Albertans are sharing a range of emotions as they prepare for an upcoming referendum on Alberta’s future within Canada. At a CBC News pop-up event in Calgary’s Seton library branch, some individuals like Jim Fedor expressed excitement and intention to vote against separation, while others such as Christine Nelson felt frustrated by the cost and perceived futility of the process. Charmaine Coutinho echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing her opposition to rising racism and extreme viewpoints being legitimized through government actions. The event highlighted varying public reactions, from enthusiasm to frustration, reflecting the divide among Albertans ahead of voting day.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Disappointed, angry, excited: Albertans weigh in on looming referendum
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Albertans → weigh → referendum
CBC News heard a lot about unity and unease at a pop-up in a Calgary library
Jim Fedor booked Oct. 19 off work to make sure he can vote in Alberta’s referendum.
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he → hear → referendum
“I'm looking forward to it.
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I → look → it
Never voted in a referendum like this before, so it'll be something new,” said Fedor, who stopped at the CBC News pop-up at the Seton library branch in southeast Calgary last week.
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who → vote → Calgary
“I'm gonna vote Option 1 on the separation question, for Alberta to stay in Canada, and the other nine questions I plan to vote no for each one,” he said.
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he → go → one
“I'll get there early, and I'm willing to wait to get in and vote.”
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I → get → ?
“I think it's important for everyone to have their voices heard.
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voices → think → ?
A lot of places in the world don't allow voting on much of anything.
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lot → allow → anything
So I feel quite lucky to be able to vote and make my vote count.”
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vote → feel → ?
CBC News set up at the library to get a sense of how Albertans are feeling as the referendum campaigns head into their final week.
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campaigns → set → week
We set out Post-It notes and markers, and invited patrons to share their thoughts on the question: What are you thinking about as you get ready to vote?
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you → set → What
Library patrons left their thoughts at a CBC News pop-up in the Calgary Public Library's Seton branch.
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patrons → leave → branch
Parents came by with their kids; high school students stopped in after their classes ended; seniors swung by to pick up books on hold.
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seniors → come → hold
A low hum filled the busy building.
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hum → fill → building
Some Albertans frustrated at the vote
A few people were excited to vote, like Fedor.
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people → frustrate → Fedor
Others were just starting to follow the process and had not yet decided how they would cast their ballots; several expressed frustration at even having the vote.
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several → start → vote
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That’s how Christine Nelson was feeling.
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Nelson → rally → questions
“I'm really disappointed.
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I → disappoint → ?
The majority of people do not want to separate, and we have to spend taxpayers’ money to vote on something that's not going to go through unless there's some kind of, you know, crookedness going on.
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you → want → crookedness
It's ridiculous,” said Nelson.
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Nelson → say → ?
Charmaine Coutinho, who stopped by with her young daughter, had a similar sentiment.
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who → stop → sentiment
“I am feeling anger about the increase in racism and otherness caused by legitimizing these extreme perspectives through government actions,” she said.
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she → feel → actions
“I am saying no to everything, and we are, and I am, very much in favour of staying in Canada.”
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I → say → Canada
They all stopped by to share their thoughts at the CBC News pop-up in Seton on Thursday.
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They → stop → Thursday
Michael Chudleigh said he is voting the same, but trying to stay open to difference.
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he → say → difference
“I'm trying not to be angry about the whole thing and understand that those who disagree with me have their reasons, even if I can't see them.”
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I → try → them
Friends at odds over separation
One pair of seniors were laughing and chatting as they stopped by on their way for coffee.
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they → laugh → coffee
The two women said they are good friends, who meet regularly.
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who → say → ?
One is passionate about staying in Canada, while the other is casting her vote to explore leaving.
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other → stay → leaving
They don’t talk about the referendum.
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They → talk → referendum
“We might not be friends after!” said the pro-unity friend.
uncertain
friend → say → ?
She didn’t want to be interviewed, but earlier said her father fought for Canada and she’d never want to see it splintered.
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it → want → Canada
The other friend came back later to write her thoughts on the whiteboard: “I think the Oct. 19 [referendum] is more like a memorandum of understanding thing and gets people talking and looking into our rights and fairness/democracy.
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people → come → rights
But many people have been led to be afraid it’s a final say or referendum to leave their country or be taken over by Trump!”
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it → lead → Trump
She wrote that separatists fear the way Ottawa has been asserting control over individuals, such as freezing bank accounts during the trucker convoy.
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Ottawa → write → convoy
First came the blockade.
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blockade → come → ?
Then came separatism.
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separatism → come → ?
Old tensions revived in Coutts
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How anti-COVID activism injected life into Alberta's separatist movement
Newcomers express love for Canada
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Newcomers → revive → Canada
As the afternoon wore on, our board filled with messages, with a lot of love for Canada.
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board → wear → Canada
“I love Canada; I’ll vote to stay here,” wrote one person.
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person → love → Canada
…and 32 more, not listed.
The Aporia
