The prime minister of Alberta, one of the richest Canadian provinces due to its natural resources, especially oil and natural gas, said on Monday that he would hold a referendum on secession from Canada next year if a petition initiated by citizens gets the required number of signatures, as reported by Profit.ro .
This internal threat to Canada's sovereignty arose against the background of duties imposed by President Donald Trump and repeated statements by Republicans about the annexation of the maple leaf country as the "51st state" of America, which damaged the traditionally close ties between the two countries.
In her live speech, Danielle Smith said that she personally does not support the province's secession from Canada, and expressed hope for a "way forward" for a strong and sovereign Alberta as part of a united Canada.
"Albertans have always been loyal, proud and generous Canadians. We love Canada. We fought in wars and died defending Canada. We have opened our doors wide to millions of Canadians looking for opportunities — many of whom have stayed and become Albertans, while others have returned home to their home province. We were all welcomed with open arms," Smith added.
The leader of the western Canadian province said that Alberta has contributed "hundreds of billions of dollars more to the federal budget of money that is used in other parts of the country than we will ever receive in the form of benefits. We allowed this to happen because, frankly, we know how blessed our province is with a wealth of natural resources that no other country on Earth possesses — and we want all our friends, families and fellow Canadians across the country to benefit from it."