Polls open in Alberta as separatism forces Canada to confront its unity

Voters in Alberta head to the polls on Monday to decide whether to hold a referendum at a later date on whether the oil-rich province should separate from Canada, a ballot that has already proved deeply divisive.

The vote was called earlier this year by the province's premier, Danielle Smith, after a grassroots group gathered about 300,000 signatures on a petition demanding a binding referendum on separation. Polls suggest that most Albertans would vote to remain in Canada, though the campaign itself has exposed raw divisions.

Supporters of separation argue that the province's economic growth has been stifled by the environmental policies of Canada's federal government in Ottawa. Those who want Alberta to stay—among them Prime Minister Mark Carney—have called for national unity in the face of external pressures. A rival petition opposing separation gathered more than 400,000 signatures in a province of about five million people.

Should Albertans vote on Monday to proceed with a binding referendum, that could take place as soon as 2027, Smith has said. Her decision to allow the vote came despite a court blocking the pro-separation petition on the grounds that it failed to consult Indigenous First Nations whose land would be affected by any split. Following the ruling, First Nations groups branded Smith's decision to let the process play out "undemocratic" and "authoritarian".

Smith, leader of the United Conservative Party of Alberta, has defended putting the issue to voters. She opposes separation herself but says the process gives residents a chance to have their say. The question on the ballot paper asks: "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?"

The separatist movement is led by Mitch Sylvestre, a gun shop owner from the town of Bonnyville, and Jeffrey Rath, a Calgary-based lawyer. Both belong to the Alberta Prosperity Project, which argues that the province's economic growth has been hindered by years of Liberal Party rule in Ottawa. Successive Liberal governments over the past decade have placed environmental policy above helping Alberta develop its oil and gas sector, they contend, and an independent Alberta would keep more of its wealth.

Chris Scott, founder of the pro-separatist group Let's Talk Alberta, told the BBC on the eve of the poll that the campaign had already achieved some of its goals, whatever Monday's outcome. "The key is the conversation has started and it needs to continue," he said, adding: "What's started can't be stopped now."

Opponents of separation say a newly independent Alberta would inherit billions of dollars in debt. They warn that the uncertainty—which they liken to Britain's vote to leave the European Union in 2016—would drive thousands of jobs and investment from the province. Carney has urged voters to deliver a decisive verdict against separation. At a rally on Thursday, he warned that the stakes were high. "The world has become more dangerous and divided," he said. "Some outside our borders are working to break us so they can own us."

Alongside the separation question, Albertans are voting on nine other issues, several of which concern whether the province should have greater control over its immigration system. Hundreds of thousands of people voted early by post, and preliminary figures suggested a strong turnout.

Election officials will count the ballots by hand and have 48 hours to complete the task, starting no earlier than 20:00 local time on Monday (02:00 GMT on Tuesday). The separation question will be counted in full first, with results expected in the early hours of Tuesday.