Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Sets 2026 Referendum on Separation, Pending Petition Success

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced plans for a referendum on the province's separation from Canada in 2026, contingent on a successful citizen-led petition. The announcement comes amidst growing separatist sentiment in the province, driven by dissatisfaction with federal policies. Approximately 30% of Albertans currently support separation. Smith has outlined five demands to Ottawa, including guaranteed port access for Alberta's energy and resources, and equal per capita federal transfers as received by Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. She has also promised to respect First Nations rights and has formed the 'Alberta Next' panel to discuss the province's future. Smith emphasized her commitment to upholding treaty rights, stating that these cannot be voted away. The referendum proposal has sparked reactions from other political figures. Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized Smith's approach, emphasizing the need for national unity during Canada's tariff disputes with the United States. Despite this, Smith noted her great friendship with Ford, though they supported different candidates in the last federal election, with Smith endorsing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Ford working closely with Prime Minister Mark Carney, who recently dropped the consumer carbon levy. In contrast, the leader of Quebec's sovereigntist party, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, expressed support for Alberta's potential referendum. Smith has clarified that she does not personally support separation but will honor a citizen-led initiative if it meets the legal threshold. The threshold for triggering a referendum was recently lowered by her government from 20% to 10% of eligible voters, reducing the required signatures from 600,000 to 177,000, with petitioners given 120 days to collect them.