Canadian Prime Minister Carney and Alberta premier unite against separation ahead of referendum

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joined Alberta’s conservative premier Friday in a show of unity against separation, warning of growing threats to Canada’s sovereignty as the oil-rich province prepares for a referendum that could put it on a path toward independence .

The joint appearance came as Carney intensified his campaign to keep Alberta in Canada while U.S. President Donald Trump wages a trade war and repeatedly threatens to make Canada the 51st state. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who frequently clashed with Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, over his carbon tax and other energy policies, praised Carney's efforts to improve relations.

“I think what we can agree on is that we have had some real change in the last 18 months,” Smith said alongside Carney in Red Deer, Alberta.

Smith noted that Carney grew up in Alberta and remains an Edmonton Oilers fan.

“He can’t be all bad, right?” she joked.

Monday’s vote is not a direct referendum on independence. Alberta, home to most of Canada’s oil reserves, which rank fourth in the world, will decide whether to remain a province or instruct the government to begin the legal process toward a future referendum on separation.

At Thursday’s Calgary rally , Carney warned that the referendum comes at the “worst possible time” and that forces outside Canada wanted to “break us so they can own us.”

The crowd erupted in its loudest applause when he spoke about reducing Canada’s economic dependence on the United States and building a new oil pipeline to the Pacific coast.

Carney said Friday that Canada faces growing physical and virtual threats to its sovereignty but also unprecedented economic opportunities through cooperation with Alberta on energy, trade and infrastructure.

Smith called the referendum despite opposing independence herself. She recently pointed to a poll showing 22% of Albertans support separation, a figure she said was still too high.

Smith called the vote after facing pressure from separatists within her governing United Conservative Party. Former Premier Jason Kenney said activists angry over COVID-19 restrictions increasingly embraced separatism and gained influence within the party.

But some Albertans who want to remain in Canada are angry with Smith for calling the vote.

“I think it’s a travesty, really, to be putting our province and our country through this when such a small portion of people are rabble rousing and saying they want to separate from Canada,” said Deb Lee, a retired Calgary resident who voted in advance to remain in Canada.

Smith said Carney had substantially addressed seven of nine federal laws Alberta opposed. She also cited cooperation on a proposed oil pipeline.

Independence advocate Tanya Clemens dismissed the agreements between Carney and Smith as “basically pinky promises” that came with too many conditions.

Carney’s chief political rival, federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, also urged Albertans on Friday to remain in Canada.

“Don’t leave your fellow Canadians behind. Lock arms with them," Poilievre said.

Carney acknowledged Alberta’s longstanding resentment of federal energy policies, saying the province’s vast natural resources had sometimes become a source of division rather than national unity.

“What we’re facing on Monday is part of a reflection of that,” Carney said.

Despite their agreement on keeping Alberta in Canada, Carney and Smith remain divided over nine other questions on Monday’s ballot involving immigration and provincial powers. Smith wants voters to approve them, while Carney has urged their rejection. Smith said she would work to change his mind.

Still, Smith emphasized how much their relationship had improved. “For the first time in a long time, Alberta and Canada are walking together,” she said.

Carney was scheduled to address another pro-Canada rally Friday night in Edmonton, as he continued his campaign against separation ahead of Monday’s vote.