Walk down any main street in Alberta and you’ll meet the real engine of our economy: the family restaurant, the trades contractor, the shop owner who knows every customer by name. Small and medium-sized businesses employ a huge share of working Albertans. When the referendum arrives on October 19, 2026, they have as much at stake as anyone — and as much to gain.

Less red tape, made closer to home

Every business owner has a story about a form, a fee, or a rule that made no sense for their community. Rules written far away, for an average that doesn’t match Alberta, land hardest on the smallest operators — the ones without a compliance department. A more self-determined Alberta means the rules that shape a business can be written by people who actually live with the results. That’s the everyday meaning of local control: fewer layers, faster answers, and regulation sized for the businesses we actually have.

Keeping more capital in the community

Alberta contributes far more to Ottawa than it receives back. For a small business, capital that stays in the province is capital that can be borrowed, invested, and spent locally — on a new hire, a second location, or better equipment. As we lay out in Keeping More. Building More., keeping and reinvesting more of what Albertans generate is not an abstraction; it’s the difference between a business that treads water and one that grows.

For a small business, capital that stays in Alberta is capital that can be borrowed, invested, and spent locally — the difference between treading water and growing.

A workforce that can stay and build

Small businesses live or die on people. When young Albertans can afford to stay — to rent, to buy a first home, to raise a family here — employers can find and keep the staff they need. A stronger economy with more opportunity keeps talent in the province instead of exporting it. That’s good for the worker and good for the shop owner trying to fill a schedule.

  • Simpler, local rules that fit Alberta’s businesses instead of a national one-size-fits-all.
  • More capital retained in the province to lend, invest, and reinvest.
  • A stable, growing workforce as opportunity keeps young Albertans here.
  • Faster decisions from a government accountable to the community it serves.

Stability through the transition

Owners understandably ask about disruption. That’s why a YES vote begins a negotiated process, not an overnight change — with economic stability and continuity as guiding priorities. Contracts, banking, and supply relationships are exactly the practical details a careful transition is built to protect.

Want to talk it through with your customers and staff? Our Supporter Toolkit has plain-language talking points, and you can take the pledge to vote YES today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How could a YES vote help my small business?

Local control means rules and priorities set closer to home, keeping more capital in the province to invest, and a stronger economy that helps you hire and keep staff.

Will a YES vote disrupt my contracts or banking?

No. A YES vote begins a negotiated transition with economic stability and continuity as priorities. Practical arrangements like contracts and banking are protected through that process.

Does this mean higher taxes on business?

The goal is to keep and reinvest more of what Albertans already generate, not to raise taxes. Fiscal details would be worked out transparently through negotiation.

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