Support for Alberta separatism drops sharply, new poll shows
Ipsos poll finds only 19 per cent of Albertans back a referendum on separation, down from 28 per cent in January.
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Support for Alberta separatism has collapsed since the start of 2026, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted for Global News.
The survey, conducted May 28 to June 1, found only 19 per cent of Albertans would vote this fall to hold a binding separation referendum, while 72 per cent would vote to remain in Canada. That 19 per cent represents a nine-point drop from the initial referendum question.
If a binding referendum were actually held, support falls even further: 18 per cent of Albertans said they would vote to leave Canada, compared with 72 per cent who would vote to stay — a 10-point drop from January, when separatist backing peaked at 28 per cent.
Darrell Bricker, chairman of Ipsos Canada, said the data suggests support weakens as the idea becomes more concrete. "The more that people contemplate this being real — the act of voting — we see the support for separatism softening," he said.
The poll also found those opposed to separation are more strongly committed to their position. Among stay voters, 90 per cent described their choice as "definite," compared with 70 per cent of separatists. In Edmonton specifically, only 18 per cent support moving ahead with a referendum, lower than the 27 per cent backing it in rural Alberta.
Premier Danielle Smith added a separation question to an October referendum originally focused on immigration and the Constitution. The Stay Free Alberta separatist group gathered just over 300,000 signatures on its independence petition, though that effort has faced legal challenges.