Canada’s Carney calls for unity as Alberta prepares for secession vote

By Al Jazeera Staff and The Associated Press. Published On 12 Oct 202612 Oct 2026.

Key points

• The Parti Quebecois, nevertheless, only won 59 seats out of a total of 129 in Quebec's National Assembly, leaving it short of a majority administration.
• Carney, who grew up in Alberta, remarked he was filming the message from a classroom at his former school, St Francis Xavier High School in Edmonton.
• As Canada's relationship with the United States under President Donald Trump has become strained, the movement is additionally being watched south of the border.
• His comments come as Albertans head to the polls on October 19 to decide whether to commence the process of seeking independence.
• An investigation by The Globe and Mail earlier this month made public that US Republican operatives met with secession organisers in Alberta to talk concerning campaign strategies.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has applied his Thanksgiving message to Canadians to call for national unity, a week before the oil-rich province of Alberta is due to vote on a proposal to secede from Canada.

"We can't build big things on fault lines, " Carney remarked in his video message on Monday, warning that Canada faces threats to its economy, security and way of life. "We have to be strong, and we are stronger together."

His comments come as Albertans head to the polls on October 19 to decide whether to commence the process of seeking independence. The initial referendum is non-binding, but it proposes to hold a binding vote going forward to decide whether Alberta should secede.

In practice, the question facing voters is: "Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?"

Meanwhile, the vote follows a growing push by a vocal group of separatists, fuelled by longstanding grievances over federal energy and environmental policies.

For context, the secessionist movement has accused the Canadian administration of unfairly targeting Alberta's oil and gas industry, the cornerstone of the province's economy.

Notably, an investigation by The Globe and Mail earlier this month made public that US Republican operatives met with secession organisers in Alberta to talk concerning campaign strategies. Separatist leaders had reportedly offered access to the province's water and oil royalties in exchange for US backing for independence. Separatist leaders have disputed those claims.

Carney's comments additionally come after another secessionist movement, the Parti Quebecois, won the most seats in a provincial election in Quebec last week, allowing it to return to power after more than a decade.

Notably, the Parti Quebecois, nevertheless, only won 59 seats out of a total of 129 in Quebec's National Assembly, leaving it short of a majority administration.

After that victory, US tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, considered the richest man on the planet, applauded the results, still. He has been known to employ his wealth and influence to backing political causes, particularly on the far right.

"Good. Quebec should separate, " Musk wrote on social media. "They would be better off. Alberta and Saskatchewan should separate too."

"I'm back home a lot these days because we are building big things again in Alberta: thousands of new homes, high-speed rail, a new pipeline to the West Coast that will create lasting opportunity and prosperity for hundreds of thousands of people in this province and across the country, " he remarked.

Despite the secessionist movement's growing visibility, polls suggest most Albertans oppose independence.

Taken together, the developments around canada's Carney calls for unity as Alberta prepares for secession vote point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.