Volkswacht Bodensee - Alberta separatists rally ahead of independence vote

Albertans go to the polls on Monday to decide whether to move forward with a formal independence process, a pivotal test for the country as it experiences strained relations with the United States.

"Canada's dragging this down a dark hole, being led by somebody like Mr Carney," Jeffrey Rath, a prominent figure of the separatist movement, told AFP at the rally in front of the provincial parliament in Edmonton.

Prime Minister Mark Carney "literally wants us now to join Europe after he's obliterated our relationship with the United States of America," he said, referring to Carney's move to bolster ties with the European Union.

Carney welcomed a proposal for his country to become the European Union's first "associate member" in September, drawing ire from US President Donald Trump.

Polls suggest only about a quarter of Alberta's roughly five million people want to leave Canada.

But Carney has warned that supporters of Canadian unity might not turn out to vote.

"It is a dangerous bluff. This is not poker... this is the future of our country," he said in an interview posted to his X account on Saturday.

Alberta's right-wing Premier Danielle Smith heads a coalition that includes a substantial number of separatists, who gathered signatures to trigger a citizen-led referendum on leaving Canada.

After a judge blocked the citizen-led referendum over constitutional concerns, Smith called her own, non-binding vote, saying Albertans deserved the chance to express themselves on independence.

If a majority votes for independence, she has committed to launching a legally binding separation process.

The vote comes as Canada experiences strained relations with the United States, marked by tariffs and territorial threats.

Trump allies have taken interest in the vote. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Alberta would be a "natural partner for the US."

The country is also facing independence ambitions in the French-speaking province of Quebec.

The Parti Quebecois, which won the elections in early October, has pledged to hold a new referendum on independence.

G.Frei--VB