Premier Danielle Smith caught by tears during forum on Alberta referendum, grievances with Ottawa

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeLocal NewsNationalPolitics Premier Danielle Smith caught by tears during forum on Alberta referendum, grievances with Ottawa 'When proud, hardworking people feel their contribution is taken for granted, and their livelihood is treated as something to be phased out, some begin to ask a painful question — does this country actually want us?' Author of the article: By Cindy Tran Published Sep 19, 2026 4 minute read Join the conversation Premier Danielle Smith speaks at a press conference in Calgary on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. PHOTO BY DARREN MAKOWICHUK /Postmedia Article content Premier Danielle Smith was overcome with emotion as she launched into speech at an online forum Saturday, tearfully relaying painful losses some Albertans have shared with her as she works to address grievances with Ottawa that have led to the Oct. 19 referendum question of separation from the country. Article content The weekend Alberta and the West Assembly, co-chaired by former Reform Party of Canada leader Preston Manning and former British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell, ran for several hours Saturday morning with a few technical glitches and a presentation from Smith, who later took questions. Article content Article content Article content In her opening remarks, Smith recounted what she’s been hearing from Albertans, those frustrated and angry with an Ottawa seemingly deaf to their grievances over the past decade. As she spoke of growing affordability pressures faced by farmers and families being squeezed out of house and home, Smith paused to regain her composure several times, apologizing to listeners. Article content Headline News Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content “When proud, hardworking people feel their contribution is taken for granted, and their livelihood is treated as something to be phased out, some begin to ask a painful question — does this country actually want us?” Smith said. Article content “So that question is what 700,000 signatures represent between the Forever Canada petition and the Stay Free Alberta petition… Some signed because they want to leave. More, many more signed because they want to stay.” Article content Smith voting in favour of remaining…