Albertans reject separation, split on 9 other referendum questions
Early returns from Monday's referendum show Alberta voters divided on five immigration-related questions and four aimed at seeking a mandate to negotiate more power from Ottawa.
Why it matters
The referendum results will shape how much of a bargaining mandate Smith's government claims in future negotiations with the federal government over immigration and constitutional powers.
Albertans decisively voted against separation in Monday's referendum, but results were far closer on nine other questions also put to voters by Premier Danielle Smith's government. Five questions asked about giving Alberta more say over immigration, including possible limits or fees on access to health care and education for some newcomers. The other four sought a mandate to negotiate with other provinces for more power from Ottawa and to pursue abolishing the Senate.
Smith said she personally voted to stay in Canada but argued a yes vote on the nine questions was needed to give her leverage in talks with Prime Minister Mark Carney. Her government spent $4 million on an advertising campaign urging a yes vote. Critics, including Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack, called the immigration questions anti-immigrant and said Alberta should move past both separation and those questions. Voters interviewed at a Calgary polling station were also split, with one saying the questions raised legitimate concerns about fairness to Alberta and another calling some of them anti-immigrant.
The campaign became a public back-and-forth between Smith and Carney. Carney toured the province last week rallying federalist support and was greeted by enthusiastic crowds, then used a high-profile stop in Calgary to urge Albertans to reject the nine questions. A day later, at a joint event in Red Deer, Smith handed Carney her government's referendum information booklet on the issues.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.