Albertans vote on path to independence as Carney fights to keep Canada united

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Voters in Canada’s oil-rich Alberta province will decide Monday whether to begin a process that could lead to independence, testing national unity as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and threats to make Canada the 51st state have rallied Canadians around their country.Monday’s vote is not a direct referendum on independence. Alberta, home to most of Canada’s proven oil reserves — the fourth largest in the world — will decide whether to remain a province or begin the legal process toward a future referendum on separation.More than 1.35 million Albertans, or 43% of eligible voters, cast advance or special ballots ahead of Monday’s referendum, far exceeding the 810,000 who voted early in the 2023 provincial election.But even if Albertans reject the proposal, separatist leaders say the movement that has transformed a fringe cause into a force in provincial politics is not going away.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged Albertans not to take the outcome for granted and asked for a decisive result as he wrapped up two days of campaigning in his home province. “Vote like Canada’s future depends on it because it does,” Carney told a pro-Canada rally Friday ...