Alberta Could Hold Independence Referendum From Canada Next Year: Premier [Video]

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she will hold a referendum on the province’s independence from Canada next year if a petition gets the required number of signatures.

“Should Ottawa, for whatever reason, continue to attack our province as they have done over the last decade, ultimately that will be for Albertans to decide,” she said during a livestream address on Monday, adding, “I will accept their judgement.”

It comes after a stirring of separatist sentiment in the province, especially after the Liberal Party won the Canadian election last week.

Newsweek recently spoke to Albertan politicians who support independence, who painted a general picture of frustration with the direction of the national government.

Why It Matters

Smith’s announcement marks one of the most serious recent threats to Canadian unity, echoing past separatist movements in Quebec, where an independence referendum was narrowly defeated in 1995.

Alberta, home to Canada’s oil sands and a longstanding grievance over energy policies, has frequently …