Danielle Smith says she hasn’t given up on Canada

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during a news conference in Calgary, Alta., Friday, May 22, 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she hasn’t given up on Canada.

Smith made the comment Saturday during her radio call-in program Your Province, Your Premier.

She said the recently signed MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) to build a pipeline to B.C. is one example the improving relationship between Alberta and Ottawa.

But she admitted that not everyone feels the same way, saying voting on Oct. 19 is another way to send a message to Ottawa.

“If you want to have a protest -- because there are a lot of people out there who want to leave (Canada) just because they want to send a message to the east -- and I say send the message by giving me a mandate on the nine questions I’m asking about the senate provincial jurisdiction appointing judges to the court, (and) about immigration.

“That’s the way you send a strong message to (express how) you don’t like the way things are (going),” she added. “Now you (Ottawa) need to fix them.”

On her last radio program on May 16, Smith repeated that view prior to announcing there would be a question asking if Albertans want to hold a vote on separating on Oct. 19.

“That’s my view of how our country works, is that we have federal jurisdiction and provincial jurisdiction and where they overlap, you have to work it out,” Smith said in response to a question from host Wayne Nelson.

“Sometimes it takes a little while and sometimes it takes going back and forth, but it’s worth doing and I think we got not only a good result for Alberta (with the MOU) but also a good result for Canada.”

Smith said Western Canada’s economy is growing.