Alberta is preparing for a referendum on October 19 to decide if the provincial government should start the legal process to potentially separate from Canada.

亞伯達省正準備於10月19日舉行一次公投，以決定省政府是否應啟動法律程序，研究潛在從加拿大分離的可能性。

Recent data from Ipsos and Leger show that a large majority of Albertans want to remain part of Canada. According to Ipsos, 72% of people oppose a separation referendum, while Leger found that 68% support staying in the country. Interestingly, support for leaving Canada seems to decrease as the vote becomes more real. For example, Ipsos noted a 10-point drop in support since January, suggesting that people are less likely to support separation when it moves from a theoretical idea to an actual election. Furthermore, there is an 'intensity gap,' as 90% of those who want to stay in Canada are certain about their choice, compared to only 70% of those who want to leave.

Ipsos 與 Leger 最近的數據顯示，絕大多數亞伯達省居民希望留在加拿大。根據 Ipsos 的資料，72% 的人反對分離公投，而 Leger 發現 68% 的人支持留在國內。有趣的是，隨著投票變得更加現實，支持離開加拿大的比例似乎有所下降。例如，Ipsos 注意到支持率自一月以來下降了 10 個百分點，這顯示當分離從一個理論構想轉變為實際選舉時，民眾支持的可能性較低。此外，還存在一個「強度差距」，因為 90% 希望留在加拿大的人對其選擇非常確定，而希望離開的人僅有 70%。

There are also clear differences based on location and age. Support for separation is highest in rural Alberta (27%) and among people under 35 (22%), whereas Calgary has the lowest level of separatist feeling. Political views also play a major role; while NDP supporters almost entirely oppose separation, the United Conservative Party (UCP) base is divided, with about 40-48% supporting the referendum. Additionally, the reasons for wanting to separate have shifted from old grievances to future economic predictions.

地理位置與年齡也存在明顯差異。支持分離的比例在亞伯達省鄉村（27%）以及 35 歲以下的人群（22%）中最高，而卡加利的分離主義傾向最低。政治觀點也起著重要作用；雖然 NDP 支持者幾乎全部反對分離，但聯合保守黨（UCP）的基層支持者則分歧，約 40-48% 支持公投。此外，要求分離的原因已從過去的積怨轉向對未來經濟的預測。

Finally, a conflict has emerged regarding the legal duty to consult Indigenous populations. Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi emphasized that any decision to leave Canada requires the agreement of First Nations, pointing to a previous court decision. However, Premier Danielle Smith asserts that this preliminary vote does not require such consultation. Consequently, the government has warned that it will use the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act to punish any illegal protests, such as blocking highways, that might result from this disagreement.

最後，關於諮詢原住民人口的法律義務出現了衝突。第八條約大酋長 Trevor Mercredi 強調，任何離開加拿大的決定都需要原住民國民的同意，並指出先前的法院裁決。然而，省長 Danielle Smith 主張此次初步投票不需要此類諮詢。因此，政府警告將利用《關鍵基礎設施防禦法》來懲罰任何可能因該分歧而導致的非法抗議，例如封鎖公路。

Current polls suggest that the desire to separate remains a minority view, facing major obstacles in both public support and Indigenous legal challenges before the October 19 vote.

目前的民調顯示，分離意願仍屬少數觀點，在 10 月 19 日投票前，無論在公眾支持還是原住民法律挑戰方面都面臨重大障礙。