The Canadian province set to vote on becoming a breakaway country

As he operates his cafe, selling coffee and poutine, Christopher Scott dons a T-shirt declaring "Free Alberta!" The cafe's signature dish is the "heart attack burger," and a MAGA baseball cap adorns its jukebox. This Canadian province, known for its vast skies, endless prairies, and towering mountains, is grappling with the prospect of breaking away to form its own country.

The separatist movement in Alberta is exposing deep divisions within Canada's federation, drawing parallels to Western Australia's past secession attempts. Cafe patrons approach Scott to express their support. Scott, who founded the pro-separatist group "Let's Talk Alberta," hopes that these supporters will vote in an upcoming referendum that could lead to Alberta's independence.

He believes an independent Alberta would be superior to the current situation. The province's natural resources, such as oil and gas fields, contribute significantly to Canada's economy and federal budget, but separatists argue that Alberta is being forced to subsidize a country that doesn't respect or represent them. Similar to Australia's federal system, Canada redistributes wealth from wealthier provinces to less affluent regions.

However, Alberta has contributed over $CA300 billion more to the federal government than it received back from 2007/08 to 2026/27, according to the conservative Fraser Institute. Scott, a former oil industry worker, became a prominent voice in the movement after being arrested and jailed for protesting pandemic restrictions. Support for the movement has grown from a small fringe minority to up to 30% of the population, according to some polls.

Alberta's Premier, Danielle Smith, opposes separation but believes Albertans should have a democratic opportunity to express their views. Separatists warn that Premier Smith could face a similar shock result as the UK experienced in Brexit, where voters defied polls to break away from the EU.