Alberta farm producers — and the temporary foreign workers they rely on — are keeping a close eye on Monday’s provincial referendum, as several ballot questions could significantly impact their operations.
Half of referendum questions focus on immigration policyNadeer Hashmi · CBC News · Posted: Oct 18, 2026 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 18
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Kevin Nixon, owner Nixon Honey Farms in Red Deer County, Alta., is among the agriculture producers worried about how Alberta’s referendum questions about immigration could affect his industry. (Nadeer Hashmi/CBC)
Alberta farm producers — and the temporary foreign workers they rely on — are keeping a close eye on Monday’s provincial referendum, as several ballot questions could significantly impact their operations.
Five of the 10 referendum questions focus on immigration policy, gauging support for things like service fees and health-care waiting periods for non-permanent residents.
Statistics Canada data shows Alberta generates about one quarter of the nation’s farm revenue and dominates Canadian beef processing, with many major operations leaning on temporary foreign workers. So producers worry the measures being posed to voters regarding non-permanent residents could disrupt their workforce, making it harder to retain such workers.
“We would not be able to do what we do without the foreign workers. That’s the bottom line,” said Kevin Nixon, owner of Nixon Honey Farm in Red Deer County, about 170 kilometres south of Edmonton.