THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amanda Erickson
And when Albertans head to the polls Monday to vote on whether to hold a future referendum on separation from Canada, they'll also be answering five separate questions on immigration being pushed by the government of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
Those questions include:
— Should the province should have more say over economic immigration?
— Should provincially funded services should be restricted to citizens, permanent residents and those with "Alberta-approved" immigration status?
— Should non-permanent immigrants should be charged a fee for accessing health care and education services?
— Should non-permanent residents should have to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for provincially funded social supports?
— Should voters should have to present proof of citizenship when voting provincially?
Jason Kenney, a former Alberta premier and federal immigration minister, said Canada needs a broader debate on immigration policy based on facts.
"We do need a serious debate on immigration because demography is destiny. There are very few things that are more important," Kenney told The Canadian Press in an interview.
"But we have to do it in a disciplined and respectful, thoughtful way, as much as possible, based on evidence and data and experience around the world."
Former Alberta premiers Rachel Notley, left, and Jason Kenney discuss their assessment of the possible economic cost of Alberta's referendum at an Edmonton Chamber luncheon in Edmonton on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Ulan
Kenney warned that debates on immigration policy can easily become sidetracked by more extreme political views — by accusations of racism from the far left and by actual racism on the far right.
While Kenney said he doesn't see the immigration questions on the Alberta ballot as race-based or xenophobic, the Alberta separatist movement itself is something else entirely.
"If you listen to the key separatist leaders like Mitch Sylvestre, who's the leader of the primary separatist organization, he says that in his republic of Alberta, no one will have citizenship unless you're born there," Kenney said.
"So I do think there are some currents on the extreme right of Alberta politics that we should all be concerned about. I do not think that necessarily means we cannot have an adult, grown-up conversation about immigration policy."
But the immigration questions on the ballot are not sitting well with some diaspora communities in the province.
Lawyer Avnish Nanda, co-founder of the advocacy group Our Alberta Advantage, is campaigning for people to vote "no" on the immigration-related questions.
Stampede Princess Breanna Correia carries the Canadian flag as the national anthem is sung prior to rodeo action at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alta., Friday, July 4, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
He said reactions to the questions from Alberta's cultural communities and from individuals who have considered running for the United Conservative Party have been overwhelmingly negative.
"They view these questions as targeting them, their journey here and the roots they've established over the past 60 years," he said.
"There's fear, there's confusion and anger at this government. They think this is not necessary. They think it's wrapped up in the separatism effort. They think that Danielle Smith is scapegoating them to continue to maintain the support of the more extreme separatist elements that brought her to power."
Nanda said the referendum is bringing out some ugly undercurrents in Alberta. He said his parents were recently "jeered by a couple of white guys in a car" while out for a walk — something that had never happened to them since coming to Canada in the 1970s.
"There's a notion that it impacts us all, whether you're a citizen or not, these questions," he said. "Because the people who are mobilized around this issue, in support of it, a lot of them don't differentiate between people who have been here 40 years [and] people who came here a week ago, because we all look the same to them."
Nanda said if the immigration ballot measures pass on Monday, they could undermine Canada's multicultural identity, while restricting access to provincial services would make it harder for newcomers to integrate.
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon speaks to supporters after winning the provincial election in Montreal on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Across the country in Quebec, the new minority Parti Québécois government campaigned on a promise to tighten immigration controls. Quebec has maintained far more control over the immigration system than other provinces since 1991.
The PQ immigration platform included, among other things, promises to reduce annual permanent resident admissions from 45,000 to 35,000, to impose a moratorium on permanent immigration from outside Quebec, to prioritize permanent status for temporary residents already in the province, and to tighten the selection criteria for temporary workers.
Catherine Xhardez, a political-science professor at the University of Montreal, said the outgoing Coalition Avenir du Quebec government politicized Quebec's immigration debate by introducing restrictions the new government now wants to strengthen.
"Before that, they have kind of a consensus between political parties, how migration is good for the economy … good for demography, but even for French language," she said.
Xhardez said before 2018, Quebec's main parties generally agreed on the positive role immigration played in strengthening francophone culture by prioritizing certain immigrants.
"But then (the CAQ) broke this consensus between the parties by saying it was too much, too quickly, they needed less," she said.
Asylum seeker Mahamed Yusef Niazi, from Afghanistan, carries his seven-month-old daughter Sahaba across the border at Roxham Road from New York into Canada on Friday, March 24, 2023 in Champlain, N.Y.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Xhardez said there's a key difference between the Quebec and Alberta immigration debates — the debate in Alberta is built around populist pushback blaming social service shortages on immigrants, while the debate in Quebec puts identity and culture at the forefront.
She added immigration has also become a bargaining chip for the Quebec government in its engagements with Ottawa.
Premier Smith wants a bargaining chip of her own. In a video released Wednesday, Smith encouraged Albertans to vote in favour of the nine immigration and constitutional questions in the referendum to "send Ottawa a message." She said the goal of one question on the ballot is to "give us the same power as Quebec to recruit economic migrants."
During a pro-unity campaign stop in Calgary on Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney urged his audience to vote "no to the nine" — repeating a phrase that has become a rallying cry among those opposed to separatism.
Prime Minister Mark Carney attends a Forever Canadian rally in Calgary on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Kenney said he's a "skeptic when it comes to greater provincial control" over a "sensitive" matter like immigration policy. He said provincial governments lack the federal government's ability to detect fraud and are inclined to focus solely on local issues — not on how immigration affects the national economy.
"In the western provinces, very typically, the permanent residents that they recommend have been low-skilled temporary foreign workers who they're flipping into permanent residency because the local MLAs get tired of being browbeaten by the Tim Hortons franchise owners," Kenney said.
Reflecting on his time as Alberta's premier, he said "certain premiers" told Ottawa after the COVID-19 pandemic that their biggest priority was to increase immigration — despite early evidence of the housing and youth unemployment challenges currently driving the immigration debate.
"When you don't have social permission to discuss these issues, again, that creates the kind of conditions where popular opinion gets totally detached from elite opinion. And if you want to know what that looks like, look at the politics of Europe today," Kenney said.
"So if you want to avoid (Alternative für Deutschland), Front National, U.K. Reform-style politics, then yes, we need a proper, open debate about these issues."
People march as they take part in an anti-ICE protest near the U.S. Consulate in Montreal on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Xhardez, who is originally from Belgium, said the Canadian political scene is very different from Europe and the U.S. — Canada has no mainstream anti-immigrant political party at the federal level. But public feelings about immigration have shifted — and no one knows for certain how that will affect Canada's politics going forward.
"Canada is maybe not so exceptional, we don't know. Or maybe it will become exceptional as being just less politicized, but it's not true that there is still this consensus and strong public support," Xhardez said.
Nanda said some of the loudest voices opposing the immigration questions in Alberta have been chambers of commerce, which represent businesses that have been struggling to recruit staff.
He said someone in politics needs to champion the idea that immigrants lift up economies, expand the tax base and help to fund social programs and services.
"What they're experiencing in their communities around affordability is because of failed government policies around investing in education, investing in health care, and the same immigrants that people are scapegoating as their reasons [are] a way to reverse that," he said.
"If you go to rural Alberta hospitals or long-term care facilities, most nurses and support staff are immigrants because we can't find local workers to work there. The same is true in many educational facilities."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.
By David Baxter | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
7 «hacks» au IKEA que t'aurais voulu savoir avant pour économiser gros et refaire ta déco
Tu peux même recevoir plusieurs gratuités! 🤑
Rénovation, décoration, déménagement ou envie soudaine de boulettes à la viande, toutes les raisons sont bonnes pour faire un tour au IKEA. Le hic, c'est qu'avec tous ces produits à bas prix au design attirant, on peut très bien se retrouver avec un panier bien rempli qui fait grimper la facture.
Si tu penses bientôt te perdre dans les corridors de cet énorme magasin bleu et jaune, sache qu'il existe une tonne d'astuces pour obtenir des rabais et faire quelques économies. Narcity t'a répertorié sept hacks pratiques à savoir pour tes prochaines emplettes déco.
Remplacer ou réparer des pièces gratuitement
Comme ce TikTokeur l'indique dans cette vidéo, IKEA offre une garantie sur plusieurs articles en magasin. Ainsi, si ton meuble est brisé ou défectueux, tu peux en aviser la compagnie qui procédera au remplacement ou à la réparation du produit ou de la pièce en question.
« Prépare ton ticket de caisse et des photos de l'article et contacte l'équipe du service après-vente pour qu'elle puisse vous aider. Vous pouvez aussi vous rendre dans votre magasin IKEA local pour obtenir de l'aide », peut-on lire sur le site Web de la compagnie. Tu dois par contre t'assurer que la garantie s'applique toujours.
Acheter un meuble usagé
As-tu déjà remarqué que dans son gigantesque entrepôt, la multinationale suédoise possède une pièce spécialement pour les meubles usagés ou les meubles « tel quel »? Ça vaut assurément le détour puisque ces articles sont vendus beaucoup moins chers et peuvent ne contenir que de légers défauts. Tu peux facilement repartir avec un sofa beaucoup moins cher que si tu l'avais encore en boîte.
La carte IKEA Family
IKEA offre à sa clientèle une carte spéciale, la carte Family, qui te permet d'accéder à des offres et réductions de prix exclusives pour les membres. Tu peux aussi obtenir un repas gratuit (à toi les petites boulettes!) en achetant dix repas chez IKEA, et ce, seulement si tu détiens la carte. Tu peux t'inscrire à ce programme gratuitement sur le site Web de l'entreprise.
Utiliser l'application IKEA
Femme utilisant l'application.
IKEA | Site Web
Pratique, l'application IKEA te permet de magasiner beaucoup plus rapidement et de voir facilement si l'article de tes rêves est encore disponible en magasin. Tu peux aussi profiter de rabais spéciaux, créer une liste d'items coup de coeur et scanner un article directement sur ton app pour voir le prix s'afficher. Une façon efficace de sauver du temps dans ce gigantesque labyrinthe d'inspiration.
Revendre ses meubles pour des crédits en magasin
Savais-tu que tu peux revendre tes meubles IKEA usagés? Tu dois envoyer des photos de ton meuble à la compagnie qui s'affairera à évaluer celui-ci selon différents critères. Si ton article d'occasion est accepté, tu pourras le ramener en magasin et obtenir un crédit sur tes prochains achats.
Ce programme est, par contre, disponible pour les membres IKEA Family seulement, mais tu peux y adhérer gratuitement.
Les meubles réinventés
Une tonne de créateur.trices de contenu sur les réseaux sociaux, que ce soit TikTok, Instagram ou YouTube, présente des trucs ingénieux pour composer ou revamper un meuble IKEA pour beaucoup moins cher que si tu l'avais payé dans un autre magasin. Suffit d'avoir un peu de temps libre, de l'imagination et un esprit de « patenteux.euse ».
Obtenir un café gratuit
Besoin d'un peu d'énergie pour affronter la longue filée de gens aux caisses? Tu peux recevoir un café ou un thé gratuitement grâce au programme de fidélité IKEA Family. Prends-toi une tasse, fais couler le liquide chaud caféiné, puis scanne ta carte à la caisse. Ce sera ça de moins sur ta facture!