Alberta, Canada's Oil Hub, Moves Closer to Referendum Process on Separatism

Voters in Canada's oil hub Alberta are casting ballots on whether to initiate the legal process for a future referendum on seceding from the rest of the country. Long considered a marginal political cause for decades, separatism gained momentum following pandemic-era restrictions and the Freedom Convoy protests.

In Alberta, home to Canada's fourth-largest proven oil reserves, voters are deciding whether the province should remain in Canada or initiate the legal process toward a future referendum on separation. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who called the vote while supporting remaining in Canada, noted that support for initiating the separation process—polling at around 23% recently—is still much higher than she would like.

Alberta has long been at odds with the federal government over energy policies. Liberal prime ministers Pierre Trudeau and subsequently his son Justin Trudeau lost popularity in the province due to the national carbon tax they implemented and other climate measures said to harm the oil industry. Former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney stated that in the past, separatist parties could only secure 1 or 2 percent of the vote.

However, the pandemic era and the Freedom Convoy protests that blocked Canada-U.S. border crossings with Ottawa changed the trajectory of the movement. Jeff Rath, one of the leaders of the independence movement, stated that vaccine mandates were a breaking point, while Jason Kenney noted that the protests and social media made the movement more professional. Separatists also took their campaign directly to Washington, meeting with U.S. State Department officials. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney has made getting Alberta oil to new markets a national priority and supports a proposed pipeline to the West Coast.