Strathcona County Mayor Rod Frank says municipalities need “stability and certainty,” but he has offered no evidence that Alberta’s independence debate is driving investment away from his municipality.

Frank introduced a motion, unanimously supported by county council, affirming its commitment to a “united Canada” and calling for “collaborative solutions” to Alberta’s challenges.

Today, #StrathconaCounty Council unanimously supported a motion affirming our support for a united Canada and for collaborative solutions to the challenges facing Albertans.
As Mayor, I brought forward this motion because municipalities depend on stability and certainty. pic.twitter.com/6h6xv27NgP

— Rod Frank (@RodFrank12) September 15, 2026

That is a political statement, not municipal business.

Albertans will decide the province’s constitutional future at the ballot box. Strathcona County council was elected to manage local roads, utilities, emergency services, land-use planning and property taxes, not to campaign for one side in a province-wide referendum.

More importantly, Frank’s suggestion that the debate threatens economic stability is unsupported by the evidence in his own backyard.

Strathcona County’s economic-development office continues to advertise a steady stream of investment news. In 2026 alone, it highlighted a major strategic-energy infrastructure investment, Keyera’s expansion in the Industrial Heartland, an Alberta-Hanwha energy partnership and a new Canadian manufacturing facility.

The county also boasts that its two industrial zones have attracted approximately $65 billion in investment and generated more than 40,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Imperial Oil recently completed its $720-million renewable-diesel facility at the Strathcona refinery. Capable of producing up to 20,000 barrels per day, it is expected to be Canada’s largest renewable-diesel facility at full production.

The broader Alberta Industrial Heartland is home to more than 40 operating companies and approximately $50 billion in capital investment. In May, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce described it as one of the world’s top-performing industrial clusters.

None of these facts proves that every investment will proceed. Markets change, projects are delayed, and governments routinely impose policies that affect investment decisions. But Frank has produced no company statement, cancelled project or economic analysis tying investment losses in Strathcona County to the independence referendum.

If the mayor has evidence, he should release it. If he does not, council should stop dressing up his preferred constitutional outcome as an economic conclusion and municipal business. 

Strathcona County is free to promote local development. Its mayor is free to hold personal political opinions. But municipal council should stay in its lane and let Albertans decide Alberta’s future.