Voters in Alberta reject moving toward independence in a referendum that supports Canadian unity
The vote did not directly propose independence, but would have set Alberta on the path toward a future consultation.
Voters in the oil-rich Canadian province of Alberta have rejected a proposal to begin a process toward independence, according to results released early Tuesday. The vote represents a victory for Prime Minister Mark Carney and for defenders of Canadian unity, amid a trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump and his threats to annex the country.
The vote did not directly propose independence, but would have set Alberta on the path toward a future consultation on its separation from Canada.
With more than a million votes counted, approximately 76% were in favor of remaining in Canada, compared to 23% who supported starting a process that could lead to separation.
"We are a strong country, united from coast to coast," declared Thomas Lukaszuk, former deputy premier of Alberta and leader of the Forever Canadian campaign, which opposed the separation, to his supporters.
The results were delayed after the late opening of several polling stations forced more than a hundred of them to extend voting hours on Monday. More than 1.35 million Albertans, 43% of the eligible electorate, had participated through early voting or special ballots. Citizens had to decide whether they wanted Alberta to remain in Canada or to begin a legal process that could have led to a second vote on separation.
Alberta, home to the fourth-largest proven oil reserves in the world, is a land of cowboys and a conservative stronghold whose political culture has traditionally had more in common with the American West than with much of the rest of Canada. Resentment toward the federal government in Ottawa is deeply rooted, but historically it has not translated into widespread support for independence.
Dustin Degenhardt, a voter from Wainwright, stated that Albertans have long suffered unfair treatment by Ottawa.
"In essence, Alberta has been treated like a colony," he said after voting on Monday. "They want to take and take things from us, over and over again, without giving anything back."
Taylor MacIsaac, another voter from Wainwright, was in favor of separation.
"Personally, I think it would be good for Alberta to become independent, as a very conservative person who grew up in a rural area of the province," she said.
Dave Malka, 59, a resident of Edmonton, criticized spending money on a "referendum on a referendum" instead of allocating it to healthcare.
Regarding Trump's threats against Canada, Malka noted: "It seems like this is happening at the worst possible time, when we should be united. Instead, we are fighting among ourselves."
Jake Graham, 35, a resident of Calgary, attended a Carney rally wearing pants with maple leaves and a Canadian national hockey team jacket. He hopes the vote will end the debate.
"I hope this settles the issue for a long time and that the result is clear and resounding, that these dissenting voices disappear for a while and we can be a united Canada," he said.
Despite the apparent failure of the proposal, separatist leaders have claimed they have succeeded in transforming a fringe cause into a movement that is not going to disappear.
Carney had previously urged Albertans to cast a strong vote in favor of unity. "Vote as if the future of Canada depends on it, because it does," he declared on Friday during a rally in Edmonton, the city where he grew up.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the referendum under pressure from separatists within her own party, the United Conservative Party, despite her opposition to independence. Smith cited a poll according to which only 22% of citizens supported separation, a figure that she said remained too high.
Separatist parties used to obtain barely 1% to 2% of the vote, said former provincial premier Jason Kenney. He explained that discontent with the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic helped mobilize activists who later embraced the independence movement.
Trump's trade war and his threats to turn Canada into the 51st state of the United States have helped Carney garner support in Alberta, where Liberal prime ministers have historically been unpopular.
Jeff Rath, an advocate for independence, said he would be delighted if 30% of Albertans voted in favor of starting the separation process. He wants Smith to be removed as leader of the United Conservative Party and noted that the party could split, which would open the door to the creation of a new separatist party.
