Separatists in Canada’s oil heartland are accelerating a petition drive to force a referendum on Alberta’s independence, testing Prime Minister Mark Carney’s push to project unity as relations with the United States fray over tariffs and annexation talk.
Petition Drive Tests Albertans’ Appetite For Independence
According to a Reuters report on Thursday, volunteer canvassers with the Alberta Prosperity Project and allied groups are trying to gather about 177,000 signatures by May 2, 10% of registered voters, the threshold needed to trigger a citizen-initiated vote on breaking away from Canada, according to Alberta election rules.
The effort, which could lead to a referendum as early as October, remains a minority cause. A recent Leger poll found 71% of Albertans want to stay in Canada, while nearly one in five back outright independence. Still, federal officials say the campaign complicates Carney’s attempts to respond to US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods and repeated musings about making Canada the “51st state.”
Alberta, a politically conservative province that produces most of Canada’s oil and gas, has long argued that Liberal governments in Ottawa have choked its energy industry with climate regulations even as the province’s resource revenues and tax contributions help drive national growth. In 2024, Alberta contributed nearly as much to Canada’s economic expansion as much-larger Ontario despite having about one-third the population, Reuters data show.
Separatist Leaders Court Washington Amid Rising Tensions
Separatist leaders say they recently met US State and Treasury Department officials in Washington to discuss how an independent Alberta might function, including ideas such as switching to the US dollar and setting up its own military and border regime, NBC News reported separately on Thursday.
A White House official told Reuters any such sessions were routine contacts with civil-society groups and involved no promises, while a State Department spokesperson said only staff-level meetings were held and no further talks are planned.
Carney has publicly urged Washington to “respect Canadian sovereignty” and has offered Alberta concessions, including rolling back some climate rules and backing a new pipeline to the Pacific coast, in an effort to cool tensions.
Trade War And Reforms Deepen Canadian Unity Risks
The separatist push is unfolding amid the 2025–26 trade war sparked by Trump’s tariffs on most Canadian imports and his latest threat to block the opening of the Canada-funded Gordie Howe International Bridge between Ontario and Michigan.
While Alberta Premier Danielle Smith tells Reuters that she favors a “strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada,” her government has lowered signature thresholds and expanded citizen-initiated referendums, steps critics say have made it easier for separatists to force a vote that could deepen one of the most serious unity challenges Canada has faced in decades.
Photo Courtesy: Protasov AN on Shutterstock.com
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