‘Calgarians are proud Albertans, and we are proud Canadians:’ Mayor Farkas weighs in on separation referendum
Posted May 22, 2026 9:03 am.
Last Updated May 22, 2026 11:19 am.
Calgary’s mayor says having a vote on whether to initiate a referendum on Alberta separation is a “ridiculous lack of provincial leadership.”
Jeromy Farkas made the comments in a social media video posted Friday morning, one day after Premier Danielle Smith announced her government will add a new question to the Oct. 19 referendum.
“Honestly, dragging Alberta through a debate about whether to hold a vote about holding another vote is ridiculous,” he said. “This path creates uncertainty, and uncertainty costs jobs. As mayor, I care because Calgary would feel that impact first and hardest.”
Farkas says Calgary is a globally-connected city that competes for investment, talent, major employers, and jobs with cities across North America and around the world. He says the city will be hit hard by the separation debate and the uncertainty it will cause.
“Markets pay attention to political instability. We’ve seen this before, during Quebec’s separation fights, major companies moved head officers, and billions in investment left the province because of prolonged uncertainty,” the mayor said. “There is a reason the Bank of Montreal is no longer headquarted in Montreal — that is what instability does.”
Calgary has real work to do, he added: building affordable housing, attracting jobs and investment, taking action on the environment and water, tackling public safety and social disorder, strengthening the downtown and supporting small business, and building infrastructure to keep up with a fast-growing city.
“That is where our energy should be,” Farkas said. “This path creates uncertainty, and uncertainty costs jobs. As mayor, I care because Calgary would feel that impact first and hardest.
“My job is to fight for the city’s future, protect confidence in our economy, and make the case that Calgary is stable, ambitious, and open for business. Calgarians are proud Albertans, and we are proud Canadians. I believe in Calgary, I believe in Alberta, and I know our strongest future is together in Canada.”
