Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta to vote on separating from country

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A separatist supporter holds a flag during a rally near the Elections Alberta headquarters in Edmonton, Canada, on May 4, 2026, as they submit boxes of signatures in the hope of triggering an independence referendum. Alberta separatists submitted sta

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Danielle Smith, the premier of Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta, said a vote will be held this fall on whether Alberta should stay in Canada or take legal steps under the Constitution to hold a binding referendum on leaving.

Alberta, Canada referendum vote

Big picture view:

The question will ask whether Alberta should stay in Canada or take legal steps under the Constitution to hold a binding referendum on leaving.

Timeline:

The vote is set to happen Oct. 19. 

What they're saying:

"Albertans’ frustrations have been fueled by the last 10 years of disastrous policies from Ottawa under … Justin Trudeau," Smith said in a statement from her office, referencing the previous prime minister.

"I would also remind all Canadians that we should not dismiss the legitimate grievances of Albertans. Instead, we should focus on addressing these issues, restoring hope in Canada, and demonstrating that our country can work and is working."

Smith has said she supports Alberta remaining in Canada. 

The other side:

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney this week compared the vote to Brexit, calling it a potential "dangerous bluff." 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 bank through it.

Smith’s party didn’t run on or mention a referendum in the last provincial election campaign, and Carney added he found this unhelpful when he’s trying to attract investment to Canada. 

Alberta oil pipeline

Meanwhile:

Many Albertans have long complained that Ottawa hasn’t done enough to get Alberta’s vast oil reserves to Asian markets.

Carney is working on getting a new oil pipeline built from Alberta to Canada’s Pacific coast that would help diversify the exports beyond the United States, but the project has been met with political and environmental concerns. 

For context:

The northern Alberta region has one of the largest oil reserves in the world, with about 164 billion barrels of proven reserves.

What they're saying:

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has reportedly previously said the oil pipeline agreement would lead to more than 1 million barrels per day for mainly Asian markets so "our province and our country are no longer dependent on just one customer to buy our most valuable resource."

Carney has also previously said over 95% of Canadian energy exports went to the United States, calling the "tight interdependence" a weakness.