City admits mistake after pro-separation referendum signs removed in Calgary
Posted Oct 2, 2026 2:37 pm.
The City of Calgary has acknowledged that workers mistakenly removed several pro-separation referendum signs after concerns were raised publicly this week.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas said city staff made an error when removing the signs, specifically mentioning one that was displayed along 10 Street NW.
A video shared online this week appeared to show a city worker taking down multiple signs supporting Alberta separation and placing them in the back of a city truck.
“I looked into reports of City workers removing some referendum signs. They made a mistake,” Farkas wrote in a social media post Friday.
In a video accompanying the post, Farkas said the signs have been returned to their owners, and emphasized that the city cannot remove referendum signs simply because of their political message.
“I don’t think anyone is confused about where I stand on separation,” said Farkas in the video. “I’m strongly against it, but people who disagree with me have the same right to participate in this debate as anyone else.”
Farkas added that while the city enforces rules related to public safety, including restrictions near intersections, transit stops, schools and playgrounds, it must apply those rules equally.
“In this case, we got it wrong and on behalf of city staff, I apologize,” he said. “Calgarians need to know that their city isn’t picking sides when it comes to enforcing the rules.”
Some of the removed signs were paid for by Pathway to Independence, a third-party advertiser supporting Alberta separation. The group’s spokesperson, Cory Morgan, said one of the signs was recovered when a volunteer collected signs that had been stored by the city.
“Glad it was returned. But still a frustrating annoyance,” Morgan said in a statement to CityNews. “We work hard to ensure our placements are compliant with regulations to avoid these sorts of things.”
The city noted it does not regulate referendum signs or referendum advertising under provincial legislation, but will continue to address signs that create safety hazards or interfere with public infrastructure.
Albertans will head to the polls to vote on 10 questions, including one on separation, in a provincewide referendum on Oct. 19.
