First Nations’ permission needed for Alberta separation, AFN chief says

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is delivering prepared remarks to the province in her first live address since May 2025. Smith is expected to focus on the issue of immigration, as a record level of newcomers entering Alberta has heaped new strain on the province’s health care and education systems. Her remarks come amid rising separatist sentiments in the province, with a referendum on Alberta’s position in the federation likely to come later this year. At the same time, Smith’s address comes as the province’s pipeline deal with the federal government — widely viewed as a last-ditch...