This story has moved on: Alberta votes on path to independence referendum

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 18:43 · Archive

Residents of Alberta are voting on whether the province should begin a process that could ultimately lead to independence from Canada. Polls opened at 9 a.m. local time in Edmonton on Monday and are scheduled to close at 8 p.m., with results published as they come in.

The motion is not expected to succeed, though opinion polls suggest as many as one in three voters might support the proposal. This is the first referendum on breaking away from Canada in a province other than Quebec, which has a longer-established separatist movement. Alberta's provincial government is led by Danielle Smith of the United Conservative Party, while the national government is led by Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party. Smith has urged voters to oppose the motion but authorised the vote, apparently to address vocal separatist sentiment within her own party.

Separatist leaders hope a comparatively strong showing could pressure the federal government to pay more attention to Alberta's concerns. Independence advocates accuse the government of stifling Alberta's oil industry through environmental regulations and argue the province contributes disproportionately to the national public purse.

How it is being reported

• Why Alberta voters are weighing separating from CanadaVoters in Alberta are set to decide whether to hold a referendum to secede from Canada. Lisa Johnson, an Alberta legislature reporter for The Canadian Press, joins with more.CBS News · 19 Oct, 18:17
• Canada: Alberta votes on holding independence referendumCanada's oil-rich western province of Alberta is not deemed likely to vote in favor of a real breakaway plebiscite. Nevertheless the separatist movement hopes to gain leverage over Mark Carney's government.DW News · 19 Oct, 16:09

In this story: Alberta · Canada · Danielle Smith · Mark Carney · United Conservative Party · Liberal Party · Edmonton · Quebec

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem