Conservatives’ Election Loss Spurs Separatist Sentiment In Alberta

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On April 28,  the Conservatives lost the federal election, leading some Albertans to propose separation from Canada.

According to The Edmonton Journal, Albertans primarily voted for the Conservative Party, which holds 34 of the 37 seats in the province, with a smaller share of voters supporting the NDP or the Liberal Party. Sixty-four per cent of Albertans voted for the Conservatives, making Albertans responsible for 23.6 per cent of Conservative seats.

After the Liberals won the federal election with only a 25 seat lead , conflicts arose with some Albertans, who believed that their province would be better run as an independent nation. There has also been growing support for the Independence Party of Alberta, whose main goal is to transform Alberta into a sovereign nation with its own constitution, government, justice system, military, among other institutions.

According to The Globe and Mail, almost one in four people in Alberta identify more strongly as Albertan than as Canadian. According to The Globe, a recent poll conducted after the federal election found that 10 per cent of residents believe Alberta would be economically better off as part of the United States, while 20 per cent support the idea of Alberta becoming an independent country. 

Support for a sovereignty referendum — a public vote on whether a province should pursue independence and leave Canada — is rising across Western Canada. In Alberta, organizers reported that over 100,000 people signed an online registry in late April to vote for separation from Canada, as per The Globe. Secession advocates — people who support the province separating from Canada and forming their own country — are gathering signatures to form a similar movement in Saskatchewan. Both province’s premiers have indicated that they are open to citizen-run initiatives that could lead to referendum votes. 

This isn't the first time that a portion of Albertans have wanted to form a separatist movement from Canada. In 1930, due to financial issues arising from the Great Depression, the Social Credit Party was born. They were a political group who believed the government should give citizens of Alberta money to support the economy, and they debated leaving the country after federal authorities blocked their economic reforms. Again, in 1980, separatist sentiments arose due to the National Energy Program, which controlled Alberta’s oil prices and profits, allowing parts of Canada to take advantage of their resources.