Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – October 18, 2026: More than 6,000 people attended the Alberta Federation of Labor’s Unity Canada rally on the grounds of the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton ahead of the Alberta referendum. (Photo by Ron Palmer/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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Albertans voted to remain part of Canada in the province’s first secession referendum, a long-awaited victory for Prime Minister Mark Carney as he seeks national unity amid a trade war with the United States.
Canada’s government-funded national broadcaster CBC News announced the results late Monday, with 33% of votes counted. At the time of the conference call, 76% of the votes counted were in favor of Remain, with 23% supporting states moving forward with a binding vote on secession. The referendum was non-binding.
“Albertans have made a clear choice,” Premier Mark Carney said in a statement. “They chose to come together, build together and take care of each other.”
“Canada is greater than the sum of its parts,” he said.
Pollsters and analysts had repeatedly ruled out a secessionist victory, citing data showing that about a third of residents in the western state supported a future secession referendum.
Alberta Premier Daniel Smith announced the referendum in May, saying, “It’s time to vote, understand the will of Albertans on this issue, and move on.”
Smith issued a statement on social media late Monday, saying she was “extremely pleased” that early results showed widespread support for remaining in Canada. He said he would address Albertans on Tuesday to discuss the results and “what the future holds for our province.”
A small but vocal group of secessionists has been campaigning for Alberta’s independence for months, arguing that the province’s energy riches subsidize Canada’s poorer regions and that Alberta would be richer if Ottawa’s bureaucracy wasn’t in the way.
Carney told a rally in Calgary last week that voting to leave Canada would be a “dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep divisions” and urged Albertans to “vote like Canada depends on us.”
Carney, who was largely raised in Alberta, acknowledged that Albertans often feel slighted by Ottawa, and said the government has approved the new pipeline proposal, adding that Alberta is essential to reducing Canada’s dependence on the United States.
Alberta’s referendum follows two previous secession referendums in French-majority Quebec. Quebecers voted to remain in Canada in both cases.
First Nations groups also oppose the idea of separate Alberta, as land agreements with Ottawa predate the creation of the province within Canada.
CBC News reported a high turnout from Indigenous people. Polling stations in southern Alberta, home to the Siksika Nation, briefly ran out of ballots, but remained open until after 10pm (4pm Japan time) to ensure everyone in line had a chance to vote.
Still, Monday’s referendum is unlikely to end Alberta’s separatist movement. Before the referendum, some separatist leaders said they would continue to pursue another vote even if a majority of Albertans voted to remain.
According to data released Oct. 16 by pollster Angus Reid, 62 per cent of Albertans believe “the separatist movement will never end” in the province.
Alberta’s referendum also included nine other non-binding questions on topics including immigration, education, social care, access to provincial services such as health care, and voter identification requirements. Results for these questions are still trickling in.
