Alberta heads to polls to decide whether to hold vote on separation from Canada
Polling suggests most Albertans favour remaining part of the country, although the debate alone has proven divisive.
Key points
- Albertans vote Monday on whether to hold a later binding referendum on separating from Canada.
- Premier Danielle Smith called the vote after a petition gathered about 300,000 signatures.
- Polls suggest most Albertans would vote to remain in Canada, and a rival petition drew over 400,000 signatures.
People in Alberta go to the polls on Monday to decide whether a binding referendum on separating from Canada should be held at a later date. The vote was called earlier this year by the province's leader, Danielle Smith, after a grassroots group collected about 300,000 signatures on a petition requesting such a referendum.
Supporters of separation say the oil-rich province's economic growth has been held back by environmental policies from the central government in Ottawa. Opponents, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, have urged the country to show unity against external pressures. Polls have suggested a majority of Albertans would vote to remain in Canada, though the debate has proven divisive.
Rival petitions and court ruling
Another group gathered signatures for a petition opposing separation, which was signed by more than 400,000 people. The province's population is about five million. If Albertans vote on Monday to proceed, a binding referendum could happen as soon as 2027, Smith has said.
Smith allowed Monday's vote even though a court blocked the pro-separation petition, saying it failed to consult indigenous First Nations whose land would be affected. After the ruling, First Nations groups called her decision to let the process continue "undemocratic" and "authoritarian". Smith, leader of the United Conservative Party of Alberta, opposes separation herself but says the process lets residents have their say.
The key is the conversation has started and it needs to continue
— Chris Scott, founder of Let's Talk Alberta
Campaign and voting details
The separatist movement is led by Mitch Sylvestre, a gun shop owner from Bonnyville, and Jeffrey Rath, a Calgary lawyer. Both belong to the Alberta Prosperity Project, which argues that years of Liberal party rule in Ottawa have hindered the province's growth. Opponents warn an independent Alberta would carry billions of dollars in debt and that uncertainty would drive jobs and investment away.
The ballot asks whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or whether the government should begin the legal process for a binding referendum on separation. Voters will also decide nine other issues, several on immigration control. Hundreds of thousands voted early by post, and officials will count ballots by hand, with separation results expected in the early hours of Tuesday.
