Separation, immigration, the Constitution: A look at Alberta's referendum questions
Here are the 10 questions Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is sending to a provincewide referendum on Monday.
Question 1: Do you support the government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?
What you need to know: Smith has said she wants to see Alberta have a similar accord as Quebec, which has an agreement with Ottawa that lets the province set its own eligibility requirements for economic migrants.
She said in February that a "normal" and "sustainable" level of immigration would represent less than one per cent of the population, or about 50,000 newcomers per year. But critics say Smith has failed to plan for the population growth it invited with a countrywide ad campaign in recent years.
Question 2: Do you support the government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?
What you need to know: The premier has blamed overburdened public services on rapid population growth in the past five years.
The government's website claims temporary residents cost the province more than $1 billion in health care, education and social services. Critics say those numbers don't add up and that the government is ignoring the economic contributions and benefits they bring to Alberta.
The specific effect of a yes vote is unclear, since the government says it won't define "Alberta-approved immigration status" until after the referendum.
Question 3: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially funded social support programs?
What you need to know: The government says it won't determine which programs would be affected until after the referendum, should Albertans vote yes.
Temporary workers are already ineligible for some provincial programs, such as Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped, and the Canadian Bar Association's provincial chapter says this could run afoul of the Canada Health Act or the Charter's equality provisions.
Question 4: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family's use of the health care and education systems?
What you need to know: A potential new charge wouldn't be determined by the government until after the vote, though the premier told Calgary business leaders on Sept. 22 that a health premium could be as much as $1,900.
Education leaders in the province have come out against restricting access to schooling, saying it goes against internationally agreed children's rights.
Question 5: Do you support the government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?
What you need to know: Voting is already restricted to Canadian citizens, and both Elections Canada and Elections Alberta have reported very few cases of ineligible voting.
Smith has said it's about strengthening the integrity of provincial elections. Critics say this policy would only make lineups at the polls more time-consuming and open the door to racial or ethnic bias at the voting booth.
Question 6: Do you support the government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King's Bench and Appeal courts?
What you need to know: If approved by voters, this proposal would only commit Alberta's government to working with other provinces and federal lawmakers to make changes to the Constitution.
Changes generally need approval from seven provincial legislatures covering 50 per cent of Canada's population, as well as from the House of Commons and Senate in Ottawa.
Question 7: Do you support the government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to abolish the unelected federal Senate?
What you need to know: Abolishing the Senate would be even more difficult than other general constitutional amendments. It would need to be unanimously approved by all provinces and ratified by the Senate and the House of Commons.
Question 8: Do you support the government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs?
What you need to know: The federal "spending power" authority allows Ottawa to attach conditions to its funding for provinces, with health-care funding under the Canada Health Act as a key example.
A permanent provincial "opt-out" clause would require the Constitution to be amended.
Question 9: Do you support the government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to better protect provincial rights from federal interference by giving a province's laws dealing with provincial or shared areas of constitutional jurisdiction priority over federal laws when the province's laws and federal laws conflict?
What you need to know: Under the Constitution, federal laws are given standing over provincial laws when jurisdictional issues arise.
This change to the Constitution would require approval from the Senate, the House of Commons and seven provinces representing at least half the country's population.
Question 10: Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?
What you need to know: Advocates for separation say the province needs to get out from under federal taxation and regulation, freeing up wealth and sparking economic development. Federalists say the split would only hurt businesses and saddle landlocked Alberta with debt and the massive cost of delivering formerly federal services.
Smith has framed her other nine other questions on immigration and constitutional reform as a political compromise that could address Alberta's grievances, gain leverage with Ottawa and avoid dismantling the country.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Costco, Walmart or Loblaws? Here's which store has the cheapest Halloween candy prices
Coffee Crisp, Aero, Ruffles, Swedish Berries, Caramilk, Mars, Twix, and more!
It's the season for Halloween candy, chocolate and chips at grocery stores in Canada.
Whether you're buying for trick-or-treaters or buying for yourself, Narcity compared prices at Costco, Walmart and Loblaws.
That includes chocolate like Coffee Crisp, KitKat, Caramilk, Mars and Twix, candy like Twizzlers, Swedish Berries and Sour Patch Kids and chips like Ruffles.
Narcity went to all three stores, looked for similar products, checked prices and then compared costs.
So, here's what you need to know about the Halloween candy, chocolate and chips and which store has the cheapest products.
Coffee Crisp, KitKat, Aero and Smarties
Coffee Crisp, KitKat, Aero and Smarties at Costco. Centre: Coffee Crisp, KitKat, Aero and Smarties at Walmart. Right: Coffee Crisp, KitKat, Aero and Smarties at Loblaws.
All three stores have packs of Coffee Crisp, KitKat, Aero and Smarties chocolate, but Costco has full-sized bars, while Walmart and Loblaws have treat-sized bars.
It costs $21.99 for a 1.08-kilogram box of 24 full-sized bars at Costco, which works out to $2.03 per 100 grams and $0.91 per chocolate.
It costs $15.97 for a 977-gram box of 100 treat-sized bars at Walmart, which is $1.63 per 100 grams and $0.15 per chocolate.
It costs $24 for a 977-gram box of 100 treat-sized bars at Loblaws, which breaks down to $2.45 per 100 grams and $0.24 per chocolate.
Walmart is $0.40 cheaper per 100 grams than Costco and $0.82 cheaper per 100 grams than Loblaws for this product.
Caramilk, Dairy Milk Oreo and Twirl
Dairy Milk Oreo, Cadbury Toffee Crunch, Twirl and Caramilk at Costco. Centre: Dairy Milk Oreo, Caramilk, Wunderbar and Twirl at Walmart. Right: Dairy Milk Oreo, Caramilk, Wunderbar and Twirl at Loblaws.
These stores have the Cadbury treat-size bar variety pack with Caramilk, Dairy Milk Oreo and Twirl chocolate, but Costco includes Cadbury Toffee Crunch, while Walmart and Loblaws include Wunderbar.
It costs $17.99 for a 1.3-kilogram box with 120 chocolates at Costco, which breaks down to $1.38 per 100 grams and $0.14 per chocolate.
It costs $15.48 for a 993-gram box with 90 chocolates at Walmart, which works out to $1.55 per 100 grams and $0.17 per chocolate.
It costs $22 for a 993-gram box with 90 chocolates at Loblaws, which is $2.21 per 100 grams and $0.24 per chocolate.
Costco is $0.17 cheaper per 100 grams than Walmart and $0.83 cheaper per 100 grams than Loblaws for this product.
Ruffles chips
Ruffles chips at Walmart. Right: Ruffles chips at Loblaws.
Both Walmart and Loblaws have boxes of snack-sized Ruffles chips.
It costs $12.97 for a 640-gram box of Ruffles chips with 40 snack-sized bags at Walmart.
It costs $12.99 for a 640-gram box of Ruffles chips with 40 snack-sized bags at Loblaws.
Walmart is $0.02 cheaper than Loblaws for this product.
Mars, Twix, Snickers and peanut M&M's
Mars, Twix, Snickers and peanut M&M's at Costco. Right: Mars, Twix, Snickers and peanut M&M's at Walmart.
Both Costco and Walmart have the treat-sized Mars, Twix, Snickers and peanut M&M's chocolates for Halloween.
It costs $23.99 for a 1.48-kilogram box with 140 treat-sized chocolates at Costco, which works out to $1.62 per 100 grams and $0.17 per chocolate.
It costs $14.97 for a one-kilogram box with 95 treat-sized chocolates at Walmart, which breaks down to $1.49 per 100 grams and $0.15 per chocolate.
Walmart is $0.13 cheaper per 100 grams than Costco for this product.
Twizzlers
Twizzlers at Costco. Centre: Twizzlers and Jolly Rancher gummies at Walmart. Right: Twizzlers and Jolly Rancher gummies at Loblaws.
Each store has treat-sized Twizzlers, but the Costco pack has more flavour varieties, while the Walmart and Loblaws packs have Jolly Rancher gummies.
It costs $14.99 for a 1.3-kilogram bag with 109 pieces at Costco, which works out to $1.15 per 100 grams and $0.13 per piece.
It costs $12.97 for a 1.02-kilogram bag with 100 pieces at Walmart, which is $1.27 per 100 grams and $0.12 per piece.
It costs $20 for a 1.02-kilogram bag with 100 pieces at Loblaws, which breaks down to $1.96 per 100 grams and $0.20 per piece.
Costco is $0.12 cheaper per 100 grams than Walmart and $0.81 cheaper per 100 grams than Loblaws for this Halloween candy.
Reese's, Oh Henry, Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme and Whoppers
Reese's, Oh Henry, Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme and Whoppers at Walmart. Right: Reese's, Oh Henry, Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme and Whoppers at Loblaws.
Walmart and Loblaws have bags of Reese's Cups, Reese's Pieces, Oh Henry, Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme and Whoppers chocolate for Halloween.
It costs $12.97 for a 962-gram bag with 100 chocolates at Walmart.
It costs $20 for a 962-gram bag with 100 chocolates at Loblaws.
Walmart is $7.03 cheaper than Loblaws for this product!
Swedish Berries and Sour Patch Kids
Swedish Berries and Sour Patch Kids at Costco. Right: Swedish Berries, Sour Patch Kids, Fuzzy Peach and Swedish Fish at Loblaws.
Costco and Loblaws have Halloween candy boxes with Swedish Berries and Sour Patch Kids, but the Loblaws pack also has Fuzzy Peach and Swedish Fish.
It costs $23.99 for a 1.9-kilogram box with 150 pieces at Costco, which breaks down to $1.26 per 100 grams and $0.15 per piece.
It costs $19 for a 1.12-kilogram box with 90 pieces at Loblaws, which is $1.78 per 100 grams and $0.21 per piece.
Costco is $0.52 cheaper per 100 grams than Loblaws for this Halloween candy.
Cheetos
Cheetos at Walmart. Right: Cheetos at Loblaws.
Walmart and Loblaws have boxes of snack-sized Cheetos for Halloween.
It costs $12.97 for a 640-gram box with 40 snack-sized bags at Walmart.
It costs $12.99 for a 640-gram box with 40 snack-sized bags at Loblaws.
Walmart is $0.02 cheaper than Loblaws for this product.
WHICH STORE HAS THE CHEAPEST HALLOWEEN CANDY?
Now that we've compared prices for eight Halloween candy, chocolate and chips at Costco, Walmart and Loblaws, let's break down which store has the lowest prices.
Costco is the cheapest store for the box of Dairy Milk Oreo, Cadbury Toffee Crunch, Twirl and Caramilk, the bag of Twizzlers and the box of Swedish Berries and Sour Patch Kids.
Walmart is the cheapest store for the box of Coffee Crisp, KitKat, Aero and Smarties, the box of Ruffles, the box of Mars, Twix, Snickers and M&M's, the bag of Reese's, Oh Henry, Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme and Whoppers, and the box of Cheetos.
None of the Halloween candy, chocolate or chips at Loblaws that Narcity compared have the lowest prices.
READ NEXT: Costco has Kirkland Signature Halloween candy that's cheaper than name-brand items
No new measles cases since August prompts Manitoba to declare disease outbreak over
Public health officials in Manitoba say a provincewide measles outbreak is over.
That comes more than a year after it first reported new cases of the disease.
The government says the last laboratory-confirmed case was identified in August.
A total of 1,038 measles cases have been documented in the province since the outbreak was first reported.
The province says there were 52 hospitalizations, with half of them involving children under the age of 10.
Of the total reported cases, 87 per cent of the people were either not immunized or their immunization status was unknown.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

8 applications pour gérer ton budget au Québec et t'éviter de pleurer à la fin du mois
Oublie le tableau Excel beaucoup trop compliqué!
Si tu es du genre à stresser de plus en plus dès que la fin de mois approche, il existe une panoplie d'applications pour aider les néophytes des finances à gérer leur budget. Plus besoin de sortir tes dizaines de pages Excel, tu peux désormais voir facilement toutes tes dépenses directement sur ton cellulaire ou ta tablette en téléchargeant un de ces outils. Ils font même le calcul pour toi, peuvent t'avertir lorsque tu approches d'une limite et te permettre de bien diviser l'argent de ton ménage par exemple.
Parce qu'on sait que les dernières années ont été rudes du côté du portefeuille au Québec en raison de l'inflation, Narcity a réalisé une liste des meilleures applications budgétaires disponibles au Québec. Tu pourras les trouver soit sur l'App Store ou sur Google Play Store selon ce que tu préfères. Tu peux alors vérifier celle qui te va le mieux et la télécharger. À noter que la plupart des applications ci-dessous sont gratuites. Ça fait ça de moins à mettre à tes dépenses du mois!
Mint
Mint.
App Store
Note : 4,6/5
Prix : Gratuit
Disponibilité : App Store et Google Play Store
Description : L'application Mint est l'une des plus populaires sur les plateformes de téléchargement d'applications. Elle t'aide à voir facilement toutes tes dépenses que ce soit sur tes factures essentielles du mois, tes achats sur ta carte de crédit ou tes dettes. Ce qui est bien avec cet outil financier c'est qu'il te permet de faire des catégories budgétaires. Tu peux ensuite fixer des limites pour celles-ci et Mint t'avertira lorsque tu es près de ces sommes. C'est donc beaucoup plus simple de les respecter.
Site Web de Mint
Hardbacon
Hardbacon.
App Store
Note : 4,2/5
Prix : Gratuit
Disponibilité : App Store et Google Play Store
Description : Si tu cherches une application québécoise, Hardbacon est pour toi. Cet outil numérique promet de t'aider à « prendre contrôle de tes finances ». Pour ce faire, l'app se connecte à tes comptes bancaires afin de te conseiller dans tes décisions financières en temps réel. Elle peut aussi te permettre d'accéder à des offres exclusives et te donne toutes sortes d'astuces pour mieux gérer ton budget. Ce système te permet surtout de réaliser dans quel commerce tu dépenses le plus pour te rappeler à l'ordre. Tu peux aussi comparer sans encombre des centaines de produits financiers comme des courtier.ères en ligne, des cartes de crédit, des comptes bancaires et plus encore.
Site Web de Hardbacon
EveryDollar
EveryDollar.
App Store
Note : 4,7/5
Prix : Version « basic » gratuite, version premium 79,99 $ annuellement ou 12,99 $ mensuellement.
Disponibilité : App Store et Google Play Store
Description : EveryDollar a été conçu pour soutenir les personnes qui n'y connaissent rien en budget et qui veulent débuter dans le merveilleux monde des finances. « Faire son budget n'a pas besoin d'être difficile et ennuyant. Tu peux budgéter la vie que tu veux vraiment sans les mathématiques ou les feuilles de calcul élaboré », promet l'application.
La version basique requière que tu entres toutes tes dépenses manuellement, alors que la version premium les indique directement en se liant à ton compte bancaire. Dans les deux cas, tu pourras voir où va ton argent et tenter, chaque mois, d'arriver à « zéro ». C'est-à-dire un équilibre parfait entre dépense et entrée d'argent comme tu l'avais prévu. Selon les dires de la plateforme, la moyenne des utilisateurs et utilisatrices de EveryDollar a réussi à réduire leurs dépenses mensuelles de 9 % en recourant à celle-ci.
Splitwise
Splitwise.
App Store
Note : 4,5/5
Prix : Gratuit
Disponibilité : App Store et Google Play Store
Description : Splitwise n'est pas un planificateur de budget, mais te permet de bien diviser et suivre les sommes que tu dois ou les dépenses qui doivent t'être défrayées par les gens de ton entourage. Tu peux alors élaborer différentes catégories pour une seule et même personne ou un seul et même groupe d'ami.es pour une catégorie générale où vous pouvez tous.tes constater les paiements et remboursement faits au quotidien.
Tu peux choisir entre de nombreuses options d'opérations telles que « cette personne vous doit la totalité de la dépense » ou « partager équitablement » et vice-versa. L'application calcule alors les montants pour toi. Ça peut être une bonne idée de téléchargement si tu n'es pas encore prêt.e à prendre une carte de crédit conjointe. Une chose est sûre, c'est que ça limite les conversations délicates après une escapade avec tes BFF.
Couple Money Tracker - Shareroo
Shareroo.
App Store
Note : 4,8/5
Prix : Gratuite
Disponibilité : App Store
Description : Si tu es en couple ou que tu as une famille, Shareroo pourrait bien te convenir. Pratique, cette application te permet de voir et d'organiser les dépenses de votre duo aisément. Vous pouvez alors vérifier votre budget familial et voir qui a payé quoi. Une section de liste et de tâches est aussi accessible sur la plateforme, par exemple pour faire l'épicerie. Vous pouvez aussi personnaliser l'application en y ajoutant des photos de votre famille ou de vous deux.
Spendee
Spendee.
App Store
Note : 4,5/5
Prix : Version gratuite et une version premium à 3,99 $ par mois ou 29,99 $ par année
Disponibilité : App Store et Google Play Store
Description : Ce qui fait de Spendee un outil efficace et facile d'utilisation, ce sont ses graphiques colorés et simples à comprendre. Tu peux alors vérifier l'écart entre ton revenu et tes dépenses, suivre tes factures pour ne pas oublier de les payer, créer des portefeuilles pour des occasions spéciales telles que des mariages, des anniversaires ou des voyages ou même concevoir une cagnotte avec tes proches. Ce qui est bien aussi, c'est que Spendee te montre tes bons coups en t'encourageant ou en faisant un brin d'humour.
« Une app vraiment facile d'utilisation qui suit toutes les dépenses et aide à voir où va l'argent. La version gratuite me va très bien. Je recommande cette app à toutes personnes qui désirent créer un budget ou suivre ses dépenses. 10/10 », indique un.e utilisateur.trice de la plateforme.
Buddy
Buddy.
App Store
Note : 4,7/5
Prix : Abonnement mensuel de 4,99 $ et annuel de 34,99 $
Disponibilité : App Store
Description : Buddy est, comme son nom l'indique, une application qui te permet de non seulement voir ton budget personnel, mais également de visualiser celui de tes proches. Tu peux donc joindre tes dépenses à celui de tes ami.es ou de ton ou ta partenaire. Par exemple, si tu fais un road trip avec ta gang, vous pouvez facilement constater qui a payé quoi pour que les dépenses soient équilibrées et qu'il n'y ait pas une personne qui paye pour toute le monde sans s'en apercevoir. L'abonnement n'est, toutefois, pas gratuit et coûte 4,99 $ par mois ou 34,99 $ par année. Tes ami.es doivent aussi être abonné.es à la plateforme pour avoir accès à leurs données.
Fudget
Fudget.
App Store
Note : 4,7/5
Prix : Gratuit
Disponibilité : App Store et Google Play Store
Description : Fudget est utilisée par plus d'un million de personnes dans le monde et a été mainte fois encensée par les médias. Elle te permet de comprendre très rapidement où vont tes dépenses et comment faire un budget pour le futur ainsi que pour tes projets et rêves que tu souhaites réaliser. Tu n'as aussi aucune synchronisation à tes comptes bancaires demandée alors, si tu es un brin craintif.ve à ce sujet, ça vaut la peine d'y jeter un coup d'oeil.
« Je trouve que la plupart des applications de budget sont juste ridicules. Premièrement, les coûts d'abonnement vont à l'encontre du principe même de budgéter. […] Je n'ai trouvé (à cette app) aucune lacune ou ajout nécessaire à l'exception d'une synchronisation de type famille », a souligné un utilisateur.