Canada’s Carney calls for unity as Alberta prepares for secession vote

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Thanksgiving message comes a week ahead of Alberta’s vote on a separatism referendum.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announce development on a major infrastructure project in Fort McMurray, Alberta, on October 1, 2026 [File: Todd Korol/Reuters]

Prime Minister Mark Carney has used his Thanksgiving message to Canadians to call for national unity, a week before the oil-rich province of Alberta is set to vote on a proposal to secede from Canada.

“We can’t build big things on fault lines,” Carney said in his video message on Monday, warning that Canada faces threats to its economy, security and way of life.

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“We have to be strong, and we are stronger together.”

His comments come as Albertans head to the polls on October 19 to decide whether to begin the process of seeking independence. The initial referendum is non-binding, but it proposes to hold a binding vote in the future to decide whether Alberta should secede.

The question facing 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?”

The vote follows a growing push by a vocal group of separatists, fuelled by longstanding grievances over federal energy and environmental policies.

The secessionist movement has accused the Canadian government of unfairly targeting Alberta’s oil and gas industry, the cornerstone of the province’s economy.

The movement is also being watched south of the border, as Canada’s relationship with the United States under President Donald Trump has become strained.

An investigation by The Globe and Mail earlier this month revealed that US Republican operatives met with secession organisers in Alberta to talk about campaign strategies. Separatist leaders had reportedly offered access to the province’s water and oil royalties in exchange for US support for independence. Separatist leaders have disputed those claims.

Carney’s comments also come after another secessionist movement, the Parti Quebecois, won the most seats in a provincial election in Quebec last week, allowing it to return to power after more than a decade.

The Parti Quebecois, however, only won 59 seats out of a total of 129 in Quebec’s National Assembly, leaving it short of a majority government.

Still, following that victory, US tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, considered the richest man on the planet, applauded the results. He has been known to use his wealth and influence to support political causes, particularly on the far right.

“Good. Quebec should separate,” Musk wrote on social media. “They would be better off. Alberta and Saskatchewan should separate too.”

Carney, who grew up in Alberta, said he was filming the message from a classroom at his former school, St Francis Xavier High School in Edmonton.

“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,” he said.

Despite the secessionist movement’s growing visibility, polls suggest most Albertans oppose independence.

总理马克·卡尼发表感恩节致辞之际，距离阿尔伯塔省就独立公投进行投票还有一周时间。

2026年10月1日，加拿大总理马克·卡尼和阿尔伯塔省省长丹妮尔·史密斯宣布在阿尔伯塔省麦克默里堡启动一项重大基础设施项目。[图片：Todd Korol/路透社]

加拿大总理马克·卡尼在感恩节致辞中呼吁全国团结，一周后，石油资源丰富的阿尔伯塔省将就一项脱离加拿大的提案进行投票。

卡尼在周一的视频讲话中警告说：“我们不能在断层线上建造大东西”，并指出加拿大正面临经济、安全和生活方式方面的威胁。

美国对价值10亿美元的加拿大商品实施禁令，这是特朗普最新报复措施中的第1项。

加拿大将加快建设输油管道项目，旨在实现经济多元化，摆脱对美国的依赖（共3条，此为第2条）。

加拿大魁北克省选举中，分离主义政党获胜（共3条记录，此为第3条）。

“我们必须坚强，团结起来我们更强大。”

他发表这番言论之际，阿尔伯塔省将于10月19日举行公投，决定是否启动独立进程。此次公投不具约束力，但提议未来举行一次具有约束力的投票，以决定阿尔伯塔省是否应该脱离加拿大。

选民面临的问题是：“阿尔伯塔省是否应该继续作为加拿大的一个省份，还是阿尔伯塔省政府应该根据加拿大宪法启动必要的法律程序，举行具有约束力的省级全民公投，以决定阿尔伯塔省是否应该脱离加拿大？”

此次投票是在一群声音响亮的分离主义分子日益高涨的推动下进行的，而这群分离主义分子长期以来对联邦能源和环境政策感到不满。

分离主义运动指责加拿大政府不公平地针对阿尔伯塔省的石油和天然气产业，而该产业是该省经济的基石。

这一动向也受到美国南部边境的关注，因为在唐纳德·特朗普总统的领导下，加拿大与美国的关系变得紧张。

《环球邮报》本月初的一项调查显示，美国共和党人士曾与阿尔伯塔省的分离主义组织者会面，商讨竞选策略。据报道，分离主义领导人提出，如果美国支持阿尔伯塔省独立，他们将允许该省使用其水资源和石油资源。分离主义领导人否认了这些说法。

卡尼发表这番言论之前，另一个分离主义运动——魁北克人党——在上周魁北克省的省选中赢得了最多的席位，使其在十多年后重新掌权。

然而，魁北克人党在魁北克国民议会 129 个席位中仅赢得 59 个席位，未能组建多数政府。

尽管如此，在那次胜利之后，被认为是世界首富的美国科技企业家埃隆·马斯克还是对结果表示赞赏。众所周知，他利用自己的财富和影响力来支持政治事业，尤其是在极右翼阵营。

“好。魁北克应该独立，”马斯克在社交媒体上写道。“他们会过得更好。阿尔伯塔省和萨斯喀彻温省也应该独立。”

在阿尔伯塔省长大的卡尼表示，他是在埃德蒙顿的圣弗朗西斯·泽维尔高中（他的母校）的一间教室里拍摄这段视频的。

“这些天我经常回家，因为阿尔伯塔省正在再次建设一些大项目：数千套新住宅、高速铁路、一条通往西海岸的新管道，这将为本省乃至全国数十万人创造持久的机会和繁荣，”他说。

尽管分离主义运动日益活跃，但民意调查显示，大多数阿尔伯塔省居民反对独立。