Students join a walk out and protest in support of pay for teachers at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton on Sept. 22, 2025.AMBER BRACKEN/The Canadian Press
Thousands of teachers and their supporters converged at the Alberta Legislature for a raucous rally Thursday as Premier Danielle Smith reiterated her pledge to end the largest strike in Alberta’s history by ordering educators back to work next week.
Roughly 30,000 people danced, cheered, sang, banged drums and rang cowbells on the grounds of the legislature while provincial politicians took their seats inside the building to listen to the Throne Speech launching the fall session.
Ms. Smith and the governing United Conservative Party intend to table back-to-work legislation on Oct. 27, forcing teachers in Alberta’s French, Catholic and public schools back into the classrooms. About 750,000 students have been out of school since Oct. 6, when more than 50,000 teachers went on strike.
The outsized rally, combined with the prospect of back-to-work legislation that may carry a provision to shield it from Charter challenges, overshadowed the government’s Throne Speech. Gil McGowan, the president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, said leaders from other unions are discussing how they can support educators should Ms. Smith invoke the notwithstanding clause to legislate teachers back to work.
Alberta Premier says if no deal to end a provincewide teachers strike is reached beforehand, her government will introduce back-to-work legislation. Smith says the strike is harming students and families, forcing her government to step in.
The Canadian Press
“If they use the notwithstanding clause, the fight becomes a fight with the whole Alberta labour movement, not just the teachers,” he said in a text.
At the rally, he led a one-word chant: “Resist.”
The crowd roared for Jason Schilling, the president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, who said he was awed by the crowd.
“The government may try to end this strike with a law, but they can’t legislate the crisis of our classrooms or silence 51,000 teachers and their supporters and united voices,” he said. “Our solidarity cannot be defeated by a bill.”
The Premier, speaking to reporters Thursday morning, said her government respects the bargaining process and that strikes are part of that system.
“But when you get to a point where irreparable harm is being caused to kids, that’s where we have to draw a line and we have to make sure those kids are back in class,” she said.
The proposed bill to force teachers back to work could be scrapped if a negotiated deal emerges before Monday.
“There is still time,” Ms. Smith said.
However, she noted that the union’s most recent proposal put more distance between the two sides, casting doubt on the likelihood of an amicable resolution before Monday.
Alberta teachers say they aren’t equipped to help students with complex needs
The Alberta Teachers’ Association last week rejected the province’s proposal to enter mediation and end the strike because the government’s conditions stipulated that hard limits on class size and student-teacher ratios were off the table.
The Premier argued sticking points, such as class complexity, can be solved in a variety of ways. The government wants to examine why some school boards have more administrators than education assistants, she said as an example.
Joseph Schow, the government House Leader and Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration, would not comment this week on whether Alberta plans to use the notwithstanding clause to end the strike.
The government’s labour woes could balloon next week, when thousands of nurses who are part of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees vote on whether to strike.
Ms. Smith’s government said in August that this fiscal year’s deficit is expected to hit $6.5-billion, up $1.3-billion from its original forecast. Alberta Health Services this month announced layoffs and mandatory furloughs for select employees to address its own budget woes.
Earlier: As Alberta teachers strike, thousands rally in Edmonton to support educators
Meanwhile, Alberta’s chief electoral officer confirmed that a petition to recall Demetrios Nicolaides, the Minister of Education and Childcare, met the requirements to proceed. Mr. Nicolaides, who holds a seat in Calgary, is the first politician to face a recall drive under the Recall Act, instituted by the UCP.
Mr. Nicolaides, in a statement, said recalls should not proceed when they are fuelled by dissatisfaction with government policy.
“Recalls should be reserved for breaches of public trust, ethical violations, or sustained dereliction of local duty, not as a shortcut to trigger a new election over political differences,” the statement said. “This recall targets the governing party, not the individual’s role.”
The teachers’ strike is the first job action from educators in Alberta in more than two decades. In 2002, roughly 21,000 public school teachers walked off the job. At the time, the union successfully challenged the government’s ministerial order forcing teachers to return to the classroom.
Back-to-work legislation may take more time to implement than an emergency order, but would be more difficult for the union to challenge.
Inside the Alberta Legislature Thursday, Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani delivered the Throne Speech, which celebrated the Premier’s strategy to push back against what the government considers jurisdictional overreach from Ottawa, largely in defence of Alberta’s energy sector. The speech also championed Alberta’s effort to warm up to U.S. President Donald Trump in an effort to stave off tariffs on Canadian products.
Protest signs outside the Alberta Teachers' Association in Edmonton on Oct. 6, 2025.AMBER BRACKEN/The Canadian Press
It took swipes at the federal government’s more adversarial approach to dealing with Mr. Trump and boasted about the province’s aggressive response to those who criticize its oil and gas sector.
“This government has driven back the anti-energy movement in our country and helped to turn the tide of national public opinion from anti-oil and gas sentiment into a national consensus that Alberta’s energy resources are a national treasure,” the government said in the speech, according to a copy of the text distributed to reporters.
The speech indicated Ms. Smith intends to stick with the tactics Alberta adopted under her watch.
“Alberta is winning and will continue to win this battle for our freedom and provincial rights – because your government believes we are on the right side of history and Albertans will not be denied their prosperous future," the text of the speech said.
Naheed Nenshi, the Leader of Alberta’s New Democratic Party and former three-term mayor of Calgary, made his debut as a provincial politician in the legislature Thursday. The Official Opposition has promised to resist the UCP’s plan to force teachers back into classrooms, but concedes it may not be able to stop the government.