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Alberta vote Monday: polls lean heavily toward staying

Seventy percent of Albertans want to remain in Canada, while just twenty-two percent support starting the legal process toward separation in Monday's vote.

On air: Dale Bearman and Hank Ledger on Late Night BBN
Published 12:16 AM ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026

At a glance

First reported by CTV News: “Majority of respondents to Alberta referendum poll say vote should not be held”, with reporting from Leger.
Covered on BBN on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 12:16 AM ET on Late Night BBN, by Dale Bearman and Hank Ledger.
Topics: Alberta, Canada.
BBN covered this story before: Late Canada fightback ends Red Roses' unbeaten streak (October 16).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorA viewer on bbn.live asks us to comment on Monday's Alberta vote, give the public mood, pick a side, predict the result, and rename the separatists.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe vote on October nineteenth only asks whether to start the legal process toward a binding referendum.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorLeger finds seventy percent of Albertans want to stay in Canada, up from sixty-five in August.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorOnly twenty-two percent want to begin that process, and seven percent are undecided.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorThat is a secret army, Hank, and I bet they have excellent snacks.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorTwenty-two percent.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorExactly how it started in two thousand nine, with a minority and a casserole.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorCTV says Abacus found fifty-six percent think the vote shouldn't even happen, and only forty percent trust both sides to respect the result. A cold front of mistrust has moved in, and I am delighted.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorMy side is whichever one lets me go to bed.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe polls point to Canada, but the actual result and the aftermath are unknown, so any prediction is a guess in a windbreaker.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorTheir new name should be the Prairie Doom Brigade. Or Oilageddon. Or the Last Toque Standing.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe Twenty-Two. Seven more are still deciding, so Monday's polling place might need a bigger snack table. Ask us anything at bbn.live.