Canada, referendum in Alberta: proposal to secede from the country rejected

Premier Smith: “Support for staying in Canada”

Carney, who grew up in Alberta, had urged the province to reject separatism, underlining the need for stability for Canada, grappling with the trade war and threats of annexation by US President Donald Trump. The premier of the province, Danielle Smith, a conservative representative opposed to independence, expressed satisfaction with the "widespread support for remaining in Canada". Smith, who had called the referendum, underlined that a victory for the federalists definitively closes the issue of secession that had divided the province. Thomas Lukaszuk, head of the unionist group Forever Canadian, called the "enthusiasm and determination among Canadians "extraordinary".

Separatist movement: “The battle continues”

On the other hand, Jeffrey Rath, a leading figure of the separatist movement Alberta Prosperity Project, told journalists that the battle for independence will "absolutely" continue despite the result of the vote. "As far as I'm concerned we've already won, we've started a massive movement in this province. We've introduced Albertans to the benefits of independence and we'll continue to move forward," Rath reiterated.

The separatist push in Alberta

Much of the separatist push in Alberta, which has the fourth largest oil reserves in the world, has been fueled by resentment over the management of the oil industry. Smith blamed Justin Trudeau, Carney's predecessor, for "fanning the flames of separatism," accusing him of trying to stifle oil production to advance his climate agenda. The push for independence has also drawn interest from Trump's allies. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Alberta a "natural partner" for the US.

Carney's position

Since taking office last year, Carney has taken several steps to improve relations between Alberta and Ottawa, working with Smith to promote a new pipeline intended to export larger quantities of Alberta bitumen overseas. A project that, during Trudeau's mandate, was considered completely unachievable.