Albertans Vote on Path to Independence as Carney Fights to Keep Canada United

CANADA – Voters in Canada’s oil-rich Alberta province were deciding on Monday whether to begin a process that could lead to independence, testing national unity as Canadians rally against President Donald Trump’s trade war and threats to claim Canada as the 51st U.S. state.

The vote is not a direct referendum on independence. Alberta, home to most of Canada’s proven oil reserves — the fourth-largest in the world — will decide whether to remain a province or begin the legal process toward a future referendum on separation.

More than 1.35 million eligible voters cast advance or special ballots ahead of the vote, far exceeding the 810,000 who voted early in the 2023 provincial election.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged Albertans not to take the outcome for granted, calling for a decisive result in favour of unity in his home province.