Carney Says US Is Trying to Break Canada Ahead of Alberta Separation Vote

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned residents of oil-rich Alberta that the United States is trying to break Canada so it can control the country. He spoke at a pro-Canada rally in Calgary ahead of Monday's vote in Alberta, which will determine whether the disgruntled western province starts a legal process toward separating from Canada.

"The world has become more dangerous and divided. Some outside our borders are working to break us so they can own us," Carney said, without naming the US or President Donald Trump. He has made similar claims before. The remarks come as Washington and Ottawa are in a trade war and Trump has threatened to turn Canada into the 51st US state. Carney's drive to make Canada less reliant on the US has also irritated Trump.

What Alberta is voting on

The vote is not a direct referendum on independence. Albertans will decide whether to remain a province or to instruct the provincial government to begin the legal process toward a separation referendum. Alberta holds the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves.

Albertans have long had grievances with liberal governments in Ottawa, ranging from immigration and federal power to the management of the oil industry. Carney, who grew up in Alberta, has tried to address the frustrations, but much remains unresolved.

The prime minister acknowledged that the frustrations are real and said Ottawa had made Albertans feel as if their resources were not their own. He nevertheless urged voters not to treat the ballot as a "message" to the federal government. "This is not poker. A vote against Canada is a dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep division and great uncertainty," he said.

The separatist view

Mitch Sylvestre, head of the Alberta Prosperity Project, a prominent separatist group, told AFP that US interests "don't play a role" in Alberta until separatists win and form a government. He said he would then ensure free-flowing trade and saw no reason to stop trading with the world's largest economy. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has called Alberta a "natural partner" for the United States, and leaders of the group have held several meetings at the State Department.