Supporters of the pro-Canada group Forever Canadian wave flags and hold signs to urge people to vote in Alberta's nonbinding independence referendum, on Macleod Trail in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, October 19, 2026 [Ahmed Zakot/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff, AP and ReutersPublished On 20 Oct 202620 Oct 2026
Alberta residents have voted to remain part of Canada in the province’s first-ever referendum on separation, in a much-needed win for Prime Minister Mark Carney as he attempts to unify the country amid an ongoing trade war with the United States.
With more than one million votes counted, about 76 percent supported remaining in Canada, compared with 23 percent who backed beginning a process that could lead to separation, early results showed on Tuesday.
The vote was not a direct referendum on independence but would have set oil-rich Alberta on a path towards a future vote on separation from Canada.
