Inside Albertas Separation Debate

CALGARY/DRAYTON VALLEY/EDMONTON/OLDS, Alberta—Waving an Alberta flag outside a United Conservative Party event in Olds, Alta., Randy Ackert says he supported separation from Canada long before the issue entered mainstream politics.As motorists honked in support or shouted disapproval along 46th Avenue on June 24, the crop insurer, a longtime Olds resident, said reactions to Alberta independence have grown noticeably stronger as the debate increasingly spills from political circles into everyday life.On Oct. 19, Albertans will vote on whether the province should remain in Canada or begin the legal process toward a binding referendum on separation—one of 10 ballot questions that will test frustrations with Ottawa and Alberta’s future within Confederation.Alberta independence supporter Randy Ackert waves an Alberta flag ahead of a UCP event with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in Olds, Alta., on June 24, 2026. Paul Rowan Brian/The Epoch TimesRoughly four months ahead of the vote, the separation debate has become one of Alberta’s most emotionally charged political issues, drawing comparisons to Quebec’s 1995 referendum and, according to some residents, creating divisions more intense than those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.The debate may be reaching a peak now, but it has been simmering for decades. Alberta separatist sentiment has often intensified during periods of tension with Ottawa over energy policy and jurisdictional battles.A recent Leger poll suggests 73 percent of Albertans are following the issue somewhat or very closely, although support for leaving Canada remains well below a majority, with 68 percent saying they would choose to remain in Confederation and 24 percent favouring separation. On the ground, however, attitudes range from passionate support and fierce opposition to confusion and indifference, revealing a province still wrestling with whether the referendum represents a genuine push for independence, a bargaining tool to pressure Ottawa, or an ill-advised move that legitimizes the breakup of the country.Seeking IndependenceFor many Albertans who back separation, the issue is not about constitutional theory or legal feasibility, but a growing sense that Ottawa no longer represents their interests.Alberta independence supporter Dennis Dueck waves an Alberta flag ahead of an event with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in Olds, Alta., on June 24, 2026. Paul Rowan Brian/The Epoch TimesSupporters of independence often cite federal energy policy, equalization payments, gun regulations, immigration, and what they see as an increasingly centralized federal government that ignores Western priorities.For Dennis Dueck, those frustrations boil down to what he sees as core freedoms at risk. He said top priorities for many separatists include “freedom, free speech and no censorship, rule of law,” along with gun rights and lower taxes.“The trajectory that Canada’s going, I’m very concerned about that,” said Dueck, who attended the event in Olds, a town in central Alberta with a population of about 10,000. “I’d rather take the other option and see what that is.” In the town of Drayton Valley southwest of Edmonton, oil and gas worker Kane Orlowski said many in Alberta feel the province’s economy is being constrained by federal policy, particularly in the energy sector.He said an independent Alberta could gain greater control over resource development, trade, and job creation, while reducing what many separatists describe as an imbalance in political power between Western Canada and vote-rich Ontario and Quebec.Kane Orlowski, who works in the oil and gas sector and is shown here in Drayton Valley, Alta., says Alberta would have a better economic future if it separates from Canada. Paul Rowan Brian/The Epoch TimesThat feeling of political alienation—of being outnumbered in federal elections regardless of how Albertans vote—has become one of the movement’s most powerful emotional drivers, with many supporters viewing the referendum as a way to pressure Ottawa, even if full separation never materializes.Despite high reported awareness, not all Albertans appear equally engaged in the referendum debate. Some residents interviewed by The Epoch Times said they had heard only vague details about the vote or doubted it would ultimately lead to separation. For others, however, the issue matters deeply. Some Albertans said they view the referendum as more important than a federal election, arguing that the vote cuts more directly to questions of identity, sovereignty, and Alberta’s long-term future.That divide in attention raises questions about turnout. Alberta saw 60.5 percent turnout in the 2023 provincial election, but participation in the province’s 2021 equalization referendum commissioned by then-Premier Jason Kenney was far lower, with only about 39 percent of eligible voters casting ballots.Whether the separation vote inspires participation closer to a provincial or federal election—or remains largely symbolic—may prove decisive in determining its political impact.Call for a Unified CanadaOpposition to separation has also become increasingly visible, with prominent political figures and grassroots organizers arguing that Alberta’s frustrations with Ottawa are real but best addressed within Canada.Mikayla Miller (L) and Kayla Piccinin demonstrate in favour of Alberta remaining part of Canada in Olds, Alta, on June 24, 2026. Paul Rowan Brian/The Epoch TimesFormer Premier Kenney and former Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk have launched campaigns to urge Albertans to reject separation, warning that leaving Confederation would create economic, legal, and constitutional turmoil.Vote to Stay, a pro-Canada organization co-founded by Kenney and former federal Conservative cabinet minister Monte Solberg, says Alberta’s future is stronger inside Canada than outside of it.“We’re not going to let anyone tear apart our home—the true North strong and free,” Kenney said May 22 in announcing the group.  He is among the ones who are opposed to holding a referendum on the issue, saying it’s divisive.Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she would also campaign to keep the province in Canada, while Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre have likewise urged Albertans to remain a part of Canada.Among ordinary Albertans who oppose separation, many expressed concern not only about the economic costs of leaving but also about what the debate is doing to communities, friendships, and civic pride. Karman Di Liso, who waved a Canadian flag at the Olds rally, said Alberta’s disagreements with Ottawa can be worked out and shouldn’t lead to a threat of separation.Former Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk speaks at a Forever Canadian rally in Edmonton on May 23, 2026. The Canadian Press/Amanda Erickson“I am Canadian, and if I travel the world, I don’t tell people I’m Albertan—I tell people I’m Canadian,” Di Liso told The Epoch Times, while arguing that separatists have “hijacked” the Alberta flag.“When I see that logo, I feel nothing but shame,” she said, charging that it’s become a symbol of “intolerance.”For Di Liso and many others backing national unity, the deeper concern is not only the economic cost of separation, but that the referendum could leave lasting political and social scars even if independence never materializes.For her part, Premier Smith has urged against using “division and demonization tactics” against those who seek separation, saying that the “vast majority” of those who advocate for separation “love our province profoundly.”Polarizing IssueFor some Albertans, the separation debate has already started to affect personal relationships and everyday conversations, with residents describing exchanges that can quickly turn tense.Darcie Conlon (L) and Anthony Britz-Adair of Edmonton both say that separation is not the answer to frustrations. Paul Rowan Brian/The Epoch TimesIn Olds, that divide was visible in real time. Alberta flags bearing mountains and wheat fields fluttered on one side of 46th Avenue, while supporters of staying in Canada waved maple leaf flags across the street. Passing motorists blasted their horns in support or rolled down windows to voice their anger. The exchanges remained peaceful, but the intensity showed how quickly the issue has moved from political margins into everyday life.Several Albertans told The Epoch Times that the issue now provokes the kind of emotional reactions last seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, when disputes over vaccine mandates and public health restrictions polarized communities and families.Retired Edmonton resident Dave Olafson said conversations about separation can quickly grow tense. He said many people feel strongly entitled to their views, but are increasingly unwilling to hear opposing perspectives.“It’s kind of like COVID and getting vaccinated,” he said in an interview while out on the city’s iconic Whyte Avenue. “People are entitled to their opinion, and we should be able to voice it freely, but people just get right bent out of shape.”Darcie Conlon, a separation opponent interviewed in Edmonton, said the current tensions feel more severe than earlier national-unity disputes she remembers learning about as a student. “This division feels bigger than the polarization during COVID,” she added.Echoes of Quebec’s ReferendumComparisons to Quebec’s separatist movement come up repeatedly in conversations across Alberta, as supporters and opponents alike looked to the province’s 1995 referendum as the closest parallel for what Alberta could face.A Quebec independence supporter at the campaign headquarters in Montreal looks dejected as vote results come in on the Quebec referendum on the night of Oct. 30, 1995. The Canadian Press/Tom HansonThat vote remains one of the most consequential in Canadian political history, with 93.5 percent voter turnout and a razor-thin result: 50.58 percent voting to remain in Canada and 49.42 percent supporting sovereignty.For Sylvan Lake, Alta., resident and author Benoit Trudeau, the parallels are personal. Raised in Quebec, he campaigned during the 1995 referendum before later moving west, giving him firsthand experience of how quickly a constitutional debate can consume public life.He recalled a province almost entirely consumed by a single question, where politics, workplaces, and family conversations increasingly revolved around whether Quebec should stay or leave.“It was the largest and most beautiful democratic exercise we ever saw in North America,” Trudeau told the audience at a June 23 “Let’s Talk Alberta” event in Calgary, recalling Quebec’s 1995 referendum. The group, organized by separatist activist Chris Scott, holds events to encourage discussions on the future of the province.