A motion asking Lethbridge city council to affirm the city’s place in Alberta and Canada while examining the potential economic and financial consequences of Alberta separation has been referred to a committee for public input.
Coun. Jenn Schmidt-Rempel introduced the motion at Tuesday’s council meeting, with Coun. Belinda Crowson, Mayor Blaine Hyggen and Coun. Rufa Doria as co-sponsors.
“As municipal leaders we are elected to govern Lethbridge and advocate for our city’s interests,” Schmidt-Rempel said.
Schmidt-Rempel explained that the proposed resolution does not seek to determine the outcome of a referendum. Instead, it asks council to reaffirm Lethbridge’s place in Alberta and Canada, identify the city’s municipal interests and consider the local consequences of significant constitutional changes.
Coun. Ryan Wolfe moved to refer the motion to the Community Issues Committee, citing concerns about its content and timing and the importance of giving residents an opportunity to share their views.
Schmidt-Rempel said she respects council’s decision to refer the motion to the committee and welcomes public feedback. She added that municipalities routinely raise local concerns with provincial and federal governments when decisions beyond municipal jurisdiction could affect residents, municipal finances or service delivery.
The motion cites Alberta’s Municipal Government Act, which sets out municipal purposes and councillors’ responsibilities to consider the welfare and interests of their municipalities. It argues that a significant change to Alberta’s constitutional relationship with Canada could affect government funding, infrastructure financing, trade and investment, labour and business mobility, and the intergovernmental partnerships municipalities rely on to provide services.
According to the motion, Lethbridge relies on provincial and federal partnerships to support infrastructure and municipal services, including transportation, water and wastewater systems, housing and community well-being. The motion also states that provincial and federal grants have historically supplied most of the funding available through the city’s Capital Improvement Program.
Lethbridge also faces infrastructure demands associated with population and economic growth, the motion says. These include expanding water and wastewater capacity, addressing transportation needs and maintaining existing municipal assets.
The motion states: “A material change to Alberta’s constitutional relationship with Canada could have implications for intergovernmental funding arrangements, infrastructure financing, trade and investment conditions, labour and business mobility, and the partnerships through which municipalities deliver programs and services.”
The proposed resolution also cites research by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy examining the potential economic and fiscal effects of Alberta separating from Canada. The scenarios considered include transition costs, possible changes in economic performance, investment uncertainty and potential effects on provincial revenues. These are potential outcomes rather than established consequences, and the motion does not provide a specific estimate of what separation could cost Lethbridge.
The City of Lethbridge’s council highlights for Oct. 13 indicate that the motion was referred to the Community Issues Committee for consideration on Oct. 20. Any subsequent return to council and vote date should be confirmed against the official agenda before publication.
If council eventually approves the resolution, it would direct the mayor to write to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the minister of municipal affairs, Lethbridge-area MLAs, the MP for Lethbridge, Alberta Municipalities and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. The proposed letter would ask the recipients to assess how any constitutional change could affect municipal finances, infrastructure, economic conditions and intergovernmental relationships.
The motion acknowledges that Albertans hold differing views about the province’s relationship with Canada and that voters will make their own decisions in the referendum.
The supplied story states that advance voting for the 2026 Alberta referendum runs until Oct. 17, with referendum day on Oct. 19. Those dates should be confirmed against Elections Alberta’s official referendum information before publication.
