New Alberta Poll Shows Solid Majority Favor Staying in Canada Ahead of Referendum

Polling ahead of Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum indicates that most voters favor staying in Canada, while a smaller share supports separation. A Canadian Broadcasting Corp. poll found 72% would vote to remain a province and 23% would support secession, with support for separation strongest in smaller cities and rural areas. The ballot asks whether to begin the legal process toward a further, binding referendum on separation; recent polling suggests support for independence has remained broadly stable during the campaign.
Friday was the final day for Albertans to request a special mail-in ballot ahead of the referendum.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed agreements intended to speed up project timelines, relax environmental rules and encourage growth in the energy sector.
The governments also backed a proposed pipeline capable of carrying one million barrels a day to the West Coast; it is slated for an expedited regulatory review, with construction potentially beginning within a couple of years.
The poll of 1,200 people was conducted by phone and online from Sept. 8 to 21, and was reported to have a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
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