Carney says Canada 'worth fighting for' as Alberta separation vote nears

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada is "worth fighting for," a week ahead of Alberta's separation referendum.

In a Thanksgiving Day video message, Carney said the federal government is building "big things" in Alberta, including a new pipeline to the West Coast, but that Canada can't achieve those goals if the country is divided.

"You can't build big things on fault lines," he said.

READ MORE: Albertans vote on separation referendum question Oct. 19

READ MORE: Poilievre to deliver unity speech in Alberta ahead of separation referendum

Albertans will vote on Oct. 19 on whether the province should stay in Canada or hold a second, binding separation referendum.

The outcome of that vote will not automatically trigger the province's separation, but it will send a message to those vying to keep Canada together and those trying to pull it apart, CBC News reported.

Carney also said the country must be strong as it faces threats to its economy, security and culture, and that we are "stronger together."

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is scheduled to speak in Calgary on Friday, urging the province to stay within Canada.

Carney is expected to be in Alberta in the coming week, as the days tick down to the crucial vote, CBC News has learned.

For one Albertan voting in the referendum, recent federal announcements raise red flags about Ottawa's intentions.

"Those announcements could have been made months ago, but they weren't," Angela Tabak, co-founder of Alberta Women’s Independence Network, told Rosemary Barton Live.

"The political games that get played on the Canadian people, Albertans are not that stupid. We see through it."

In Tabak's view, "Our voices and our opinions, our way of life, our economies do not count as much when it comes to the federal government making certain decisions as other areas of the country."

Carney says his government is tracking allegations of foreign interference in the upcoming referendum.

Canada's new foreign influence commissioner said he notified more than 60 groups and individuals involved with the Alberta referendum campaign about legal obligations to report foreign influence.

On Oct. 3, the Globe and Mail reported that as recently as April, some of those campaigning for Alberta independence had met on both sides of the border with U.S. entities.

Pro-separatist organizers were said to have discussed offering U.S. operatives greater access to Alberta's oil and freshwater resources in exchange for supporting the province's independence.

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc played down concerns about interference.

"I don't think it's more intense than we would have expected," LeBlanc told CBC News.

Asked about the Globe and Mail's reporting, LeBlanc said, "We'll let those people explain to Albertans why they thought it was useful to take some trip to Washington and meet some people in a foreign administration to hold out some kind of commitments that they may or may not ever be able to deliver."

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk waded into the separatism debate last week, calling for Alberta, Quebec and Saskatchewan to separate from Canada on X, his social media platform.

Musk's comments were quickly rejected by Carney, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.

Poilievre also weighed in, saying that "we need to spend less time worrying about silly tweets by people who have no power over what Canadians do."

But for some, Musk's unsolicited advice sparked further concerns of foreign influence on the upcoming vote.

"I think that folks who are thinking that there's something to be gained for Albertans by separating ought to ask themselves why certain folks south of the border think they have something to gain from Alberta separating," former Alberta NDP premier Rachel Notley told Rosemary Barton Live.

In his own Thanksgiving message, BC NDP Leader David Eby, who is in the middle of a provincial election campaign, encouraged Albertans to vote for unity with Canada.

He said the two provinces have bonds of family, friendship and business and are "stronger together."

Albertans can begin casting referendum ballots in person at more than 300 stations starting Tuesday.

Nosy Mag reported in October that the ballot includes a question on whether to hold a future, binding vote on the province leaving Canada.

With files from The Canadian Press, CityNews and CBC News