According to a poll by Abacus Data, one in four Albertans want the province to separate from the rest of Canada.
Seperatist sentiments in Alberta have been on the rise. The province only marginally trailed behind Quebec in the Abacus poll. Quebec has had two different referendums on seperating from the rest of Canada.
According to the poll, 25 per cent of Alberta’s population would vote to separate from the rest of the country if given the chance.
In comparison, the poll indicates that 28 per cent of Quebecers would vote to separate from Canada.
An earlier poll by Angus Reid indicates a more worrying trend. According to those numbers, 50 per cent of Albertans responded by saying that separation was a real possibility, while 83 per cent feel that Ottawa has treated the province unfairly.
Third party groups like Alberta Fights Back have been giving a voice to the province’s separatist intentions. Recently, the group funded several billboards in the province asking whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was leading Canada into a civil war.
Despite his intention to keep the province within Canada, Premier Jason Kenney has warned that Albertan separatism is at an all time high.
“If we don’t see progress … then somebody’s going to come along and capitalize on that 50 per cent separatist sentiment in Alberta,” said Kenney.
Kenney has promised Albertans a referendum on equalization payments by the year 2021.
According to the premier, if no progress is shown on getting pipelines built by that date, he will put the decision up to citizens whether they would like to cut payments to the rest of Canada.
