A view of the Syncrude refinery at the Mildred Lake facility in the Wood Buffalo Municipality of Alberta, Canada, on May 5, 2026, which has a capacity for bitumen conversion to synthetic crude oil of 350,000 barrels per day.
Daphne Lemelin | AFP | getty images
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced The oil-rich province plans to hold a non-binding vote in the autumn on whether its residents want to remain part of Canada — or proceed with a second binding vote on separation.
This move is the first time in Canadian history that any province except quebec The question of secession from a group of separatists has been put before the public and comes after months of campaigning.
Speaking during a televised address Thursday evening, Alberta’s Smith said she supports the province remaining in Canada and would vote that way in a provincial referendum.
Smith said, “However, despite my personal support for remaining in Canada, I am deeply troubled by a wrongful court decision that interferes with the democratic rights of hundreds of thousands of Albertans.”
An Alberta judge did before this A petition demanding the province’s separation from Canada was rejected.
Supporters of the citizen-led group Stay Free Alberta Said That he has collected more than 301,000 signatures in support of his campaign is partly driven by the idea that the province has long been ignored by decision makers in Ottawa.
opinion poll prompt However, separatism lacks widespread appeal in Alberta. A separate petition for the province to remain in Canada They say It has collected more than 404,000 signatures.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during the Alberta Next: Energy event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on Thursday, May 21, 2026.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | getty images
“Kicking the can down the street prolongs a very emotional and important debate, and suppressing the voices of thousands of Albertans who want to be heard is inappropriate in a free and democratic society,” Smith said.
“Now is the time to vote, understand the will of Albertans on this issue, and move forward,” he said.
The provincial vote, scheduled to take place on October 19, will ask Albertans the following question: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta initiate the legal process required under the Constitution of Canada to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether Alberta should secede from Canada?”
Alberta is Canada’s fourth most populous province, with an estimated population of approximately 5 million.
The province is famous for its oil sands, which contribute significantly to the economy of Alberta and Canada.
The proven reserves of Alberta’s oil sands are equivalent to About 158.9 billion barrels of oil, meaning the province has the world’s fourth largest reserves, behind Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran.