Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney attends a national unity rally in Red Deer, Alberta, alongside, from left, Monte Solberg, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and former Premier Ed Stelmach.
Voters in Canada's oil-rich Alberta province have overwhelmingly rejected a move towards independence. They delivered a boost to Prime Minister Mark Carney's push for national unity amid US President Donald Trump's trade war and threats to annex Canada. With more than 1.5 million votes counted, 76 per cent backed remaining in Canada, while nearly 24 per cent supported beginning the process towards separation, according to unofficial results from Elections Alberta on Tuesday. The referendum was not a direct vote on independence. Approval would have paved the way for a future vote on separation.
“Albertans made a clear choice,” Carney said, “They chose unity, to build together, and to take care of each other. Above all, Albertans chose Canada,” news agency AFP reported. Carney said the result would allow the country to move forward together. He also called for faster efforts to diversify trade, develop major infrastructure projects and establish Canada as a global energy powerhouse, with Alberta at its centre.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith also welcomed the early results, saying they reflected support for the province remaining within Canada. “Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada,” Smith posted on social media. Smith had called the referendum amid growing pressure from separatists within her governing United Conservative Party (UCP), despite opposing independence. She was due to address the province on Tuesday evening about the results and Alberta's future. The results were delayed after late openings forced more than 100 polling stations to extend voting hours on Monday.
Separatists vow to continue campaign
Despite the apparent setback, separatist leaders said the movement had gained ground and would continue to push for independence. “We don't have the final results. I think the numbers are going to fluctuate, but it is fair to say that at least a quarter of Albertans feel that Alberta needs to be treated better,” said Keith Wilson, a leader of the separatist movement. At a referendum night gathering in an Edmonton restaurant, supporters fell silent as the results came in. Jeff Rath of the Alberta Prosperity Project said the campaign had succeeded in bringing the issue into public debate.
“We're not going anywhere,” he said. “We've dominated the conversation in the last year. We've been educating Albertans on the benefits of independence, and we're going to continue moving forward.” Rath had said he would be thrilled if 30 per cent of voters backed beginning the separation process. He also called for Smith to be ousted as UCP leader, warning that the party could split and potentially give rise to a new pro-independence party. However, Thomas Lukaszuk, a former Alberta deputy premier who led the Forever Canadian campaign against separation, welcomed the outcome. “We are a solid country that's united from coast to coast to coast,” he told supporters.
Trump's threats strengthen push for unity
Alberta is home to the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves. The province is also a conservative stronghold whose political culture has long had more in common with the American West than much of Canada. Resentment towards the federal government in Ottawa runs deep, but it has not traditionally translated into widespread support for independence. Separatist parties previously attracted only 1 per cent or 2 per cent of the vote, former premier Jason Kenney said. Anger over Covid-19 restrictions helped mobilise activists who later embraced the separatist cause, Kenney said.
Trump's trade war and threats to make Canada the 51st US state have since helped Carney rally support in Alberta, where Liberal prime ministers have historically been unpopular. Carney had urged voters to deliver a decisive mandate for unity ahead of the referendum. “Vote like Canada's future depends on it, because it does,” he told a rally in Edmonton on Friday. The city is where he grew up. The vote also exposed the divide between separatist sentiment and concerns about the cost of living and public services.
Dustin Degenhardt, a voter in Wainwright, said Alberta had long been mistreated by the federal government. “Alberta has essentially been treated as, you know, a colony,” he said after voting on Monday. “They want to take and take and take from us, and not return anything.” Dave Malka, 59, of Edmonton, questioned the decision to spend money on what he called a “referendum on a referendum” instead of healthcare. With Trump threatening Canada, Malka said, “It seems to be happening at the absolute worst time when we should be united; instead we're fighting among ourselves.”
