September 9, 2026· Alberta Fact Check
Fact Check: Is the Alberta Independence Movement Fading?
Alberta Fact Check pushes back on a Colby Cosh column suggesting the independence movement is stalling, calling rally turnout and a single online poll unreliable signals during the slowest weeks of the political year.
In a National Post column, Colby Cosh implied Alberta's independence movement may be waning as the October 19 referendum approaches, pointing to turnout at an August 29 Alberta Prosperity Project rally at the legislature and a Research Co. online poll of 750 people.
Alberta Fact Check calls that read premature. The August 29 rally drew a "standing room only" crowd of roughly 900 to 1,200 people — down from an October 2025 event, but a strong turnout for the slowest stretch of the political calendar. On polling, a Research Co. survey put support for Option 2 at 22 per cent while an earlier Angus Reid poll had it at 33 per cent — an 11-point gap that points to poll volatility rather than a fading movement.
"Speculating that a movement could be on the wane by observing a lack of momentum during the slowest political weeks of the year is a bit on the disingenuous side," the fact check argues, adding that any real assessment should wait until voter engagement picks up after Labour Day.