CALGARY, Alberta — Prime Minister Mark Carney urged Albertans to deliver a “decisive result” against separation in Monday’s provincial referendum, telling a pro-unity rally in Calgary that “some outside our borders are working to break us so they can own us,” BBC News and DW reported.
Carney did not name the United States or President Donald Trump, who has threatened to make Canada the 51st state amid a trade war. “This is not poker. A vote against Canada is a dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep division and great uncertainty,” he said, according to DW. He told the crowd of more than 7,000 that “turnout will determine the outcome.”
The Oct. 19 ballot asks whether Alberta should remain in Canada or start the process toward a binding referendum on separation. More than 450,000 people had already voted early or by mail, the BBC said, and polls suggest most Albertans want to stay.
Premier Danielle Smith, who called the vote after a petition gathered about 300,000 signatures, backs remaining in Canada. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has called Alberta a “natural partner” for the U.S., and leaders of the separatist Alberta Prosperity Project have met State Department officials, DW reported.
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