Secession campaign gathers momentum in Canada's oil-rich province

Talk of separating from Canada has long existed on the fringes of politics in the western province of Alberta, but separatists now say they have collected enough signatures to trigger a referendum process on independence.

Leaders of the movement announced earlier this week that they had formally submitted around 300,000 signatures to election authorities — well above the 178,000 required for the province to consider holding a referendum, as reported by Canadian outlets.

Mitch Sylvestre, leader of the Alberta Independence Movement, described the development as “the first step to the next step.”

The prospect of a referendum has once again drawn attention to Alberta’s longstanding frustrations with federal power in Canada and renewed calls for greater provincial autonomy.

However, surpassing the signature threshold does not automatically guarantee that a vote will be held. Elections Alberta still needs to verify the petition signatures, a process currently delayed due to an ongoing court ruling. At the same time, Indigenous groups have launched a legal challenge, arguing that Alberta’s separation from Canada would violate treaty rights.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she would proceed with a referendum if enough valid signatures are confirmed, although she herself does not support independence.

If the proposal does reach the ballot, voters would be asked: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”

A provincewide vote could potentially take place as early as October as part of a broader referendum package addressing constitutional and policy issues, including immigration.

Longstanding tensions with Ottawa

Although Alberta has never come this close to a formal independence vote, separatist sentiment has been part of the province’s political landscape for decades.

Much of that sentiment stems from the belief among many Albertans that the province is culturally, economically, and politically distinct from the rest of Canada.

The oil-rich province, which is home to the country's third-largest city, Calgary, has frequently expressed frustration with decision-making in Ottawa, despite viewing itself as a major driver of the national economy through its vast fossil fuel industry.

Environmental regulations and climate policies have become particular flashpoints, with separatist leaders arguing that Alberta’s energy sector is being constrained by policymakers who do not understand the province’s economic realities.

“We’re not like the rest of Canada,” Sylvestre told reporters. “We’re 100 per cent conservative. We’re being ruled by Liberals who don’t think like us.”

“They’re trying to shut down our industry,” he added.

Fragmented Canada

Alberta is not the only Canadian region with a complicated relationship with the federal government.

The French-speaking province of Quebec has for decades hosted a nationalist movement advocating independence, rooted in preserving the province’s distinct language and culture.

While support for Quebec separatism has declined in recent years, with a March poll having shown support at its lowest level since voters narrowly rejected independence in a 1995 referendum, the separatist Parti Québécois continues to poll strongly ahead of provincial elections later this year.

Backlash against Alberta’s separatist movement has also grown within the province itself. Former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, a vocal supporter of Canadian federalism, described the movement as “a form of treason.”

Comments from figures in the administration of US President Donald Trump have further fuelled controversy. Trump has repeatedly irritated Canadians by suggesting the country should become part of the United States.

In January, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Alberta would be a “natural partner” for the United States.

“Alberta has a wealth of natural resources, but they won’t let them build a pipeline to the Pacific,” Bessent told a right-wing US commentator. “I think we should let them come down into the US, and Alberta is a natural partner for the US. They have great resources. The Albertans are very independent people.”

Lukaszuk argued that this kind of attention from Washington is emboldening separatist groups.

“The separatists are not elected members. They’re just citizens of Canada residing in Alberta, and they actually formed delegations and were received by the highest levels of US administration.”

By Nazrin Sadigova