Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urges Albertans to reject separation vote

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed a rally in Edmonton on Friday, urging Albertans to consider the timing of a vote that could trigger a legal process toward a future referendum on separation. He said turnout would decide the outcome and cautioned that a vote against Canada could lead to years of uncertainty and lost opportunities for both Albertans and Canadians.

Carney, who grew up in Alberta, joined provincial premier Danielle Smith in Red Deer, where she praised recent improvements in federal-provincial relations. Smith noted that Carney had addressed several federal policies that had previously caused tension, including the carbon tax.

The upcoming vote will not directly decide independence; instead, Albertans will choose whether to remain a province or to instruct the government to start the legal steps for a future referendum. Carney highlighted the province’s importance as a major oil-producing region and said reducing economic dependence on the United States was a priority.

Opposition to the referendum also came from federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who urged Albertans to stay united with the rest of Canada. While Carney and Smith agree on keeping Alberta within Canada, they remain split on nine other ballot questions related to immigration and provincial powers.

Some Albertans expressed frustration with the vote, citing low levels of support for separation in recent polls. Independence advocate Tanya Clemens dismissed recent agreements between Carney and Smith as insufficient, describing them as conditional promises.