Alberta Voters Reject Move Toward Separation From Canada

Alberta voters decisively rejected a proposal to begin the process of seeking independence from Canada in a nonbinding referendum Monday, according to projections by CBC and CTV.

Preliminary results from Elections Alberta showed nearly 77% voting to remain in Canada and about 23% supporting independence, with roughly 1 million ballots counted. CBC called the result after about one-third of the vote had been tallied.

The ballot asked whether Alberta should remain in Canada or begin legal steps toward a future binding vote on separation. It was the first provincial referendum on independence held in Canada outside Quebec.

“Albertans made a clear choice. They chose unity, to build together, and to take care of each other,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who opposed independence, said she was “very pleased” by the early results and planned to address the province Tuesday.

Smith called the referendum after pressure from separatists within her United Conservative Party. Supporters of independence have argued that Alberta sends too much revenue to the federal government and has been treated unfairly by Ottawa over energy and environmental policies.

The result may not end the separatist campaign. Some movement leaders said before the vote that they would continue seeking another referendum if the proposal failed. First Nations groups had also opposed separation, noting that their treaties with the federal government predate Alberta’s creation as a province.