Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a final appeal to voters considering a path toward independence in his home province of Alberta on Friday, warning that a referendum is a dangerous gamble at a time of growing threats to Canada’s sovereignty.
asserted
referendum → make → sovereignty
With U.S. President Donald Trump waging a trade war and threatening to make Canada the 51st state, Carney warned that the referendum comes at the “worst possible time” and urged Albertans not to take the outcome for granted.
“Don’t let anyone tell you this is already decided.
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this → wag → you
Turnout will determine the outcome,” Carney told a pro-Canada rally in Edmonton, where he grew up.
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he → determine → Edmonton
A vote against Canada is a dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep uncertainty and lost opportunities for Albertans and Canadians,” he said.
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he → lead → Albertans
Alberta, home to most of Canada’s proven oil reserves — the fourth largest 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.
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Alberta → prove → separation
Carney’s closing appeal came after two days of campaigning against separation in the province.
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appeal → come → province
Earlier Friday, the Liberal prime minister joined Alberta’s conservative premier Danielle Smith in a show of unity against independence.
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minister → join → independence
Smith praised Carney for improving relations with a province that frequently clashed with his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, over his carbon tax and other energy policies.
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that → praise → tax
“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.
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Smith → think → Deer
Smith noted that Carney grew up in Alberta and remains an Edmonton Oilers fan.
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Carney → note → Alberta
“He can’t be all bad, right?” she joked.
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she → joke → ?
Trump’s threats raise the stakes
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threats → raise → stakes
“Some outside our borders are working to break us so they can own us.
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they → work → us
Never,” Carney warned Friday in Edmonton, repeating a warning he made a day earlier in Calgary.
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he → warn → Calgary
At Thursday’s Calgary rally and Friday’s Edmonton rally, the crowd erupted in its loudest applause when Carney spoke about reducing Canada’s economic dependence on the United States.
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Carney → erupt → States
Carney acknowledged Alberta’s longstanding resentment of federal energy policies.
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Carney → acknowledge → policies
“Growing up, I remember how Ottawa made Albertans feel like our resources weren’t our own,” he said.
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he → grow → ?
But he also emphasized his deep ties to the province.
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he → emphasize → province
I grew up here.
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I → grow → ?
This city, this province, this country have given me everything: my family, my education, my values,” he said.
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he → give → everything
Some Albertans say the vote shouldn’t have been called
Outside the Edmonton rally venue Friday, Alberta independence supporters waved flags and held a sign reading “Say no to Carney’s new world order.”
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supporters → say → order
Smith called the referendum despite opposing independence herself.
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Smith → call → independence
She recently cited a poll showing 22% of Albertans support separation, a figure she said was still too high.
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she → cite → figure
Smith also faces pressure from separatists within her governing United Conservative Party.
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Smith → face → Party
Former Premier Jason Kenney said the independence movement gained influence within the party as activists angry over COVID-19 restrictions, some influenced by conspiracy theories, embraced separatism.
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activists → say → separatism
But some Albertans who want to remain in Canada are angry with Smith for calling the vote.
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who → want → 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.
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who → think → Canada
Smith said Carney had substantially addressed seven of nine federal laws Alberta opposed.
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Alberta → say → laws
She also cited cooperation on a proposed oil pipeline.
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She → cite → pipeline
Independence advocate Tanya Clemens dismissed the agreements between Carney and Smith as “basically pinky promises” that came with too many conditions.
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that → dismiss → conditions
Political leaders unite against separation
Carney’s chief political rival, federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, also urged Albertans Friday to remain in Canada.
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rival → unite → Canada
Lock arms with them,” Poilievre said.
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Poilievre → lock → them
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.
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Carney → keep → immigration
Smith wants voters to approve them, while Carney has urged their rejection.
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Carney → want → rejection
“For the first time in a long time, Alberta and Canada are walking together,” Smith said.
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Smith → walk → time
The Aporia
