Mark Carney says "against the tides of history" on Alberta separation vote

Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke at a unity rally in Calgary as Alberta prepared to vote on staying a province or initiating a legal step toward a future separation referendum, with voting ending Saturday and the final count on Monday. He warned that outside forces, including the United States’ trade dispute with Canada and talk of annexation, were trying to weaken the nation, and urged Albertans not to use the vote merely as a protest, saying a decisive result could resolve the matter. Carney noted Albertan frustrations over oil‑resource control and pointed to the newly approved Pacific Link pipeline as evidence of a new economic path that could generate jobs, reduce U.S. dependence, and fund social programs. Tanya Clemens of Let Alberta Decide said Carney’s deals with Premier Danielle Smith were modest and did not address historic grievances.