The results of Monday’s Alberta referendum question on separation from Canada won’t be official for more than a week, but all indications are that the separatist movement was handed a sound defeat.
asserted
movement → hand → defeat
As the earliest numbers showed about 76 per cent in favour of remaining in Confederation, a figure that hasn’t changed much as of 10 a.m. MT, separatist leader Jeffrey Rath expressed optimism about the political movement and re-emphasized the need to take control of the United Conservative Party of Alberta from Premier Danielle Smith, whom he said conspired with “fake news” and the “entire Canadian political establishment” to campaign against independence.
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he → show → independence
It’s time to have a serious discussion as to whether or not a supermajority of the (UCP) want to continue to be led by a federalist who’s in bed with Naheed Nenshi, Mark Carney, Rachel Notley, and the rest of the socialists and globalists that have literally been ruining this province and ruining this country,” Rath told Global News late Monday night at a downtown Edmonton pizza parlour.
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Rath → ’ → parlour
During his interview, the self-described “constitutional lawyer” and co-founder of the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) estimated that, by night’s end, anywhere from 600,000 to 700,000 people will have voted in favour of starting the formal process of Alberta seceding from Canada.
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Alberta → describe → Canada
Elections Alberta, with 78 per cent of polls reported, counted 458,923 as of 10 a.m.
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cent → report → 458,923
Rath said supporters of independence won’t be swayed from their cause.
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supporters → say → cause
“We roll up our sleeves and we work harder because that’s who we are as people,” he said.
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he → roll → people
As for Smith, she said on X that she was “very pleased” with the initial results on the separation question and promised to address the province at 6:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday, “to discuss the results of all referendum questions for which results are available, and where our province goes from here.”
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province → say → which
“They can underestimate us.
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They → underestimate → us
They can throw every obstacle imaginable in our way, and believe me, they have, but they cannot stop what has already started.
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what → throw → me
Tonight isn’t the finish line,” he said.
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he → say → ?
“It’s another chapter in something much bigger than any one of us.
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It → ’ → us
We have awakened something in this province, and that spirit isn’t going anywhere.”
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spirit → awaken → province
Sylvestre also addressed UCP co-founder and former Alberta premier Jason Kenny, a staunch opponent of the separatist movement, who last week said supporters of separatism were facing a post-referendum reckoning.
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supporters → address → reckoning
“We certainly don’t need lectures from those who have already underestimated us once before,” Sylvestre said.
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Sylvestre → need → us
The true reckoning, he said, is a group of Albertans that are “organized, integrated, and not putting up with the corruption and the failure.”
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that → say → corruption
After Kenny posted on X Monday that secession talk only pushed election-deciding “mainstream centre-right voters” away from conservative parties towards the NDP, Republican Party of Alberta leader Cameron Davies, another fierce separatism advocate, countered that they’re gravitating because conservatives are “acting and governing like liberal lite.”
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conservatives → post → lite
“Fake conservatives are kryptonite for any real conservative movement,” he wrote.
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he → write → movement
In Calgary, Let Alberta Decide founder Keith Wilson, formerly of the 2022 Freedom Convoy, noted that at least a quarter “feel that Alberta needs to be treated better, that Alberta can do better.”
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Alberta → let → Convoy
David Parker, founder of conservative group Take Back Alberta, called Monday’s result “bleak.”
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Parker → take → result
Cory Morgan, founder of Pathway to Independence, said it’s not the UCP’s role to become a separatist party.
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it → say → Independence
He said a single advocacy group should lead the effort and that the recent campaign was hurt by not collectively addressing voters.
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campaign → say → voters
“We had six or seven different groups speaking throughout the campaign.
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groups → have → campaign
You don’t run a general election that way; it would just be a dog’s breakfast,” he said.
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he → run → election
Meanwhile, as the results were taking shape, pro-separation MLA Jason Stephan (Red Deer-South), announced on X that he would not seek re-election in next year’s provincial general election.
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he → take → election
Empty words and platitudes do not make it otherwise,” he wrote in an open letter.
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he → make → letter
“Some say they want UNITY, but their actions say otherwise.
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actions → say → UNITY
Does fearmongering, name calling labelling, and gaslighting produce unity?”
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fearmongering → produce → unity
The Aporia
