Prime Minister Mark Carney has urged Albertans to vote to remain in Canada ahead of an independence referendum, warning that the “stakes are high”.
Speaking at a pro-unity rally on Thursday in Calgary, Carney said the referendum is taking place “at the worst possible time” and called on voters to deliver a “decisive result” against separation.
More than 450,000 Albertans have already voted early or by mail on a question asking if they wish the province to remain part of Canada, or start the process of holding a binding referendum to separate.
Campaigners on both sides are making their final pitches ahead of Monday’s vote, though polls indicate most Albertans are supportive of a united Canada.
Still, Carney said Albertans should not assume that the result is decided based on the polling alone.
“Turnout will determine the outcome,” he told a crowd of more than 7,000 in Calgary.
He also nodded at external pressures facing Canada as a reason to dismiss separation.
“The world has become more dangerous and divided. Some outside our borders are working to break us so they can own us,” Carney said, echoing warnings he has made in the past about the threat US tariffs pose to Canada’s economy and security.
Thursday’s rally is one of two back-to-back pro-unity events that the prime minister is scheduled to attend in Alberta, with another one set for tomorrow in Edmonton, his hometown.
Earlier in the day, Carney toured several businesses in Calgary and spoke to pro-unity volunteers in a get-out-the-vote push.
The 19 October referendum was called by the province’s premier Danielle Smith earlier this year after a grassroots group gathered around 300,000 petition signatures asking for a binding referendum on separation.
Smith, a Conservative whose political base includes supporters of independence, has advocated for Alberta to remain in Canada but has said the referendum is a chance to hear directly from Albertans on the issue.
Supporters of separation say the oil-rich, landlocked province has been overlooked by federal politicians in Ottawa despite the wealth it contributes to Canada.
Successive Liberal governments of the last 10 years, they argue, have put environmental policies above helping Alberta develop its oil and gas sector, and that Alberta would get to keep more of its wealth if it splits from Canada.
Those who oppose separation say a newly independent Alberta would be left responsible for billions of dollars in debt, and warn that the uncertainty would drive thousands of jobs and investment out of the province.
Some, including Prime Minister Carney, have likened the Alberta referendum to “Brexit” when the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016, warning that a vote to leave may come with unintended economic consequences.
In his speech on Thursday, Carney acknowledged that “the frustrations that many Albertans have felt are real”.
But he said that his government is willing to support Alberta and its energy industry.
In the weeks leading up to the referendum, Carney announced his plans to fast-track approval of a new oil pipeline from Alberta to Canada’s Pacific coast.
He has described the project as “a demonstration of the power of Canada” and argued it would help the country diversify its markets as it deals with US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
Along with the ballot on separation, Albertans will also vote on nine other questions – a number focused on whether the province should have more control over its immigration system.
Carney urged supporters to “vote no to the nine”, signalling a break from Premier Smith, who put the questions on the ballot and who has called on Albertans to support them.
In a response on X on Thursday, Smith said she and Carney “have found common ground on many things”, but accused him of failing to understand how Liberal immigration policies have affected the cost of living in Alberta.
Smith is set to speak at a separate pro-unity event in Calgary on Friday alongside Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, who has also advocated for Alberta to remain in Canada.
Meanwhile, advocates for Alberta separation are planning a rally in Edmonton on Saturday in their own last-minute push to turn out voters.
Early figures suggest a strong voter turn-out, with the average number of ballots cast already higher than in Alberta’s last provincial general election. (BBC)