By Sumayya
OTTAWA — People in Alberta have made their choice, as the majority of voters in the province’s historic referendum chose to stay part of Canada instead of breaking away.
Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the news on Tuesday morning before entering a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill, sharing that he was thrilled that Albertans chose unity. In a highly important election where results are still coming in, around 76 per cent of voters stated that Alberta should remain part of Canada, while 24 per cent supported holding a binding vote on whether the province should separate from the rest of the country.
According to Elections Alberta, a total of 81 per cent of polling locations had reported their numbers by 8 a.m. MT (10 a.m. ET) on Tuesday. While people expected the final count by 4 a.m. MT for the separation question—also known as question 10—some polling places closed late, causing delays in reporting from the remaining 30 per cent of areas. The ballot asked voters: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?” Voters had two options for their answer: “Alberta should remain a province of Canada”; or “The Government of Alberta should commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.” According to early numbers, nearly 1.4 million votes out of more than 1.8 million ballots cast were in favor of the first option, showing a clear choice after months of listening to arguments from both sides.
Federal leaders reacted quickly to the news on Tuesday morning. Prime Minister Carney shared on internet sites that above all, Albertans chose Canada, picking unity, to build together, and to take care of each other with a new purpose and high ambition. He stated that Canada is much greater than the sum of its parts and that this is an opportunity to make the greatest country better for everyone. His comments to news reporters echoed this message. The prime minister also thanked the voters and volunteers for the high turnout. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre scheduled a press meeting around midday Tuesday in Calgary to talk about the results, while NDP Leader Avi Lewis called the entire $130 million process unnecessary. Lewis explained that while the massive “Stay” vote gives a rare breath of hope in hard times, it was negative to give the separatist movement a stage and a campaign to build strength while opening the door to foreign interference.
Now that the vote is over, this specific process has ended, but it does not mean that separatist feelings in the province will completely vanish. This “no vote” does not stop a future government from bringing up the question of separation again. Keith Wilson, the head worker for the Let Alberta Decide group, noted that this outcome is not the end of the separation talk and hopes it will become less polarizing over time. Jeffrey Rath, a lawyer for the Alberta Prosperity Project, added that a new political movement has been made and they will not stop until Alberta becomes a free, independent, and wealthy nation. Under local laws, future public petitions could start a similar voting process again. For now, both governments will likely focus on making federal-provincial relations better. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated she was very pleased to see widespread support for remaining in Canada, thanking everyone who voted. She scheduled a live speech to Albertans at 6:45 p.m. MT tonight to discuss the next steps.
Carney and Smith spoke Tuesday morning, and the prime minister noted they had a good conversation to find solutions together. Speaking a week before the vote, pollster Nik Nanos said after the separatist Parti Quebecois in Quebec received 28 per cent support in their recent election, the main question for the federal government would be whether the pro-separatist vote in Alberta is higher or lower to help decide where to spend energy to calm down these feelings. He noted that regardless of the number, there will be stress on the country. From a business view, the Calgary Chamber of Commerce shared that this clear vote of confidence gives companies the certainty they need to move forward with investments. Chamber CEO Deborah Yedlin explained that Alberta’s economic success relies on trade relationships, shared infrastructure, and strong connections across Canada. From an Indigenous rights view, Siksika Nation Chief Samuel Crowfoot noted that the results show the strength of historical treaties, though he expressed frustration that the century-old separation movement will likely keep going. The Alberta government first announced this vote in February, pointing to a decade of anti-Alberta policies starting from the 2015 Justin Trudeau government. Ahead of the vote, Premier Smith’s government shifted to ask people to stay in Canada due to recent progress on energy plans and a new pipeline, while separatist groups argued that the last 18 months under Carney were not enough to guarantee fair treatment by future federal governments.
The choice about separation was definitely the most important question on the ballot, but it was only one of 10 questions given to voters. The premier, while pushing against starting a formal separation vote, described the nine other questions on the referendum paper as a possible political middle ground.
This is because the other topics Albertans voted on could also cause side effects for the whole country. Those questions centered around immigration changes, choosing judges, getting rid of the Senate, and weakening the connections between the main government and the province regarding laws and social help. While the votes for those specific questions are being counted right now, Elections Alberta has stated that the official numbers will not be shared until Wednesday. Stay on top of what we know so far about how Albertans voted on those questions, right here.
