials are also investigating a separatist group that leaked 2.9 million voter records online.
Sources: BBC, DisinfoWatch, Onet
