Three months stay till a petition’s deadline on Alberta separation, however a latest ballot exhibits help for the province leaving Canada seems to not have budged a lot.
New polling carried out final week by the Angus Reid Institute of 979 Albertans discovered simply 29 per cent would vote to separate from Canada. Of that group, solely eight per cent — 80 individuals — stated they might positively vote to go away, whereas 21 per cent leaned that means.
In the meantime, 57 per cent stated they’d positively vote to remain, whereas 81 individuals, or eight per cent, stated they’re leaning in direction of staying.
The numbers aren’t a lot of a change from polling carried out by Ipsos as a part of its Confederation Stress Check in early January.
Ipsos discovered that of 500 Albertans, about 29 per cent stated they’d vote for his or her province to start the separation course of. But after contemplating potential downsides, similar to way of life declines or pension losses, simply 15 to 16 per cent maintained their help.
Angus Reid additionally checked out what it referred to as “frequent arguments” for staying or leaving Canada and requested every group of Albertans in the event that they discovered them “convincing or not.”
Amongst those that stated they’d positively vote to remain, 555 individuals — 93 per cent — agreed that Alberta would battle as a landlocked nation to promote its assets globally. Eighty-eight per cent additionally stated they agree their very own monetary prospects could be harmed by independence.
Get breaking Nationwide information
For information impacting Canada and around the globe, join breaking information alerts delivered on to you after they occur.
Few in that very same group agreed with the arguments to go away, although 28 per cent did discover the argument that Alberta provides extra to Canada than it will get from being part of it convincing.
About 78 per cent of those that lean in direction of voting to go away say they imagine their monetary prospects would enhance with Albertan independence. As nicely, 95 per cent of the 209 Albertans say they agree with the argument that the province would management its personal assets.
Lower than 20 per cent of that very same group agree with the arguments to remain, although 16 per cent — the very best quantity — did discover that the argument that an impartial Alberta could be extra economically unstable was convincing.
Opponents of Alberta separation have been vocal in latest months, with the Alberta Chambers of Commerce denouncing the prospect as dangerous for enterprise and claiming it’s driving away funding.
A number of First Nations in Alberta have additionally criticized the motion, with a trio making use of for a judicial evaluate final month of the choice by Elections Alberta to approve a petition on the province’s separation.
The petition has acquired help, although, with a gaggle referred to as Keep Free Alberta touting the group that confirmed up for a gathering on the proposal in Pink Deer and different communities in latest weeks.
The group didn’t present journalists with the variety of individuals they’ve gotten to signal the petition in Pink Deer, although they stated they have been assured it will get sufficient by the legislated deadline.
To achieve success, they should gather about 177,000 signatures by Could 2, of which 10 per cent have to be eligible voters from the final provincial election. The signatures then have to be validated by the province’s chief electoral officer earlier than the petition may be offered to the Alberta authorities.
If Albertans did vote to go away Canada, Angus Reid requested the 638 individuals who would vote to remain how they might reply. Seventy-three per cent stated they’d transfer to a different province or territory in Canada, whereas 23 per cent would keep and three per cent would depart the nation altogether.
Former deputy Alberta premier Thomas Lukaszuk is attempting to stop individuals from having to go away, together with his Perpetually Canadian petition aiming to make it official coverage for the province to remain in Canada.
The Perpetually Canadian efficiently accredited by Elections Alberta after roughly 438,000 signatures have been collected.
Angus Reid Institute polled a randomized pattern of 979 Canadian adults who reside in Alberta utilizing a web-based survey from Feb. 2 to six, 2026. For comparability functions solely, a likelihood pattern of this dimension would carry a margin of error of +/- three proportion factors. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by Angus Reid.
© 2026 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
