Alberta votes Monday on first step toward possible independence from Canada

Alberta voters will decide Monday whether to begin a legal process toward a future referendum on separating from Canada, a first step that could eventually lead to the oil-rich province's independence. The vote is not a direct referendum on leaving the country. Alberta, home to the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves, has long feuded with the federal government over energy policy and federal power. Pandemic-era restrictions and the 2022 Freedom Convoy supercharged the separatist movement, which historically drew only 1% to 2% of the vote, with activists finding new momentum and organization. Separatist leaders have met with U.S. State Department officials and presented a document outlining what an independent Alberta could offer Washington, though the department said the vote is a decision for Albertans. Prime Minister Mark Carney's business-friendly policies have made him unusually popular in the province, and Quebec voters recently returned the separatist Parti Quebecois to power.