Carney warns 'stakes are high' at pro-Confederation rally in Edmonton
Prime Minister Mark Carney will speak at Edmonton's Expo Centre on Friday night to urge Albertans to vote to stay in Canada in a provincial referendum.
Prime minister set to deliver remarks in support of Canadian unity ahead of referendum
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Mark Carney attends rally ahead of Alberta referendum
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Prime Minister Mark Carney is showing his support for Albertans voting to remain part of Canada by attending a rally in Edmonton put on by the Forever Canadian group. Carney was invited and accepted the invitation to attend the rally by the Forever Canadian organizers.Prime Minister Mark Carney will speak at Edmonton's Expo Centre on Friday night to urge Albertans to vote to stay in Canada in a provincial referendum.
Earlier in the day, Carney spoke at a pro-unit event in Red Deer.
Alberta and Canada don't agree on everything, but they're on the same page when it comes to staying in Confederation, Premier Danielle Smith told a crowd in Red Deer Friday.
"We often disagree quite publicly on several things," she said. "But today we can all agree that on Question 10, we are voting for Option 1 to remain in Canada."
Albertans are set to get to polls on Monday for a 10-question referendum. On Question 10, Albertans will choose either Option 1, to remain in Canada, or Option 2, to begin the process to hold a second, binding referendum on separation.
Smith joined Prime Minister Mark Carney at a brewery in Red Deer, as he passed through on his way from Thursday's Forever Canadian rally in Calgary and the one set to take place in Edmonton Friday.
"This is now a time, a moment in Canadian history, where we are going to be able to work side by side," Smith said. "I feel for the first time in a long time, Alberta and Canada are walking together."
Carney said Alberta's trust in the federal government has been tested, but their interests are now aligned.
"As a country, we are co-operating again," he said. "Canada is working again. We are coming together. "
WATCH | United we stand:
Premier says Alberta and Canada 'walking together' for first time in a long time
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At a campaign stop with Prime Minister Mark Carney, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she and Carney can agree on voting to remain in Canada in the upcoming referendum, but 'there is still more to come' and she is going to vote yes to the nine other questions on the ballot. 'I have bad news for you, prime minister - all of the premiers are interested in talking about immigration reform,' Smith said.Both leaders urged Albertans to vote and listed examples of what their recent co-operation has achieved, including the announcement of the Pacific Link pipeline and agreements on water, housing and defence.
There are more shared wins to come, Smith said, noting the Supreme Court of Canada agreed Thursday to hear an appeal of the federal ban on single-use plastics.
While Carney and Smith agree on a united Canada, Smith wants Albertans to vote "yes" on nine referendum questions that would give the province more control over immigration and a mandate to pursue constitutional changes to wrest power from Ottawa.
Prime Minister Mark Carney attends a national unity rally in Red Deer alongside Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (John Ulan/The Canadian Press)
Carney, meanwhile, has urged Albertans to say “no to the nine.”
Smith said Friday she will work to change his mind.
Near the end of his brief comments, Carney held up a pair of red, knitted mittens, calling them a symbol.
They were made in Red Deer with a pattern by an Ontario designer and yarn from New Brunswick. He cited the mittens as an example of the “threads that link us as a country.”
“What we're facing on Monday is, in part, a reflection of that.”
Both leaders called out notable politicians in the crowd, including former Alberta premier Ed Stelmach and former MP Monte Solberg from Stephen Harper's cabinet. Matt Jeneroux, the MP for Edmonton Riverbend, was also there.
A number of current and former municipal leaders also attended the event, like Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas, former Edmonton mayor Amarjeet Sohi, Sylvan Lake Mayor Megan Hanson, Airdrie Mayor Heather Spearman and Red Deer Mayor Cindy Jefferies.
"I don't think Red Deer's seen this kind of attention for some time," Jefferies said.
She added that when she attended a Liberal caucus retreat a month ago, she told federal politicians at the time that she has noticed them paying more attention to Alberta recently and that she doesn't want that to stop when the referendum is over.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is seen at a national unity rally at a brewery in Red Deer, Alta., on Oct. 16, 2026. (Lina Elsaadi/CBC News)
Jefferies had co-signed a statement with Edmonton Centre MP Eleanor Olszewski last month calling for Albertans to vote for Option 1 on Question 10.
"I hesitated to take a position on it," she told CBC News. "But listening to businesses in the community, many of them were having concerns around recruiting and retention of staff because of the uncertainty created in our province with respect to this referendum and the discussion that's going on.
"I want stability."
While the brewery was filled with people who support Alberta staying in Canada, some people could be seen across the road waving an "Alberta strong" flag and one person told CBC News they support the idea of an independent Alberta.
Red Deer resident Kelsie Petersen said she came because she "never had a chance to see a prime minister before." She said she will vote for Option 2 on Question 10 because even though she "wants a better deal for Alberta," she would rather not separate.
Pro-remain supporters gather outside of Red Hart Brewing in Red Deer, Alta., on Friday, Oct. 16. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith spoke inside the brewery, making a pitch for unity before the Alberta referendum on Monday. (Lina Elsaadi/CBC)
Carney is scheduled to speak later Friday at a Forever Canadian rally in Edmonton, while Smith is headed to Calgary to speak at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference. Earlier Friday, Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made his pitch for unity at the same conference.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kerry Powell is an editor on the CBC Edmonton digital news desk. She has been telling Edmonton stories for more than three decades, with stints at the Edmonton Journal and Global Edmonton, where she was the managing editor.
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