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Alberta Medical Association survey: more than half of doctors would leave if Alberta separates
A survey of 1,649 physicians by the Alberta Medical Association found only 15% would stay and practise in Alberta if it became an independent country, while more than half said they would leave. AMA president Dr. Heidi Fell warned separation would shrink the medical workforce and leave health care in an independent Alberta in limbo. Advance voting runs Oct 13-17; referendum day is Oct 19.
Why it matters
Days before Alberta's October 19 referendum, the province's doctors have issued their starkest warning yet. In a letter released Tuesday, Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Heidi Fell published a survey of 1,649 physicians: if Alberta left Canada to become an independent country, only 15 per cent of responding doctors would continue living and practising in Alberta, while more than half said they would leave — most for another province or territory, with a small number planning to retire early or leave medicine sooner. Fell warned that separation would not only shrink the medical workforce but leave health care in an independent Alberta in limbo.
The numbers
Of the 1,649 physicians surveyed, 15 per cent said they would stay; less than a quarter were uncertain. CTV News Calgary reported that 55 per cent of responding physicians said they would leave Alberta and stop practising in the province if it separates. Those electing to leave said they would move to another Canadian province or territory.
Referendum context
The letter was published Tuesday, the first of five days of advance voting (October 13-17) ahead of the official referendum day on October 19. Premier Danielle Smith's government has put 10 questions on the ballot: the 10th asks whether Alberta should stay in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country; the other nine concern the Constitution and immigration, including limits and fees for newcomers and temporary workers accessing health care.
Sources
CBC News (October 13, 2026); CTV News Calgary (October 14, 2026); The Canadian Press.
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