The mayors of Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer are urging Albertans to oppose the October referendum on independence.
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas has joined the mayors of Edmonton and Red Deer in campaigning against Alberta's upcoming independence referendum. In a social media video, the three mayors urge Albertans to reject what they call a "referendum for a referendum" and vote to remain in Canada.
That's their right.
As the Mayors of Alberta’s largest cities, we are standing up against the referendum for a referendum and encouraging Albertans to vote this October.
— Jeromy (Pathfinder) Farkas (@JeromyYYC) June 7, 2026
Leaving Canada would create uncertainty for Alberta’s economy, threaten jobs and investment, and put at risk the quality of life… pic.twitter.com/klkHAlyqxY
But Albertans should consider who's delivering the lecture on democracy.
Mayor Farkas did not win a majority of votes in Calgary's 2025 mayoral election. He won with 91,112 votes in a crowded field, narrowly edging out Sonya Sharp by just 616 votes after a recount. Meanwhile, former councillor Jeff Davison received more than 47,000 votes, and Sarah Elder attracted another 3,500. Farkas was elected under Calgary's first-past-the-post system despite receiving well under 50 percent support.
Farkas benefited from a split among voters seeking an alternative to both incumbent mayor Jyoti Gondek and a vote split on the political right.
Yet now Farkas is campaigning against allowing Albertans to answer a straightforward democratic question at the ballot box.
Albertans are not being asked to separate on October 19. They are being asked whether they want to pursue independence.
The referendum itself is the democratic process. Arguing against a referendum because you don't like the possible answer is not a defence of democracy. It's opposition to letting voters decide.
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