An incident that took place at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday has resulted in four confirmed deaths and dozens more injuries, as of the time of writing. It appears that an accident during a live-fire training exercise triggered a fire and that the accident and fire have both caused significant casualties, though full details are not yet available. The soldiers training at the base at the time were from one of Canada's main front-line infantry regiments, whose members are based in Edmonton and at CFB Shilo in Manitoba. Premier Danielle Smith convened her Emergency Management Cabinet Coordination Committee, said she was heading to Edmonton to meet with her ministers and federal officials, and said flags at provincial government buildings would be lowered to half-mast.
Alberta's referendum, featuring 10 questions, is today. Polls are open from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm and we have information on how to vote below. Over the weekend, both sides held rallies across Alberta. The Alberta Federation of Labour organized 15 rallies across the province but cancelled its Okotoks event at the last minute because of the wind. In Calgary, hundreds gathered outside City Hall to campaign for Canadian unity and protest the United Conservative Party and Premier Danielle Smith, and NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi told the crowd the job now was to get every supporter out to vote for Option 1 and against the other nine questions. In Edmonton, an independence rally organized by Let Alberta Decide outside the Alberta Legislature Building started an hour late because of the weather. Speakers included campaign co-chair Keith Wilson and Pathway to Independence founder Cory Morgan, who said he would continue to advocate for an independent Alberta after the vote. Elections Alberta figures show 703,824 people voted over the first four days of advance polls, and 516,000 special ballots had been processed as of Saturday morning.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says Alberta does not need a referendum to secure greater cooperation from Ottawa on immigration. Carney said he expects closer federal-provincial cooperation on immigration regardless of how Albertans vote today, because the province is closer to the needs of its industries. Five of the referendum's questions deal with immigration, including whether the Alberta government should take more control over immigration to reduce it to more sustainable levels, prioritize economic migrants, and give Albertans first priority for new jobs. Premier Danielle Smith has advocated for an arrangement similar to Quebec's, which gives that province greater authority over selecting economic immigrants. Carney claimed his government has cut asylum seekers by 70%, temporary foreign workers by 60%, and foreign students by 80% over roughly the past 18 months. He also recently told the New York Times that a "controlled increase" in Canada's population could begin again.
Premier Danielle Smith and Justice Minister Mickey Amery are hailing two federal judicial appointments as a sign of new collaboration with Ottawa. Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser named Malcolm Lavoie to the Court of King's Bench and Thomas Rothwell to the Court of Appeal. Lavoie was Alberta's Deputy Minister of Justice and personally argued the province's position on the notwithstanding clause before the Supreme Court earlier this year. Amery claimed the appointments marked a concrete change in the selection process with real input from Alberta, but a spokesperson for Fraser said the established federal process was followed for both. Question 6 asks whether Alberta should join other provinces in seeking a constitutional amendment transferring Superior Court and Court of Appeal appointments from the federal government to the provinces. Will van Engen, an Edmonton defence lawyer with Alberta Lawyers for Judicial Independence, said both judges were recommended through the non-partisan Judicial Advisory Committee, which has always given the provincial government a seat at the table. He noted that just 5% of court cases in Alberta are handled by federally appointed judges, and argued the push for more appointment powers undermines judicial independence.
Most Albertans expect to vote on separation again in the future, according to a new Abacus Data survey released ahead of today's referendum. The poll found 61% of respondents expect another vote on Alberta separation at some point, while just 14% believe the debate will be settled for a generation or longer even if most Albertans vote to remain in Canada. At the same time, 67% want the provincial government to focus more on everyday issues like health care, affordability, and jobs, while 22% want the province to keep pressing for greater autonomy. Only 32% expect Albertans who disagree on separation to move past their differences after the vote, and only four in 10 believe the final result will be respected by both sides, although 68% trust Elections Alberta to count the ballots fairly. Premier Danielle Smith has said there will be no other question on separation while she is in office if Albertans vote to remain.
