# Alberta votes on holding separation referendum

> Albertans head to the polls Monday to decide whether to hold a binding vote on leaving Canada, after a grassroots petition gathered 300,000 signatures.
- Title: Alberta votes on holding separation referendum · BBC News
- Summary: Albertans head to the polls Monday to decide whether to hold a binding vote on leaving Canada, after a grassroots petition gathered 300,000 signatures…
- Keywords: alberta, canada, separation referendum, danielle smith, mark carney, oil and gas, federal policy, news, world, votes, holding, separation
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxvgd0ymgzgyo
- Published: 2026-10-19T09:24:33.114+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: alberta, canada, separation referendum, danielle smith, mark carney, oil and gas, federal policy, news, world
## Alberta votes on separation Monday
People in Alberta head to the polls Monday to decide whether to hold a binding referendum on separating from Canada at a later date.
## Petition sparked the vote
The vote was called by Alberta's leader Danielle Smith after a grassroots group gathered about three hundred thousand signatures on a petition asking for a binding referendum on separation.
## Separatists blame federal policy
Those supporting separation say the oil-rich province's economic growth has been stifled by environmental policies of Canada's central government in Ottawa.
## Opposition warns of economic harm
Those opposing separation, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, warn a newly independent Alberta would inherit billions in debt and face uncertainty like Brexit.
## Court blocked petition, First Nations object
A court blocked the pro-separation petition for failing to consult indigenous First Nations whose land would be affected. First Nations groups have branded Smith's decision to allow voting as undemocratic and authoritarian.
## Smith defends the process
Smith, leader of the United Conservative Party, opposes separation herself but says the vote gives residents a chance to have their say on the issue.
## Referendum could happen by twenty twenty-seven
If Albertans vote Monday to move ahead with a binding referendum, that could happen as soon as twenty twenty-seven, Smith has said. Results should be available in the early hours of Tuesday.
## Key takeaway

Alberta holds a vote Monday on whether to hold a binding referendum on separating from Canada, driven by concerns over federal environmental policies affecting the oil-rich province's economy.