Canada Alberta Separation
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks at the Canada Strong and Free conference in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026.
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a final appeal to voters in his home province of Alberta warning that a referendum that could put the oil-rich province on a path toward independence is a dangerous gamble at a time of growing threats to Canada’s sovereignty. Carney warned again that the referendum comes at the “worst possible time” as U.S. President Donald Trump wages a trade war and repeatedly threatens to make Canada the 51st state. Carney’s closing appeal came after two days of campaigning against separation. Earlier Friday, the Liberal prime minister joined Alberta’s conservative premier Danielle Smith in an unusual show of unity against independence.
