Referendum: majority in Alberta against independence from Canada

According to initial forecasts, the residents of the Canadian province of Alberta have spoken out against further steps towards independence from Canada.

More than 76 percent of voters were in favor of the province remaining in Canada, as reported by CBC and CTV News. According to the electoral authority, the final result will be published on October 29th.

Albertans voted in a referendum Monday on whether the province should seek a second binding referendum on separation from Canada - as well as nine other immigration and constitutional questions. Specifically, the question was: "Should Alberta remain a Canadian province, or should the Government of Alberta initiate the legal process required by the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding referendum in the province on whether or not Alberta should secede from Canada?"

Alberta is located in the west of the country and is considered particularly conservative. Many independence supporters believe that Alberta makes a major economic contribution to Canada's prosperity, but is politically disadvantaged by the government in Ottawa.

The province, with around five million inhabitants, is the center of Canada's oil and gas industry and has huge oil sands deposits. The Canadian federal government's climate policies, such as CO₂ taxes and requirements for the energy industry, are viewed by separatists as an attack on the province's economic foundation. The separatists had already announced in advance that they would not see a referendum that goes against them as the end of their efforts.

There have already been two independence referendums in Canada in the past - although both in the French-speaking province of Quebec. At the beginning of October, the separatist Parti Québécois emerged as the strongest force in the regional elections. She is seeking another referendum on the province's independence. However, according to surveys, there is currently no majority in the population for this either.