Alberta rejects independence from Canada
Edmonton, CANADA—Canada’s province of Alberta rejected a plan to hold a binding independence referendum, results showed on Tuesday, a setback for separatists backed by allies of US President Donald Trump.
Public broadcaster CBC and leading private network CTV projected a comfortable victory for the federalist side, with official results showing more than 76 percent support for national unity with more than a third of ballots counted.
Prime Minister Mark Carney argued the vote had been held “at the worst possible time,” citing the need for national stability as Trump wages a trade war and levels annexation threats.
A somber mood took over the restaurant in the provincial capital Edmonton where a leading separatist group watched the returns. Jeffrey Rath, a top leader of the separatist Alberta Prosperity Project, told reporters his push for an independent Alberta will “absolutely” continue, despite the result from Monday’s vote.
“We’ve learned a lot of lessons from this fight,” he said. Separatist supporter Jour Dain said he was “disappointed in [his] fellow Albertans.”
