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Alberta Legislature Building, Edmonton — Photo: WinterforceMedia, public domain

Policy Watch|Canada

Alberta referendum: remain holds at 74.9%, and all four constitutional questions now trail as counting nears completion

Elections Alberta’s unofficial results feed at 10:46 p.m. MT on 24 October, with 5,535 of 5,536 voting locations showing results, has 1,551,928 votes (74.9%) to remain a province and 519,029 (25.1%) to start the process toward a separation referendum. The five immigration and voting questions pass. Questions 6 to 9 (judge selection, abolishing the Senate, a federal-program opt-out and provincial-law paramountcy) trail. Elections Alberta says hand-separating ballots from voting places that used one set of boxes for several voting areas has delayed the count, but all ballots are included. Official results are due 29 October.

Daily Teabag Desk·Centre
Law Courts Building, Edmonton — Photo: D. Benjamin Miller, CC0

Policy Watch|Canada

Alberta’s top court rules 4–1 that Ottawa’s amended Impact Assessment Act still oversteps on provincial projects

In Reference re Impact Assessment Act, as amended, 2026 ABCA 320, released 9 October 2026, a majority of the Court of Appeal of Alberta found that the ‘designated projects’ part of the federal Impact Assessment Act and its Physical Activities Regulations remains unconstitutional except where it applies to federal undertakings. Parliament rewrote the scheme in 2024 after the Supreme Court struck down the original in 2023. One judge dissented. The opinion is advisory and the Act stays on the books unless Parliament changes it or the Supreme Court agrees.

Daily Teabag Desk·Centre