OpEd | Alberta’s immigration referendum deserves a fuller conversation

By Oyin Steve

On October 19, Albertans will head to the polls to vote on a series of referendum questions, five of which focus on immigration. These questions could influence how Alberta approaches immigration, temporary residents, access to public services, and the province’s relationship with the federal government on immigration matters.

As a Canadian citizen who arrived as a permanent resident nearly a decade ago, I have experienced firsthand the opportunities this country offers newcomers willing to contribute and build a life here. My Canadian journey began in Saskatchewan, where I first settled after immigrating before making Alberta my home more than a year ago. Like many immigrants, I have lived the reality of integrating into Canadian society, contributing to the workforce, paying taxes, volunteering, and investing in my community.

That lived experience is why I believe Albertans deserve a more complete picture than the one currently dominating the referendum debate.

The questions Albertans are being asked

The Alberta government is asking voters to consider the following immigration-related questions:

Question 1: Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?
Question 2: Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially-funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?
Question 3: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially-funded social support programs?
Question 4: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family’s use of the health care and education systems?

At their core, these questions are built on a government’s responsibility to manage growth, protect public services, and ensure fiscal sustainability. Those are valid concerns. Alberta’s population has grown rapidly in recent years, and residents are feeling the pressures through rising housing costs, strained health-care systems, crowded classrooms, and infrastructure demands. The government argues that federal immigration policies have contributed significantly to these pressures.

However, there is a critical omission in the way this conversation has been framed.

Where is the other side of the ledger?

Throughout the referendum materials, Albertans are repeatedly reminded of the costs associated with immigration and temporary residents. The government states that delivering social services to temporary residents costs Alberta taxpayers more than $1 billion annually.

But where is the discussion of what immigrants contribute? Where is the accounting of the income taxes paid by immigrants? Where is the recognition of international students who support Alberta’s post-secondary institutions and local businesses? Where is the acknowledgment of temporary foreign workers who fill labour shortages in agriculture, hospitality, construction, transportation, health care, and other critical sectors? Where is the analysis of immigrant entrepreneurs who create jobs, establish businesses, purchase homes, and generate economic activities?

Voters deserve access to both sides of the balance sheet. Presenting only the costs associated with immigration creates a narrative that newcomers are primarily consumers of public resources. In reality, immigrants are also producers, taxpayers, employers, innovators, and community builders.

A referendum that highlights billions in spending but does not equally quantify the economic contributions of immigrants risks giving voters an incomplete picture.

“Albertans First” raises important questions

One of the most compelling phrases in the referendum is the promise of giving “Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities.”

On the surface, this sounds entirely reasonable. Every government should prioritize the well-being of its residents. Yet the phrase also raises an important question: Who gets to be considered an Albertan?

Is the internationally educated engineer working in Fort McMurray not an Albertan? Is the nurse recruited from abroad to work in a rural Alberta hospital where there’s a massive shortage of healthcare workers not an Albertan? Is the recent permanent resident who pays taxes, volunteers in community organizations, and raises a family in Calgary or Edmonton somehow less Albertan than someone whose family has lived here for generations?

The success of Alberta has always depended on attracting people from elsewhere, whether from other provinces or from other countries. Growth and migration have helped build Alberta’s economy for decades.

Temporary residents are more than statistics

Questions 2, 3, and 4 target temporary residents through various restrictions on access to social programs, education, and health care. But temporary residents are not simply costs to be managed.

They are often workers keeping businesses open during labour shortages. They are researchers advancing innovation. They are students who may become Alberta’s future skilled workforce. Many eventually transition to permanent residence and spend decades contributing to the province’s economic and social fabric.

If Alberta becomes a province that appears increasingly difficult or expensive for newcomers, the province risks losing talent to competing jurisdictions across Canada and around the world.

Informed decisions require complete information

This is not an argument against responsible immigration policy. In fact, immigration levels should be aligned with housing, infrastructure, health care capacity, and labour market needs. Governments have a responsibility to ensure growth is sustainable. But sustainability should not come at the expense of fairness or evidence-based policymaking.

The referendum materials carefully outline the costs of immigration. What they fail to do is provide equivalent information about immigrant contributions to Alberta’s economy and society.

Imagine if voters were presented with:

• The total taxes paid by immigrants and temporary residents.
• The number of businesses founded by immigrants.
• Labour shortages filled by newcomers.
• Economic output generated by immigrant workers.
• The long-term contribution of international students who become permanent residents.
• The fiscal contributions made by newcomers over their lifetimes.

Would that not allow Albertans to make a more informed decision?

Democracy works best when citizens have access to the complete picture, not just the portions that support one policy position.

The Alberta I chose

Although my journey began in Saskatchewan, today, Alberta is my home. Like countless immigrants, I did not come here simply to access services. I came to contribute, to work, to pay taxes, to participate, and to help build stronger communities. That story is not unique. It is the story of thousands of newcomers across Alberta.

As voters consider these referendum questions, I hope they look beyond the rhetoric and ask a broader question: What would Alberta’s economy, communities, and future look like without the people who chose to build their lives here?

The referendum asks Albertans to think about the costs of immigration. It should also invite them to think about its value. Only then can voters make the informed decision this important moment deserves.