Poll finds Albertans' attachment to Canada has grown as support for separatism has hardened
CBC
Like many Albertans, Michelle Schamehorn was disappointed by the Liberal victory in last month's federal election.
But she's not on board with the escalating rhetoric surrounding Alberta separation.
"For me, no. I don't want to separate," said the resident of Taber, Alta., who works at a local truck dealership and feels most Canadian when she's snowshoeing in the mountains.
"I'm proud to be Canadian. Very, very proud to be Canadian."
She remains squarely in the majority in this province, according to new polling commissioned by CBC News, which asked a random sample of 1,200 people across Alberta their views on a variety of topics.
When it came to the question of whether Alberta would be better off if it separated from Canada, 67 per cent disagreed while 30 per cent agreed. The result was almost identical to a similar poll that asked the same question five years earlier.
One thing that has changed, however, is the strength of support among the Alberta separatists. In May 2020, only 12 per cent "strongly" agreed. By May 2025, that had grown to 17 per cent.
The poll also found a shift in public opinion at the other end of the spectrum.
Asked whether they feel more attachment to Alberta or to Canada, 34 per cent now picked their country over their province. That's up from just 20 per cent five years ago.
There was little change in those who feel more attachment to Alberta over that same time, while the proportion of those who said "both equally" shrunk substantially.
"So, I think we're seeing polarization on both ends," said pollster Janet Brown, who conducted the public-opinion research for CBC News.
"When it comes to separation, we're seeing that the number of people who strongly agree with separation is increasing," Brown said. "On the other side, we see the people who are attached to Canada, we see that group growing. The more we talk about separation, the more people are saying that they feel attached to Canada."
On a straight ballot question, meanwhile, 28 per cent of Albertans said in the latest polling that they'd vote to separate if a referendum were held today, compared to 67 per cent who would vote against separation. Five per cent said they weren't sure.
CBC News visited Taber recently to ask people in Alberta's Conservative heartland about what Canada means to them after the rhetoric around separation kicked up.
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