"Wexit" is the word on the lips of some western Canadians after the Liberal Party's minority win Monday night.
The term, a play on "Brexit," is a portmanteau for "western exit." That's exactly what some are hoping for after the Conservatives' disappointing loss in the 43rd federal election.
#Wexit was trending as the number two topic in Canada on Twitter Monday.
Reports surfaced that the VoteWexit.com Facebook group skyrocketed from 4,000 members to around 54,000 in just a matter of hours.
But not everyone was onboard the western separation train.
The movement was borne from frustrated oil and gas workers in Alberta who have largely felt ignored by the Liberal government.
That was reflected in Monday night's election results, with the Conservatives gaining 18 seats in the west while the Liberals lost 15.
"There's a massive disconnect between these western provinces and Ottawa, and now with the results it's going to get worse," said former Conservative MP Rona Ambrose, who joined the CTV National News election panel. "It used to be the west wants in, and now it's the west wants out, and it's a serious discussion."
CTV chief political commentator Craig Oliver said the results across the country reflect a deep divide, with Ontario going Liberal, Alberta and Saskatchewan going Conservative and the Bloc Quebecois dominating Quebec.
"The one thing Trudeau has going for him now is he can do what the Trudeaus love to do, which is take on the separatists," Oliver said. "Now Jason Kenney's going to have to cooperate with Trudeau instead of blaming him every day as the cause of all the problems having to do with the pipeline."
Kenney had not publicly weighed in on the election results as of 11:30 p.m. Monday.
He is expected to make a statement on Tuesday afternoon, his press secretary said.
