21 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNadine Yousif,Reporting from EdmontonandJames FitzGerald
People in Alberta have voted overwhelmingly to remain part of Canada, projected results suggest, after residents of the western province were asked in a public ballot whether or not they wanted a referendum at a later date on becoming independent.
With most votes counted, more than two-thirds of voters had chosen to remain part of the country rather than pursue the referendum, according to Elections Alberta.
The outcome was hailed by Prime Minister Mark Carney as “a clear choice” on the part of Albertans.
At a pro-separatist watch party in Edmonton, the hum of upbeat chatter quickly quieted as those present saw the projected results. However, one separatist leader insisted his campaign was not over.
The vote was called earlier this year by the province’s leader, Danielle Smith, in response to a public petition. It was seen as a major test of national unity.
Smith herself opposed the separatist push but said the public will for a vote was undeniable. She welcomed the initial results, commenting: “Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada.”
In making the case for independence from Canada, many of the separatists said the oil-rich province’s economic growth had been stifled by the environmental policies of Canada’s central government in Ottawa.
But those who opposed a breakup – including Carney – called for Canada to present a united front in the face of external pressures, including an ongoing trade war with the United States.
After overnight vote projections were published by Canadian broadcaster CBC and others, the mood soured among the separatist camp. A pro-independence watch party attended by the BBC packed up quickly, and people went home.
One of the separatist leaders, Jeffrey Rath, struck a defiant tone, however, vowing that “our movement isn’t stopping and we’re continuing to move forward”.
Speaking to the BBC World Service’s Newsday programme, Rath, a lawyer based in Calgary, said he saw Monday’s vote as a “first step” which had taught the movement some “valuable lessons”.
Asked whether his movement would push to keep holding votes on independence until it got the result it wanted, he responded “why not?”, and insisted that “the math and the economics” all added up on his side of the argument.
Smith called the vote in response to a grassroots group gathering about 300,000 signatures on a petition that asked for a binding referendum on separation.
The petition was blocked by a judge, saying it failed to consult indigenous First Nations people – however, Smith opted to go ahead with the ballot.
Another group collected signatures for its own petition that opposed separation, which was signed by more than 400,000 people.
The key question on Monday’s voting paper asked: “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?”
Smith said before the vote that if voters chose the first option, a referendum on separation would not be held – at least, not while she was in power.
Getty ImagesDespite the projected results, the conversation around Albertan sovereignty is not over.
Separatists leaders have indicated that they plan to push Smith out of power within her United Conservative Party, in the hope of installing a leader who is more sympathetic to their cause.
It is unclear if they have the numbers on their side to do that, but debate around the issue could dominate politics in Alberta for years to come.
Another separatist leader, Mitch Sylvestre, told the BBC on polling day that “a lot of work will have to be done” to curb the appetite for independence if his side did lose.
Canada has grappled with challenges to its unity before. The province of Quebec held two referendums on independence, in 1980 and 1995. Both were unsuccessful, but Alberta separatists believe Quebec used the threat of independence to gain significant political leverage over Canada’s central government.
Although responses to the referendum question are being tallied as a priority, there were nine other questions on Monday’s ballot paper.
Five of these dealt with immigration, while the other four focused on the Canadian constitution.
