Prime Minister Mark Carney has issued a Thanksgiving message calling for national unity, one week before Alberta's vote on a separatism referendum. In his video message on Monday, Carney stated, "We can’t build big things on fault lines," emphasizing that Canada faces threats to its economy, security, and way of life. He added, "We have to be strong, and we are stronger together."
Albertans are set to vote on October 19 to determine whether to initiate the process for seeking independence. The initial referendum is non-binding but proposes a future binding vote on whether Alberta should secede from Canada. The question posed to voters is: "Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?"
This vote follows a rising movement for secession, driven by grievances over federal energy and environmental policies. Proponents of the movement have accused the Canadian government of unfairly targeting Alberta's oil and gas industry, which is vital to the province's economy.
The secessionist movement is also attracting attention from the United States, particularly as relations between Canada and the U.S. have become strained under President Donald Trump. An investigation by The Globe and Mail revealed that U.S. Republican operatives met with secession organizers in Alberta to discuss campaign strategies. Reports indicated that separatist leaders offered access to the province's water and oil royalties in exchange for U.S. support for independence, although these claims have been disputed by the leaders.
Carney's remarks come in the wake of the Parti Quebecois winning the most seats in a recent provincial election in Quebec, allowing it to return to power after over a decade. The Parti Quebecois secured 59 seats out of 129 in Quebec's National Assembly, falling short of a majority government. Following this victory, U.S. tech entrepreneur Elon Musk expressed support for Quebec's separation on social media, stating, "Good. Quebec should separate. They would be better off. Alberta and Saskatchewan should separate too."
Carney, who grew up in Alberta, filmed his message from St Francis Xavier High School in Edmonton, where he stated, "I’m back home a lot these days because we are building big things again in Alberta: thousands of new homes, high-speed rail, a new pipeline to the West Coast that will create lasting opportunity and prosperity for hundreds of thousands of people in this province and across the country." Despite the visibility of the secessionist movement, polls indicate that most Albertans oppose independence.