Supporters of independence in Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta gathered in the provincial capital on October 18, urging residents to back a future independence referendum ahead of a vote scheduled for October 19.
Jeffrey Rath, a prominent figure in the separatist movement, made the remarks during a rally outside the provincial legislature in Edmonton.
“Canada, under Carney’s leadership, is dragging us into an abyss, into a dark hole,” he said, referring to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Rath added that Carney “wants us to literally merge with Europe after completely destroying our relationship with the United States.” He was referring to the recent rapprochement between Canada and the European Union.
According to opinion polls, only 25 percent of Alberta’s five million residents support secession from Canada. Nevertheless, Carney, who personally joined the campaign this week to defend Canadian unity, has warned of the risk that supporters of national unity may not turn out in sufficient numbers.
“This is a dangerous lie. This is not a game of poker; this is about the future of our country,” Carney said in a televised program aired the previous day. A clip of the interview was also shared on his X account.
On October 19, Alberta residents are due to decide whether to authorize the provincial government to organize a legally binding referendum on independence in the future.
Once considered a fringe movement, Alberta’s separatist campaign gathered enough signatures in May to seek a referendum on independence through a citizens’ initiative. However, a local court later struck down the initiative on constitutional grounds.
Alberta’s conservative Premier, Danielle Smith, who opposes independence but whose party includes separatist supporters, has decided to hold a separate vote on October 19 under her own initiative.
Canada is also facing renewed separatist sentiment in its French-speaking province of Quebec. The Parti Québécois, which won the provincial election in early October, has pledged to hold another referendum on independence.