Photo: The Canadian Press

Hillary Clinton says the Democratic party's surprise win in Alabama during Tuesday's senate race in the United States marks a "turning point" for Americans who are opposed to President Donald Trump.

Clinton told a crowd of more than 5,000 people gathered in Vancouver on Wednesday that the Democrats' electoral upset in the heart of Republican territory has made her feel "a tiny bit less" concerned about the future of her country.

"For me, this was a very important turning point in basically holding President Trump and his most vitriolic, destructive advisers, led by Steve Bannon, accountable," she said.

"People seem to be turning against the Trump philosophy and ideology," she added. "So it's a good sign but it's by no means the end of the story."

The former U.S. secretary of state was in Canada to promote her new memoir, "What Happened," which chronicles her experience running as the Democrat nominee in the 2016 presidential race as well as the aftermath of her loss.

Clinton attributed this week's election outcome in Alabama in part to the calibre of Democratic candidate Doug Jones, as well as a large electoral turnout among African-American voters and the scandals that bogged down Republican nominee Roy Moore, a former chief justice of the state's Supreme Court.

Moore was hounded by sexual misconduct allegations, but was endorsed by Trump after beating the president's first choice for the Republican nomination. Moore denied the allegations against him.

Clinton expressed concern about Trump's impulsive social media habits and how unsuited he is to the nuanced diplomacy necessary to deal with the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.

She poked fun at Trump's reported love of Diet Coke.

"Apparently he drinks a dozen of them a day," she said to laughter from the audience. "I don't know what that does to your brain."

Clinton pledged to remain part of the debate about the future of the U.S.

"I'm going to keep fighting for what I think is right," she said.

The sold-out crowd included several groups of women wearing so-called pussy hats — pink knitted toques associated with advocacy for women's issues. Another group wore shirts with the words Nasty Woman printed inside a pink heart.