When I was a kid growing up, I was fascinated by the rest of the world. Some stories and situations captivated me more than others. For example, I followed the situation with the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. The bicentennial celebrations of the French Revolution were fascinating, although that was also partly because I am French, and also because my brother and I went to France and even some of those celebrations that summer. The Berlin Wall coming down, and the largely peaceful revolutions that swept across eastern Europe late in 1989 also piqued my curiosity, as did the reforms (and eventual downfall) of the Soviet Union.
Well, another situation, or country, which fascinated me was Canada. At the time, the question about the possibility of Québec separating from Canada seemed like a very real possibility. At times, it almost seemed inevitable, as the movement seemed to be gaining momentum. This became evident in 1995, when there was almost a 50-50 split vote in a referendum regarding the question of Québec separating from Canada.
Yet, I remember talking to someone in Halifax. We were just walking around, and somehow, we engaged in a conversation with a local. And he said that right now (at the time), Québec was not even Canada's most problematic province. He then named Alberta as causing more problems.
This was the first time that I had heard of this, in the summer of 1989. But it certainly would not be the last time.
As it turns out, the momentum of the pro-independence movement in Québec lost a lot of steam over the years. However, the momentum for those who wanted to separate from Canada actually gained momentum in Alberta. Mostly, this was a very conservative movement. Many Albertans in the present day actually sympathize with the American MAGA political movement. Some of them even favored joining the United States.
Recently, this went to a vote. It was a heated issue, and it gained nationwide attention. Hell, it even made international headlines.
Now, there were times when I sympathized with the pro-independence movement in Québec, although I now think it is best that they remained part of Canada, helping to keep it strong and free. However, I admittedly never sympathized with the separatists in Alberta. It seems especially important these days, when Canada's very sovereignty is seemingly being threatened by an American president who goes out of his way to insult Canada and attack it's status as an independent nation, relentlessly referring to it as the "51st state" and calling two Prime Ministers "Governor."
In the end, the separatists were smoked. Badly.
With more than one million votes counted, over 76% of Albertans firmly voted against separation from Canada. Less than 23% voted in favor of separation. This should put the issue to bed for quite a while now, as it was a resounding defeat for those in favor of leaving Canada. Of course, if they are indeed like MAGA, they likely will not accept this and conspiracy theories claiming the vote was "fixed" will surely follow, so you never know.
Frankly, I have no sympathy for those who encourage this kind of nonsense. Especially when that sympathy comes from some (admittedly a minority) of Canadians themselves.
I applaud Albertans for rejecting separation from Canada, which surely would have inevitably led to being absorbed into the United States.
Alberta voters reject move toward separation from Canada in referendum October 20, 2026 / 2:11 AM EDT / AP
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/canada-alberta-referendum-vote-separation-independence/
Alberta voters reject move toward separation from Canada in referendum - CBS News
Alberta premier pledges to honour 'remain' vote, won't have 2nd referendum on separation Updated3 hours ago Danielle Smith says it's time for province to 'move forward'
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/livestory/alberta-referendum-results-live-updates-separatism-october-19-2026-9.7387777
Alberta premier pledges to honour 'remain' vote, won't have 2nd referendum on separation
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