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A majority of voters in energy-rich Alberta favor staying in Canada rather than seceding from the country, a new poll finds, as the province prepares for a referendum on the matter.
Albertans will cast a ballot Oct. 19 on whether they support beginning a separation process. In a poll for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Janet Brown Research found 72% would vote to remain a province of Canada. Twenty-three percent of Albertans would vote in favor of secession, with the greatest support in smaller cities and rural areas.
The survey suggests the opinion landscape has not changed much heading into the final weeks of a contentious campaign on Alberta’s place in the country. Polls have largely shown stable support for Alberta independence at around 25% to 30% in several surveys over the course of this year.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has taken recent steps to temper the economic grievances of Alberta, which has a wealth of oil and gas resources. Carney and Premier Danielle Smith have signed a series of agreements to speed up project timelines, relax environmental rules and encourage production growth in the energy sector.
Read More: Imperial Oil CEO Calls for Alberta to Reject Separatism
Initiatives include the governments backing a new million-barrel-a-day pipeline to the west coast that is set for an expedited regulatory review so it can begin construction in the next couple of years.
Voters are being asked to decide whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or if it should start a legal process to hold another, binding referendum on separation.
The poll of 1,200 people was conducted by phone and online between Sept. 8-21. It is considered accurate within 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
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