Oil-rich Alberta votes to remain part of Canada in historic referendum
Alberta has voted to remain part of Canada in the province’s first-ever referendum on separation
A small but vocal group of separatists has campaigned for months for an independent Alberta, arguing that the province’s energy wealth is subsidising poorer parts of Canada and that it would be far richer without what they describe as interference from Ottawa.
The result is a boost for Prime Minister Mark Carney as he seeks to unite the country amid a trade war with the United States.
CBC News, Canada’s government-funded national broadcaster, called the result late on Monday after 33 per cent of the votes had been counted.
At the time of the announcement, 76 per cent of the votes tallied supported remaining in Canada, while 23 per cent favoured moving forward with a binding vote on separation.
“Albertans made a clear choice,” 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,” he added.
Last week, Carney told a rally in Calgary that voting to leave Canada would be a “dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep division” and urged residents to “vote like Canada depends on it”.
Carney, who grew up mostly in Alberta, acknowledged that residents of the province had often felt slighted by Ottawa. He said his government had approved a proposed new pipeline and stressed that Alberta was critical to helping Canada reduce its dependence on the United States.
Pollsters and analysts had repeatedly dismissed the possibility of a separatist victory, citing data showing that about one-third of residents in the western province supported holding a future referendum on independence.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who announced the referendum in May, said it was “time to have a vote, understand the will of Albertans on this subject, and move on”.
In a statement posted on social media late on Monday, Smith said she was “very pleased” that early results showed widespread support for remaining in Canada.
She added that she would address Albertans on Tuesday to discuss the outcome and “where our province goes from here”.
The referendum follows two previous votes on separation in Quebec, Canada’s predominantly French-speaking province.
Credit: SkyNews
