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This Week's Round-Up: October 19, 2026 |
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Alberta’s referendum finally arrives today.
We’ll have live commentary throughout the day until polls close.
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Until the results are out, catch up with our latest coverage on Alberta and our big guide to everything referendum.
Here are the big stories so far:
Trumped-up issues
The elephant in the booth
Donald Trump has been implicitly on the ballot in various ways in plenty of elections in plenty of countries.
He’s here in the referendum too—not only in how his tariffs have animated united-Canada ideals but also in the real ties separatists have made with his allies.
And as Jeremy Appel writes, Danielle Smith is the one Canadian premier who has most emulated Trump in campaigning and in governing—and has personally met with him at Mar-a-Lago to pitch Albertan oil and gas.
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Foreign influence and domestic influencers
Big tech and small business
The federal government says it has been monitoring American interference in Alberta, and separatism has often attracted foreign money and influence.
And after Trump frenemy Elon Musk called for Alberta, Quebec, and Saskatchewan to separate, Mark Carney spoke against “interference from foreign governments and large tech firms.”
Alberta’s discontent has become big business—but for some Canadians, it has become a small business.
Emma Paling writes about the Canadian social media influencers who have seen videos about separatism launch them from obscurity to modest success (and into rivalries with one another).
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The big politicians
And their big final pushes
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Mark Carney attended “Forever Canadian” campaign rallies and made a Thanksgiving address at his former high school in Edmonton, pitching a united Canada as “worth fighting for.”
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Alberta opposition leader Naheed Nenshi is pushing to get out the vote, with federalism at a clear polling advantage. But his NDP were hampered there after losing a bid in court for more access to voter information.
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Pro-remain addresses from Pierre Poilievre, Smith, and former premier Jason Kenney were all on the schedule at Friday’s Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Calgary. Poilievre had mainly remained on the sidelines on an issue that has become a minefield for conservative politicians.
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| Poilievre's Alberta Problem |
The big numbers
And the big question
70%
of Albertans, in a Leger poll, want to stay (up from 65% in August)
391,000
mail-in ballots were returned by the deadline a week ago
10
questions on the ballot, with most about immigration and provincial-versus-federal authority.
+2
The United Conservative Party’s Leger polling lead, down all the way from +17 in April
Those down-ballot questions were seemingly intended as easy populist wins. But the “No to the Nine” campaign could flip them into political losses for a premier who has already had the referendum saga sink her UCP into a near tie with the Alberta NDP.
Today, the real question may be less whether Alberta will be a province in the future—and more who will have a political future in the province.
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Join The Walrus Talks at Home: Creativity and Belonging online on December 1 for a lively conversation about the role creativity can play in bringing people together. How can making and experiencing art strengthen our relationships and communities? What can shared meals, stories, songs, and celebrations teach us about belonging? And how can creativity help us bridge deep divides and imagine new ways of living? |
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A MESSAGE FROM THE WALRUS LAB IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AGA KHAN MUSEUM. THE MUSEUM WISHES TO THANK NADIR AND SHABIN MOHAMED FOR THEIR FOUNDING SUPPORT OF THIS BEING HUMAN. |
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Building the Future Without Losing the Past |
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What does it take to revitalize a historic city without losing the traditions and people that make it unique? In the latest episode of This Being Human, architect Kareem Ibrahim shares how a community-led approach to heritage preservation is transforming Esna, Egypt.
From supporting local craftspeople and business owners to the success of Okra, a women-run restaurant attracting visitors from around the world, discover how preserving cultural heritage can create new opportunities for a community while keeping its history alive.
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