Alberta NDP says referendum could leave Premier Smith battling internal divisions
Alberta Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says Premier Danielle Smith has created an "impossible situation for herself" after foisting a divisive separatism debate upon the province.
In a vote Monday, Albertans emphatically rejected holding a binding referendum on separating from Canada.
Smith has said she supports the province staying in Canada.
Nenshi says Smith will have to face down anger and division from separatism supporters within her United Conservative Party while trying to rebuild trust with the majority of Albertans who rejected secession.
He says Smith did this to herself, and says "the person who starts the fire waives the right to call the fire department."
Jeff Rath of the separatist group the Alberta Prosperity Project says Smith will face a reckoning within the UCP for her referendum.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Trump walks back threat to ban Bombardier sales in U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump is backing down on a threat to ban Bombardier Inc. plane sales in the United States.
Trump said Monday night in Wichita, Kan., that he's changed his view of the Quebec-based business jet maker as a purely Canadian company and does not want to follow through on "hurting" it, given its presence in the city, where the company employs 1,500 workers.
Wichita serves as the seat of its defence division, and is one of several states where Bombardier counts about 3,500 American employees in total.
Kansas, where farmers have felt the cost of the Iran war in higher diesel prices, has turned into a political battleground as Republicans and Democrats fight for control of the typically red state ahead of next month's midterm elections.
Last month, Trump suggested he would bar Bombardier's business in the United States unless it moved its operations there, despite the harm experts said such a move would inflict on American workers.
Bombardier shares rose $9.10 or about three per cent to $320.57 by midday Tuesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2026.
Companies in this story: (TSX:BBD.B)
By Christopher Reynolds | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Alberta business groups say 'stay' side victory fosters investment confidence
Alberta business groups are cheering the decisive win for the "stay" side in Monday's referendum, but say more work lies ahead in getting the province a fair shake within Confederation.
Early returns show about 76 per cent of voters chose for Alberta to remain in Canada, while 24 per cent voted to hold a second, binding referendum on separation.
The Business Council of Alberta says it's "delighted" by the outcome, saying it allows the province to move forward with certainty.
But council president Adam Legge says the concerns that brought separation to the forefront of the public debate remain, and the provincial and federal governments must work together to pursue fairness for Alberta.
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce says the results provide much-needed certainty for businesses to move forward with hiring, planning and investing for the future.
Chamber president and CEO Deborah Yedlin says Albertans have delivered a clear message that they want to be at the national table and help shape Canada's prosperity.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2026.
By Lauren Krugel | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.