Alberta Shield
A Public Conversation

Should Alberta
Have Its Own
Constitution?

Every Albertan deserves a voice in answering this question.
The law allows it. The moment demands it. The choice belongs to us.

Why Alberta Is Considering This

For decades, Alberta has operated under federal frameworks that many Albertans believe no longer serve our interests. A provincial constitution would not, by itself, separate Alberta from Canada. It would give Albertans a clearer voice in defining how we govern ourselves.

01

Clarity of Jurisdiction

The Constitution Act, 1867 assigns specific powers to provinces (Sections 92, 92A, 95). A provincial constitution can clarify and entrench Alberta's exercise of those powers, reducing legal ambiguity when federal policies intrude.

02

Democratic Legitimacy

A provincial constitution drafted and ratified through public engagement reflects the direct consent of Albertans. The legitimacy comes from the people, not from any single politician or party.

03

Preparedness

Whether Alberta's future lies within a reformed Confederation or beyond it, clear constitutional foundations protect Albertans during periods of political uncertainty. Prudent planning, not predetermined outcome.

This project does not presuppose any specific outcome. It exists to give Albertans the tools, the information, and the voice required to shape that outcome together.

Questions Worth Asking

No one person should decide what a provincial constitution contains. These are some of the questions Albertans will need to wrestle with together.

Governance

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  • Should Alberta have a unicameral or bicameral legislature?
  • What direct democracy tools (recall, citizen initiative, referenda) should be entrenched?
  • How should executive power be checked and balanced?

Rights and Freedoms

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  • Should a provincial constitution expand on the federal Charter, or mirror it?
  • What protections are needed for property, conscience, and parental authority?
  • How should digital rights and privacy be addressed in a modern constitution?

Fiscal and Economic

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  • Should fiscal restraint be constitutionally entrenched?
  • What role should the constitution play in protecting Alberta's resource jurisdiction?
  • Should taxation powers be limited by supermajority requirements?

Relationship with Canada

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  • Should Alberta pursue reform within Confederation, or prepare for full sovereignty?
  • What constitutional mechanisms protect Alberta from federal overreach?
  • How should treaty obligations with Indigenous nations be honoured?

Judicial and Legal

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  • Should Alberta establish its own court of last resort, or retain the Supreme Court of Canada?
  • How should judges be appointed and held accountable?
  • What role should constitutional review play?

Amendment and Permanence

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  • What threshold should be required to amend the constitution?
  • Which provisions, if any, should be effectively unchangeable?
  • Should regional approval be required alongside province-wide majorities?

Ideas Already Being Discussed

Citizens, scholars, and policy thinkers have begun proposing what a provincial constitution might address. These are not adopted positions. They are examples offered here to spark your own thinking.

Direct Democracy

Recall, Initiative, and Referenda

Constitutional tools that allow citizens to recall elected officials, initiate legislation through petition, and trigger public referenda on major questions.

Fiscal Discipline

Constitutional Fiscal Responsibility

Provisions that would constrain government spending, require balanced budgets over defined periods, and protect against unsustainable debt accumulation.

Property and Resources

Property and Resource Rights

Strengthened protection for the right to own, use, and enjoy property, with explicit recognition of Alberta's jurisdiction over natural resources under Section 92A of the Constitution Act, 1867.

Digital Era Rights

Digital Privacy and Free Expression

Modernized constitutional protections for online speech, digital privacy, and freedom from mass surveillance. 21st-century rights need 21st-century constitutional language.

Family and Conscience

Parental Authority and Religious Liberty

Explicit constitutional recognition of parental authority in education, health care, and moral development, alongside protections for freedom of conscience and religious practice.

Regional Voice

Regional Representation and Dual Majority

Mechanisms requiring that major decisions secure both province-wide majorities and majorities across regional districts.

A Lawful, Democratic Process

1

Public Education

Albertans learn what a provincial constitution is and what Section 45, the Secession Reference, and Clarity Act actually say.

2

Open Consultation

Town halls, citizen assemblies, and public hearings across every region of Alberta.

3

Drafting and Review

Constitutional experts, elected representatives, and citizen delegates work on drafts reflecting public input.

4

Democratic Ratification

Any final document is ratified by the people through a clear referendum, with a clear question, satisfying the Secession Reference and Clarity Act.

This Conversation Needs You

Whether you support sovereignty, prefer reform within Confederation, or are still deciding, your perspective matters.

Transparency notice: This is a public advocacy and education initiative. We are not affiliated with any political party, candidate, or campaign. By providing your information, you consent to receive communications about this constitutional engagement project. Your information will be handled under the Personal Information Protection Act (Alberta) and will never be sold or used for commercial purposes.

You may withdraw your consent and request deletion of your information at any time by emailing our Privacy Officer.

Thank you.

Your voice has been added. We will be in touch with consultation opportunities and updates.

Help Build This

This is an open-source, non-partisan initiative with governance structure, legal grounding, and editorial process already in place. We need people with specific skills to help bring it to life.

Legal Counsel

Constitutional, privacy, or election finance law

Developer

Backend, infrastructure, Canadian-hosted deployment

Policy & Research

Constitutional analysis, comparative research, plain-language writing

Communications

Public engagement, media, social media, outreach

Organizer

Town halls, citizen assemblies, regional coordination

Board Candidate

Willing to serve as a founding director

Non-partisan by design. No political party, candidate, or faction has any role in governance.

Transparent decisions. Meeting minutes published, decisions documented with reasoning.

Open source. Code under MIT, content under CC BY-SA 4.0. Anyone can fork, adapt, or contribute.

Privacy-first. Fully subject to PIPA; no data sold, no tracking.

Areas of interest (select all that apply):

Welcome aboard.

We will be in touch to discuss how you can contribute.

Take Action Today

💬
Talk to Neighbours

The most important conversations happen at kitchen tables and on front porches across Alberta.

📢
Contact Your MLA

Tell your elected representative you want a public consultation process.

📚
Read the Source Materials

The Constitution Acts, the Secession Reference, and the Clarity Act are freely available online.