Canadian PM Carney Visits Alberta After Separatist Legal Blow

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Alberta on Friday (May 8), just days after the separatist movement in the western province suffered a significant legal defeat in its efforts to hold an independence referendum.

The official visit was announced to launch a cooperation agreement for a crude oil pipeline between the federal government and Alberta, witnessed by Premier Danielle Smith. However, observers suggest the simmering separatist issue will be a prominent theme throughout the trip.

Carney and his Liberal Party are promoting national unity as Canada faces trade tensions and tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Leaders of the Alberta Prosperity Project, one of the leading separatist groups, have sought to capitalize on regional discontent with the Liberal-led federal government. They argue Ottawa has overregulated Alberta's lucrative oil and gas industry.

Earlier this year, members of the group met with U.S. State Department representatives and held positive discussions regarding logistical aspects of a potential secession.

On Wednesday (May 6), separatist supporters faced a heavy blow when a provincial court ruled in favor of a petition by First Nations Indigenous groups to block the separatist referendum.

Justice Shaina Leonard ruled that the province's chief electoral officer erred in allowing separatists to collect signatures for the referendum. She emphasized the process should have included consultation with Indigenous peoples, whose rights could be affected if Alberta left Canada. “The independence of Alberta would fundamentally breach” land treaties Indigenous peoples have signed with Canada, Justice Leonard said.

The ruling came after another separatist group, Stay Free Alberta, claimed to have submitted a petition with over 300,000 signatures to Elections Alberta. If accepted, the signatures would be enough to trigger a referendum.

Premier Smith called the ruling “legally wrong” and said the provincial government would appeal. Although she does not support Alberta’s secession, Smith has maintained a cautious stance toward movement supporters, including passing laws that make it easier to organize referendums, such as reducing the required number of signatures.

Polls regularly show about one-third of Alberta’s population supports secession.

The preliminary pipeline agreement announced Friday was a compromise between Carney’s Liberal Party, which favors tighter environmental regulations, and Smith, a populist leader who has long championed the project. Before the meeting, Carney stressed the deal came with “many prerequisites,” including stricter industrial carbon taxes and the creation of a new carbon capture project.

Analysts say Carney must also tread carefully on the separatist issue. Adrienne Davidson, a political science professor at McMaster University in Ontario, told Reuters: “It would be dangerous for Carney to wade into the Alberta debate and try to dismiss the sovereignty idea. That could be seen as Ottawa wanting to run the show and could easily backfire.”