One of Alberta's most prominent separatist leaders pledged Saturday to press on with the independence movement even if voters reject Monday's proposal to begin the process of leaving Canada, arguing that supporters had already triumphed by turning separation into a major political issue.

"Regardless of what happens on Monday, we've already won," Keith Wilson, co-chair of the pro-independence group Let Alberta Decide, told supporters at a rally outside the Alberta legislature.

Monday's vote is not a direct referendum on independence. Instead, Albertans will choose whether the province remains part of Canada or begins the legal process toward a future referendum on separation.

Wilson stopped short of conceding defeat, but his remarks suggested he was preparing supporters for that possibility. He said the movement had persuaded hundreds of thousands of Albertans that independence was legally achievable and had forced a broader debate over the province's grievances with Ottawa.

The campaign has attracted activists who opposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates and backed the 2022 trucker convoy, which paralyzed downtown Ottawa for weeks and shut down some border crossings. Wilson served as a lead lawyer for the protest. The pandemic energized a separatist cause long fueled by Western alienation — resentment toward Ottawa over federal power and energy policies in a province that sits at the heart of Canada's oil and gas industry — drawing in activists angered by COVID-19 restrictions, some of them influenced by conspiracy theories.

Wilson also brought American UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland onto the stage. Strickland praised the Canadian trucker convoy as an inspiration to Americans for standing up for their rights and exercising their freedom to protest.

Wilson likewise rejected former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's suggestion that separatists should abandon their cause if they fail to win a majority on Monday.

"That's not happening," Wilson said. "We are going to build on our successes, build on our relationships."

Prime Minister Mark Carney has campaigned against separation, warning that even starting the process would bring years of economic uncertainty, at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and threats to make Canada the 51st state have raised concerns about Canadian sovereignty.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the referendum despite opposing independence herself. She recently cited a poll showing just 22% support for separation.

Madison Holmes, a 23-year-old independence supporter from Calgary, said the pandemic and vaccine mandates drew her into politics and fueled her opposition to Carney and his predecessor, Justin Trudeau.

"COVID is what got me out of my shell. I was not political," Holmes said.

Also on Saturday, a major fire broke out at a military base in Alberta. Smith said the blaze affected many military personnel, and Carney said it was caused by a "serious incident," though further details were not immediately available.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com.