Alberta Holds Vote on Steps Toward Leaving Canada
Voters in Canada's Alberta province are taking part on Monday in a non-binding referendum on whether to start steps toward a binding vote on leaving Canada. Polls suggest only about a quarter of residents want independence.
Voters in Alberta, a western Canadian province, are deciding on Monday whether the province should take steps toward holding a binding vote on leaving Canada. The referendum itself is non-binding, but it could become the first step toward a legally binding separation process, so it is being watched closely in Canada and abroad.
How the vote came about
Separatists collected signatures to push for a ballot on leaving the country. A court halted the organisation of such a referendum on constitutional grounds. Alberta's right-wing Premier Danielle Smith then called her own non-binding vote, saying Albertans deserve the chance to voice their view on independence. Smith leads a coalition that includes a significant number of separatists. She has promised that if a majority votes for independence, a legally binding separation process will begin.
Public mood and warnings
Opinion polls indicate that of Alberta's roughly five million residents, only about a quarter want to break away from Canada. Even so, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned that supporters of national unity might not turn out to vote. In an interview published on Saturday, he called it a dangerous bluff and stressed that the country's future is at stake.
At a rally outside the provincial legislature on Saturday, one supporter of Alberta independence told the news agency AFP that Carney supposedly wants Canada to join Europe after damaging relations with the United States. In September, Carney had welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's idea that Canada could become the first associate member state of the EU, although such a status does not yet exist.
Outside influence and Quebec
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, openly backing the separatists, has said Alberta would be a natural partner for the United States. Meanwhile, in the Canadian province of Quebec, the separatist Parti Québécois won regional elections in October. It promises to hold an independence referendum after US President Donald Trump's term in office ends.
