Albertans have voted decisively to remain part of Canada, rejecting a push for independence in the province’s first-ever referendum on separation. CBC News called the race late Monday once 33% of the vote had been tallied, with 76% backing the “remain” side against 23% favoring a future binding vote on leaving Canada.
The referendum itself was nonbinding, but it carried enormous political weight for a country still working out how much autonomy its provinces should have — and for a prime minister trying to project national unity during an ongoing trade dispute with the United States.
“Albertans made a clear choice,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement. “They chose unity, to build together, and to take care of each other. Canada is greater than the sum of its parts.”
A Movement Years in the Making
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the referendum in May, saying it was “time to have a vote, understand the will of Albertans on this subject, and move on.” Separatist sentiment in the oil-rich province has simmered for years, fueled by arguments that Alberta’s energy wealth effectively subsidizes poorer regions of Canada and that the province would prosper more without federal interference from Ottawa.
Polling before the vote had consistently shown only about a third of Albertans supported moving toward a future separation referendum, and analysts had largely dismissed the chance of a separatist win from the start.
Smith, in a social media statement late Monday, said she was “very pleased” with the early results showing strong support for staying in Canada. She said she would address the province Tuesday on “where our province goes from here.”
Carney’s Pitch to a Skeptical Province
Carney, who grew up mostly in Alberta, campaigned hard against separation, telling a rally in Calgary last week that leaving Canada would be “a dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep division.” He urged residents to “vote like Canada depends on it.”
He also acknowledged long-standing grievances among Albertans toward the federal government, pointing to his administration’s approval of a new pipeline project and arguing that Alberta’s energy sector is vital to reducing Canada’s economic dependence on the United States.
First Nations Turnout and a Movement That May Not Be Finished
First Nations groups had objected strongly to the prospect of Alberta independence, noting that their treaties with Ottawa predate the province’s founding. CBC News reported strong turnout from First Nations voters; one polling station in a southern Alberta area home to the Siksika Nation ran out of ballots and stayed open until after 10 p.m. local time to accommodate everyone waiting in line.
Despite the lopsided result, few expect the separatist cause to disappear. Some movement leaders had said before the vote that they intended to keep pushing for another referendum regardless of the outcome. A survey released October 16 by pollster Angus Reid found 62% of Albertans believe “there will never be an end to the separatist movement” in the province.
Alberta’s vote follows two earlier independence referendums in Quebec, where residents also chose to remain in Canada both times.
The ballot also included nine other nonbinding questions covering immigration, access to provincial services such as education, social care and healthcare, and voter identification requirements. Results on those measures were still being counted.
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