CANADA SUPPORTS SELF-DETERMINATION—UNTIL IT HAPPENS INSIDE CANADA Over the last 50 years, people around the world have voted in referendums to leave an existing country and establish a sovereign state: 🇩🇯 1977 — Djibouti Separated from France 🇸🇮 1990 — Slovenia Separated from Yugoslavia 🇱🇹 1991 — Lithuania Restored independence from the Soviet Union 🇪🇪 1991 — Estonia Restored independence from the Soviet Union 🇱🇻 1991 — Latvia Restored independence from the Soviet Union 🇬🇪 1991 — Georgia Separated from the Soviet Union 🇭🇷 1991 — Croatia Separated from Yugoslavia 🇲🇰 1991 — North Macedonia Separated from Yugoslavia 🇦🇲 1991 — Armenia Separated from the Soviet Union 🇹🇲 1991 — Turkmenistan Separated from the Soviet Union 🇺🇦 1991 — Ukraine Separated from the Soviet Union 🇦🇿 1991 — Azerbaijan Confirmed its independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union 🇺🇿 1991 — Uzbekistan Confirmed its independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union 🇧🇦 1992 — Bosnia and Herzegovina Separated from Yugoslavia 🇪🇷 1993 — Eritrea Separated from Ethiopia 🇹🇱 1999 — Timor-Leste Voted to reject continued rule by Indonesia and became independent in 2002 🇲🇪 2006 — Montenegro Separated from Serbia and Montenegro 🇸🇸 2011 — South Sudan Separated from Sudan Canada ultimately recognized every one of these countries as a sovereign state. In many cases, Canada established diplomatic relations, provided assistance and supported the new country’s development. Canada did not refuse to recognize them because they were too small. Canada did not tell them they could never establish institutions, negotiate trade agreements, operate a government or participate in the international community. Canada did not make recognition conditional on proving that independence would be effortless, risk-free or immediately profitable. Their people made a democratic choice and Canada accepted the resulting countries. But when the same question is raised inside Canada, the language suddenly changes. 🇨🇦 Quebec, 1980 More than 1.48 million Quebecers voted for a mandate to negotiate sovereignty-association. Canadians and federal political leaders mobilized to preserve Canada, and the proposal was defeated. 🇨🇦 Quebec, 1995 More than 2.3 million Quebecers voted for sovereignty. Once again, Quebecers were warned about money, trade, investment, currency, pensions and whether Quebec could afford to become a country. 🇨🇦 Alberta, 2026 Albertans are not being asked to immediately declare independence on October 19th. They are being asked whether Alberta should remain a province or whether the Alberta government should begin the legal process required to hold a future binding referendum on separation. It is a vote about whether Albertans should be allowed to take the next democratic step. Yet many Canadians are already saying Alberta could never afford independence, could never build a country and should not even seriously consider sovereignty. That exposes a remarkable double standard: When people overseas seek sovereignty, it is called self-determination. When Quebecers seek sovereignty, it is called a threat to national unity. When Albertans seek a democratic vote, it is called reckless, divisive or impossible. The new countries on this list did not all begin wealthy, stable or free from uncertainty. Independence required difficult negotiations, institution-building and major decisions about trade, borders, laws, currency and international relations. But they created sovereign countries. Quebec and Alberta are repeatedly told they could not afford to become countries. Yet Canada recognizes countries around the world that began with fewer resources, weaker institutions and far greater obstacles. The honest position should be consistent: Either people have the democratic right to consider and pursue sovereignty—or they do not. That principle should not disappear simply because the people seeking the vote happen to live inside Canada.