Canadians more united despite separatist sentiment in Alberta, Quebec: Ipsos

A new Ipsos poll reveals that most Canadians believe Alberta should remain part of Canada, according to the latest data exclusively provided to Global News. Eighty-one percent of non-Albertans want the province to stay, while only nine percent desire separation. In Quebec, 69 percent of respondents still advocate for Alberta's continued unity with the rest of Canada despite ongoing discussions about independence.

Overall, Canadians seem more united, even amidst separatist sentiment, especially in the context of trade tensions with the United States and political divisions under the Trump administration. Only 16 percent of Canadians, excluding Albertans, feel their province would be better off if it separated from Canada, a decline from 33 percent in 2019.

Meanwhile, 23 percent of Canadians outside of Alberta report feeling less committed to the country, a decrease from previous years. Albertans, however, are less likely to feel their province isn't receiving a fair share from Ottawa, with only 26 percent of respondents expressing this sentiment. Nonetheless, 48 percent of Albertans still believe their province doesn't get a fair deal from Confederation, a number that has decreased since 2019 (from 51 percent to 48 percent).

The poll suggests that while Albertans feel closer to the national average on many measures, they still want a discussion on benefits from Confederation, but this does not necessarily translate to a desire to separate. A referendum on Alberta's separation is scheduled for October 19, with 70 percent of Albertans preferring to stay in Canada, and 20 percent wanting to hold a referendum.

If the province holds a binding referendum on separation, the support for staying in Canada increases to 84 percent, while separation support drops to 16 percent. This indicates that more people want to hold a referendum than want to leave the country. Younger and urban Albertans are more likely to favor remaining in Canada, while rural, older, and male Albertans are more inclined to support separation.

Both major political parties, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals and Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, are committed to campaigning for Alberta to remain part of Canada. Interestingly, Ipsos' findings suggest that Prime Minister Carney enjoys a more favorable view among Albertans (51 percent) compared to his unfavorable rating (35 percent), contrasting with the more divided support for Poilievre (44 percent favorable, 40 percent unfavorable).