Due to severe flooding in July, Barnett House will remain closed until early 2027.
The ATA Library is still open and providing resources to members.
Staff are working from home and continue to serve members online and by phone.
The Southern Alberta Regional Office (SARO) in Calgary is unaffected and conducts business per usual.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) is calling on the provincial government to provide clarity for students, families and schools following the results of Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum.
Official results of the referendum, released Oct. 29, show around 70 per cent voter turnout (electors were not required to answer all questions). Receiving the highest turnout, at 70.4 per cent, included the question on whether Alberta should remain a province in Canada or should pursue a binding referendum on separation. Three-quarters of electors voted to stay a part of Canada. The results for the nine other questions were much closer, with two questions that pertain to access to public services, including education, passing by a narrow margin.
The two referendum questions with implications for education were
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 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 nonpermanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family’s use of the health care and education systems?
According to the official results, 52.46 per cent voted in favour of Question 2 and 51.78 per cent voted in favour of Question 4.
In her address to the province following the referendum, Premier Danielle Smith said the results (which were preliminary at the time) provided direction for the government to “take greater control over immigration” and to “ensure temporary residents pay a portion of the cost of public services used by themselves and their families.”
On Oct. 22, the ATA released a statement expressing concern about the implications of the results on referendum Questions 2 and 4, particularly regarding potential changes that could affect students and families with nonpermanent immigrant status.
“The government’s lack of clarity has left affected families uncertain about whether they will be required to pay for their children’s education and, if so, whether they can afford those costs,” read the ATA’s statement. “Some students are also left wondering whether they will continue to be welcomed in their classrooms alongside their friends.”
The ATA specifically requested clarity from the provincial government on who may be affected, whether families could face costs for their children’s education, and what will happen to currently enrolled students if their families cannot afford fees. Further questions were posed by the ATA regarding when changes would take effect, as well as whether and how affected students would be supported.
“Any changes must be implemented in ways that protect families’ trust in their schools. No family should be left feeling uncertain about their child’s ability to continue learning alongside their classmates,” said the ATA.
The ATA encouraged the Government of Alberta to focus on making improvements—manageable class sizes, access to specialized supports, evidence-based and stable curriculum—to ensure all students in the province can learn and thrive.
The complete, official results of the Alberta referendum are available on the Elections Alberta website at https://www.elections.ab.ca/.
