Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected in Calgary on Thursday to headline a pro-Canada rally organised by the Forever Canadian campaign, four days before Albertans cast ballots in a referendum that includes a question on the province’s future within Confederation.
The Calgary rally at the BMO Centre opens the prime minister’s two-stop Alberta swing. He is due in Edmonton on Friday for a second Forever Canadian event, both organised by former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, who invited Carney to appear. The Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed his attendance at both.
Carney, who was raised in Alberta, has been pitching unity ahead of the vote. In a Thanksgiving message recorded at his former Edmonton high school, he described separation as a long and uncertain path and argued that Alberta and Canada can achieve more together. He pointed to a proposed pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast as the kind of nation-building project that becomes harder if the country divides, and said Canada is worth fighting for.
A crowded week of rallies
The prime minister is not the only leader heading west. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is also scheduled to speak in Calgary on Friday, at a conference where Premier Danielle Smith will also appear, in what echoes an earlier push for national unity in Alberta. Earlier this week, NDP leader Naheed Nenshi and former premier Rachel Notley shared a stage at a Vote to Save Canada rally in Edmonton, and Notley and former premier Jason Kenney have jointly urged Albertans to vote to stay in Canada.
Business voices are split. More than 70 business and community leaders signed a Calgary Chamber of Commerce open letter warning of the economic fallout of separation, while many prominent chief executives have stayed silent. A York University corporate leadership expert said the silence is no surprise, noting Canadian CEOs are reluctant to risk alienating shareholders or employees by taking political stands.
What the vote actually decides
On Monday, Albertans will vote on 10 questions, as Alberta gears up for one of the most closely watched provincial votes in years. The best-known, Question 10, asks whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or whether the government should begin the legal process toward a future binding referendum on separation. The October 19 result would not itself make Alberta independent, and all 10 questions are non-binding.
Premier Smith has said she would accept a simple majority of 50 per cent plus one on the separation question, and has pledged there will be no second separation vote while she is premier if the remain side wins. Polling has shown roughly two-thirds of Albertans favouring staying in Canada. Advance polls are open through October 17, with unofficial results expected within 48 hours of polls closing on Monday.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected in Calgary on Thursday to headline a pro-Canada rally organised by the Forever Canadian campaign, four days before Albertans cast ballots in a referendum that includes a question on the province’s future within Confederation.
The Calgary rally at the BMO Centre opens the prime minister’s two-stop Alberta swing. He is due in Edmonton on Friday for a second Forever Canadian event, both organised by former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, who invited Carney to appear. The Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed his attendance at both.
Carney, who was raised in Alberta, has been pitching unity in the run-up to the vote. In a Thanksgiving message recorded at his former Edmonton high school, he described separation as a long and uncertain path and argued that Alberta and Canada can achieve more together. He pointed to a proposed pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast as the kind of nation-building project that becomes harder if the country divides, and said Canada is worth fighting for.
A crowded week of rallies
The prime minister is not the only leader heading west. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is also scheduled to speak in Calgary on Friday, at a conference where Premier Danielle Smith will also appear, in what echoes an earlier push for national unity in Alberta. Earlier this week, NDP leader Naheed Nenshi and former premier Rachel Notley shared a stage at a Vote to Save Canada rally at Edmonton’s Polish Hall, and former premiers Notley and Jason Kenney have jointly urged Albertans to vote to stay in Canada.
Business voices are divided. More than 70 business and community leaders signed a Calgary Chamber of Commerce open letter warning of the economic fallout of separation, while many prominent chief executives have stayed silent. A corporate leadership expert at York University said the silence is no surprise, noting that Canadian CEOs are traditionally reluctant to risk alienating shareholders or employees by taking political stands.
What the vote actually decides
On Monday, Albertans will vote on 10 questions, as Alberta gears up for one of the most closely watched provincial votes in years. The best-known, Question 10, asks whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or whether the provincial government should begin the legal process under the Constitution toward a future binding referendum on separation. The October 19 result would not itself make Alberta independent, and all 10 questions are non-binding. The debate comes as questions of provincial autonomy also stir in Quebec, where the Parti Quebecois recently won a minority.
Premier Smith has said she would accept a simple majority of 50 per cent plus one on the separation question, and has pledged there will be no second vote on separation while she is premier if the remain side wins. Polling has shown roughly two-thirds of Albertans favouring remaining in Canada. Advance polls are open through October 17, with unofficial results expected within 48 hours of polls closing on Monday.
