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Alberta, home to the world’s 4th-largest oil reserves, will vote on a first step to leaving Canada
Fortune • • world
Key Points:
- Alberta's upcoming vote on October 19 will decide whether the province should remain in Canada or start the legal process toward a future referendum on separation, not an immediate vote on leaving Canada.
- Premier Danielle Smith supports remaining in Canada but is concerned that support for initiating the separation process remains around 23%, which she finds too high.
- The separatist movement gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests, fueled by opposition to federal vaccine mandates, pandemic restrictions, and broader grievances against Ottawa.
- Federal Liberal leader Mark Carney, advocating for Alberta oil market expansion and opposing U.S. trade conflicts, has gained unusual popularity in conservative Alberta, posing a challenge to separatists.
- Separatist leaders have engaged with U.S. officials to discuss Alberta's potential independence, drawing criticism from former Premier Jason Kenney, who views such outreach as undemocratic and risky for the conservative movement in Canada.
