Alberta residents have voted to remain part of Canada in the province’s first-ever separation referendum, delivering a boost to Prime Minister Mark Carney as he seeks to strengthen national unity amid a trade war with the United States.
The result came in late on Monday after 33% of the votes had been counted, with 76% supporting remaining in Canada and 23% backing the move towards a binding vote on independence.
The referendum was non-binding, meaning the outcome does not carry legal force.
“Albertans made a clear choice,” Carney said in a statement, adding that residents had chosen unity and cooperation.“Canada is greater than the sum of its parts,” he said.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who announced the referendum in May, welcomed the early results, saying she was pleased with the widespread support for remaining in Canada. She is expected to address residents on Tuesday on the outcome and the province’s next steps.
The vote followed months of campaigning by a small but vocal separatist movement, whose supporters argue that Alberta’s oil and gas wealth contributes disproportionately to the Canadian economy while federal policies restrict the province’s economic potential.
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Carney had warned ahead of the referendum that separation would lead to years of division.
Speaking at a rally in Calgary last week, he urged residents to reject independence and highlighted Alberta’s importance to Canada’s economy and efforts to reduce dependence on the United States.
The prime minister who spent much of his childhood in Alberta, has also acknowledged longstanding tensions between the province and the federal government. His administration has approved a proposed new pipeline, a move aimed at supporting Alberta’s energy industry.
The referendum also drew opposition from First Nations groups, whose treaty rights and agreements with the Canadian government predate Alberta’s creation as a province. CBC News reported strong turnout among Indigenous voters, with one polling station in an area home to the Siksika Nation temporarily running out of ballots before extending voting hours to accommodate people still in line.
Alberta’s vote follows two previous separation referendums in Quebec, where voters chose to remain in Canada on both occasions.
The referendum also included nine other non-binding questions covering issues such as immigration, access to provincial services, including healthcare and education, and voter identification requirements. Results on those questions were still being reported.
The outcome offers Carney a political victory as Canada navigates strained relations with Washington, although tensions over federal policies, energy development and Alberta’s share of national revenues are likely to remain.
Reuters
