Alberta votes on whether to start legal process toward separation from Canada

Alberta, a Canadian province with significant oil reserves, is holding a vote to determine if it should initiate the legal process toward a future referendum on separation from Canada, CBS News reported.

Around 20% of Alberta residents want to formally separate from Canada, CBS News reported.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who grew up in Alberta, made a final appeal against separation ahead of the vote, warning that it is a risky move amid external threats to Canada’s sovereignty, NBC News reported.

Carney highlighted ongoing trade tensions with the United States and cautioned that a vote for separation could lead to years of uncertainty and lost opportunities for both Albertans and Canadians, urging voters to participate and not assume the outcome is predetermined.

Monday’s vote is not a direct referendum on independence but rather a decision on whether to start the legal steps toward that possibility, NBC News explained.