Yesterday Alberta answered the big question. About 76 percent said remain. Canada stays whole.

That part is done.

But if Ottawa reads that as Alberta being happy, Ottawa is not paying attention.

Same voters. Same ballot. Alberta said yes to taking control of immigration. Yes to proof of citizenship before you vote, 63 percent, the strongest yes of the whole day.

Yes to provinces picking their own judges. Yes to abolishing the Senate, 53 percent. Yes to provincial laws coming first when provincial and federal laws clash.

Eight of nine questions went yes. Some of them barely. Question 9 sits at 50.4 percent as the count goes on, and all of it stays unofficial until October 29. A yes is still a yes.

Alberta did not vote to leave. Alberta voted to renegotiate.

And look at the one that failed. Question 8 asked if provinces should be able to opt out of federal programs and keep the federal money anyway. Alberta said no. That is not a tantrum. A tantrum says yes to everything. Alberta read the questions and picked.

None of it forces Ottawa to lift a finger. Every one of those results is non binding. That is exactly why it matters. This was Alberta speaking when there was nothing to gain except being heard.

Now the hard part. The separatists lost, and they lost big. But over 400,000 Albertans voted to start the process of leaving. Those people did not vanish this morning. They are in your town, on your street, at your rink.

They are not going to separate. Alberta just decided that. But they are not going away either, and pretending they are is how that number grows.

Carney said Albertans chose Canada. He is right. He is also reading only half the ballot.

Smith speaks to the province tonight. She is not holding opinions anymore. She is holding a list, written by the voters themselves, of what has to change inside this country.

So here is the question for Ottawa. Do you start fixing what eight of nine questions pointed at, while Alberta is still choosing to stay? Or do you pocket the win, change nothing, and wait until the 24 percent becomes 34?

Staying is not the same as satisfied. Alberta proved that in one day, on one ballot.

Ignore the list, and this vote comes back. And nobody should promise it ends the same way twice.

Thinking Good Thoughts for all of us.

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