Voters in Alberta, Canada's oil-producing province, overwhelmingly supported remaining in Canada. The preliminary results of the referendum announced on Tuesday provided a boost to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to promote national unity, against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade wars and threats of annexation.
According to the unofficial results released by the Alberta Electoral Office, among more than 1.5 million ballots counted, 76% supported remaining in Canada, while nearly 24% supported initiating the process to separate from Canada.
This referendum is not a direct vote on independence. If approved, Alberta will embark on a path that may lead to future votes regarding secession from Canada.
"The people of Alberta have made a clear choice," said Cannie, "they chose to unite, to build together, to take care of each other. Most importantly, the people of Alberta chose Canada."
Karni stated that this outcome will enable Canadians to move forward together, accelerate the diversification of trade, develop major infrastructure projects, and make Canada a global energy powerhouse, with Alberta playing a central role in all of this.
However, the separatists in Alberta also saw a glimmer of hope.
"We don't have the final results yet. I think the numbers will still fluctuate, but it's fair to say that at least a quarter of Albertans believe that Alberta deserves better treatment," said Keith Wilson, leader of the separatist movement.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith welcomed the early results, stating that they demonstrate widespread support for remaining in Canada.
"Albertans have voted to support a stronger Alberta, to remain within a united Canada," Smith said in a post on social media.
Smith initiated this referendum under pressure from separatists within her ruling United Conservative Party, despite her personal opposition to independence. She said she would address the results and the future of Alberta later on Tuesday.
"We are a strong nation, united from coast to coast to coast," Thomas Lukashuk, former vice-governor of Alberta who led the "Forever Canadians" movement against separatism, said to his supporters.
Due to the last polling station to open, more than 100 polling stations had to extend their voting hours on Monday, resulting in a delay in the announcement of the results.
Alberta boasts the fourth-largest proven oil reserves in the world and is a region with a strong cowboy culture and a conservative majority. Its political culture has long been more similar to that of the American West than to most parts of Canada. Discontent with the federal government in Ottawa is deep-seated, but traditionally, this has not translated into widespread support for independence.
Despite the apparent failure of the proposal, separatist leaders stated that they have turned a marginal issue into a movement that will not disappear.
Karni had previously urged Albertans to cast a clear vote of unity.
"When voting, act as if the future of Canada depends on it, because it does," he said at a rally in Edmonton, where he grew up, on Friday.
The former governor, Jason Kenny, stated that separatist parties traditionally only receive 1% to 2% of the vote. Later on, activists who supported the separatist movement were mobilized out of anger towards the COVID-19 restrictions, he said.
Trump's trade wars and his threats to make Canada the 51st state of the United States have helped Khani gain support in Alberta; historically, Liberal Party premiers have not been popular here.
At a gathering held at a restaurant in Edmonton on the night of the separatist referendum, as the results were gradually announced, the crowd quieted down.
“We’re not going anywhere else,” said Jeff Lath, from the Alberta Prosperity Project. “Over the past year, we’ve led this discussion. We’ve been explaining the benefits of independence to the people of Alberta, and we will continue to move forward.”
Lass previously stated that he would be very pleased if 30% of Albertans voted in favor of initiating a separation process. He hopes that Smith will be removed from the position of leader of the United Conservative Party and mentioned that the party could split, leading to the formation of a new pro-independence political party.
Dustin Deggenhart, a voter from Wainwright, said that Alberta has long been treated unfairly by the Canadian federal government.
"Alberta has basically always been treated as, well, a colony," he said after the vote on Monday. "They want to take from us, and take again, and take more, yet they give nothing in return."
59-year-old Edmonton resident Dave Marka criticizes spending money on "referendums about referendums" instead of using it for healthcare.
As Trump threatened Canada, Marca said, "It seems to have happened at the worst possible moment; we should have been united, yet instead we are fighting among ourselves."
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Ty O'Neill provided material for this report with Wainwright.
