A referendum on secession from Canada will be held in the Canadian province of Alberta

The premier of the Canadian province of Alberta, Danielle Smith, said that during a referendum in October, residents would be asked if they wanted the province to separate from Canada.

"I will ask our government to add an additional question to the previously announced referendum vote on October 19," Smith said in a video message.

Residents of the province will be asked whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or whether the Alberta government should initiate a legal procedure to hold a binding provincial referendum.

"Since the proposed referendum question does not directly trigger the secession process, and if approved, it will only instruct the Alberta government to begin the necessary legal procedure to hold a binding referendum on this issue, the recent court decision will not apply, and the question I formulated may be put to a vote," Smith said.

In December 2025, the Legislative Assembly of Alberta adopted a civil petition on the separation of the province from Canada — the initiators were allowed to collect signatures in support of a referendum on this issue. Supporters of the idea of separation argue that this territorial unit makes a disproportionately large contribution to the Canadian economy, while not receiving proper political representation.

In May, the court banned the counting of signatures on the petition, arguing that the authorities did not consult with the indigenous peoples of the province before allowing the signature collection process.