Preston Manning to lead virtual assembly ahead of Alberta referendum
Posted August 13, 2026 1:36 pm.
Last Updated August 13, 2026 1:45 pm.
Preston Manning, the former leader of the Reform Party, will chair a two-day virtual assembly next month ahead of Alberta’s October referendum.
Manning and co-chair Gordon Campbell, the former premier of B.C., say the assembly — which will be livestreamed — will run Sept. 19 and 20 in Calgary, and will address various “issues of concern” in the leadup to the Oct. 19 vote.
The “Alberta and the West” assembly will tackle what organizers call “dissatisfactions in Alberta and much of western Canada with the functioning of Canadian federalism” and “the growing conviction among increasing numbers of citizens that the status quo is unacceptable.”
They say the virtual assembly will have a “strong Alberta focus” while also including voices from other western provinces.
“Chronic dissatisfaction with respect to the institutions and performance of the current federation are fostering a feeling that the status quo is simply not an option going forward,” said Manning in a news release.
“Alternative options for addressing these discontents are being offered, and this virtual assembly will be a public education exercise in a democratic forum to provide informed presentations and thorough examinations of such options.”
The assembly will hear from representatives on various separation options, and says it will explore what it would mean for Alberta to remain in Canada.
Organizers say there will be a follow-up session later in October.
A separation question is among the 10 questions on the province’s Oct. 19 referendum ballot. The question will ask Albertans if they want to remain in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country.
