Polls close as voters in Alberta decide whether to have referendum on leaving Canada

Polls close as voters in Alberta decide whether to have referendum on leaving Canada

Polls have closed as voters in Alberta are deciding whether to have a referendum on separating from Canada

“I don’t even consider myself to be Canadian anymore,” one voter tells the BBC, while another calls the vote “a turning point in Canada’s history”

Separatists argue the province – which has the fourth-largest oil reserves in the world – has been overlooked by Ottawa

Meanwhile, indigenous Albertans have been working to block the vote for months, arguing separation would violate land treaties

How are Canada’s allies viewing this long-shot vote? Our chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet weighs in from Ottawa

What happens next? If a majority vote for independence, it would kick-start the process of holding a binding referendum on separation