Alberta voters backed staying in Canada in the province's inaugural referendum on separation, handing Prime Minister Mark Carney a political boost as he seeks to unite the country amid a trade war with the US. CBC News projected a victory for the remain side late Monday, with about a third of votes counted. At that stage, 76 percent supported staying in Canada, while 23 percent backed moving towards a binding separation vote. The referendum itself was nonbinding.
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.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who announced the referendum in May, said she was very pleased that early results showed widespread support for remaining in Canada. She stated she would address residents on Tuesday about the outcome and the province's next steps. When announcing the vote, Smith had said it was time to establish Albertans views on separation and move on.
Pollsters and analysts had considered a separatist victory unlikely. Surveys indicated that about a third of residents supported holding a future referendum on leaving Canada. Separatist campaigners argue that Albertas energy wealth subsidises poorer provinces and that federal bureaucracy holds back its economy. A small but vocal movement has spent months making the case for independence.
At a rally in Calgary last week, Carney called a vote to leave Canada a dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep division. He urged residents to vote like Canada depends on it. Carney, who grew up mostly in Alberta, acknowledged that residents had often felt overlooked by Ottawa. He pointed to his governments approval of a proposed pipeline and said the province was central to reducing Canadas dependence on the US.
Albertas vote follows two separation referendums in Quebec, where voters chose to remain in Canada on both occasions. First Nations groups have also opposed Albertas separation, citing land treaties with Ottawa that predate the provinces creation. CBC reported strong First Nations turnout, noting that a polling station serving an area that includes the Siksika Nation temporarily ran out of ballots and stayed open past 10 pm local time so everyone in line could vote.
The result is unlikely to settle the issue entirely. Before the referendum, some separatist leaders said they would pursue another vote even if the majority backed remaining in Canada. An Angus Reid poll released on October 16 found that 62 percent of Albertans believed there will never be an end to the separatist movement in the province. Voters also answered nine other nonbinding questions covering immigration, access to provincial services, including healthcare and education, and voter identification requirements, with those results still coming in.