On Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney travelled through Calgary, holding gatherings with residents and appearing at community events as part of an effort to build support for keeping Canada united ahead of Monday's separation vote.
In a direct appeal to Albertans, Carney urged voters to support Confederation at the polls while casting ballots against the nine remaining referendum questions — covering immigration and constitutional affairs — that appeared alongside it on the ballot.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has stated that a favourable outcome on those nine questions would send a message to Ottawa that provinces deserve greater autonomy and respect. Carney, addressing a crowd gathered at a Calgary park during one of three appearances held earlier in the day, urged people to vote against the nine measures, a call that drew applause from attendees including two Liberal MPs from Alberta, Eleanor Olszewski and Corey Hogan, who were present at the event.
His morning began at a northeast restaurant, where Carney posed for photos with supporters, exchanged handshakes, and received a bouquet of flowers. He noted his appreciation for the red colouring as he worked the line of attendees, many of whom had tucked small Canadian flags — red and white — into their breast pockets.
"It's for Canada — for all of us," Carney told one woman after she indicated the gesture was meant for him.
Speaking to roughly several dozen people assembled at the park — a portion of them dressed in red — he urged those in attendance to cast their votes against the nine remaining questions on Smith's ballot. Placards and chants directed against the nine questions and separation were visible throughout the crowd.
The next destination on the itinerary was the food court inside the University of Calgary's student hall, where crowds had already gathered by the time Carney arrived. A number of those present held miniature Canadian flags.
Carney worked his way through the assembled crowd — signing Canadian flags, posing for photographs, and exchanging words with people who had gathered — while RCMP officers and security staff maintained a presence nearby. Stopping next to a young woman for a photo, he turned to those standing nearby and introduced her as someone who had recently become a Canadian citizen. One placard in the crowd displayed the words "Just No. Vote No. Vote Remain."
Bystanders who had gathered near Carney's motorcade called out words of encouragement as he passed. After autographing flags for two women, he carefully returned the pen to each of them, noting aloud that taking it was never something he would do.
Carney was scheduled to appear alongside Thomas Lukaszuk — the former Alberta deputy premier — at a gathering organised by Lukaszuk's Forever Canadian group, an organisation that has been advocating for the province to remain part of Confederation. On that same Thursday in Calgary, Smith had a United Conservative Party fundraiser appearance booked at the same time.
The prime minister's Friday schedule includes a comparable rally in Edmonton alongside meetings with business leaders in Red Deer. A statement from the premier's office confirmed that Smith would join Carney at the Edmonton gathering. A Friday appearance in Calgary has her sharing a platform with federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and a number of other figures from the conservative political landscape.
Over the past week, Smith's public appearances and statements have been notably fewer than usual. Through a video shared with her audience, she indicated that her own early ballot had gone toward keeping Alberta within Canada, and urged residents of the province to vote yes on each of the remaining nine referendum questions. She stated that backing the remaining nine questions would provide the political foundation needed to pursue a stronger role for Alberta within a unified country.
Among the nine questions put forward are proposals to shift greater immigration authority to Alberta, alongside possible barriers — including potential fees — that certain newcomers and temporary workers would face when attempting to use health care, education, and related public services. Smith has argued that the financial burden of immigration is too high, while opponents contend that her line of questioning reflects hostility toward immigrants.
Two remaining referendum questions put to Albertans would authorise the provincial government to pursue constitutional negotiations with other provinces, with the twin aims of redistributing federal powers and eliminating the Senate.
Posting to social media on Thursday in response to comments from Carney, Smith said the two had found common ground on several matters over the previous 18 months. She also argued that the border policies of Carney's predecessor had driven up the cost of living, put pressure on social services, and made housing and jobs harder to attain for many younger Albertans — points she described as the foundation for her nine referendum questions, which seek expanded provincial authority over immigration, preferential job access for Albertans, and a more financially stable social services framework.
The provincial government under Smith directed $4 million toward an advertising push urging voters to back the nine measures and a vision of "a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada," while the Prime Minister's Office disclosed it had set aside roughly $250,000 for its own "O Canada" campaign.
Gatherings held under the Forever Canadian banner this week created difficulties for the provincial electoral authority in managing its communications. Elections Alberta noted Thursday that phone lines at its service centre were fielding an elevated number of inquiries tied to the events. Election law grants registered third-party advertisers the right to hold events, though the volume of enquiries had stretched the agency's capacity to respond to voters in a timely way.
