Prime Minister Mark Carney came to Alberta’s capital city Friday evening to say what he had to say about why Albertans need to vote to remain in Canada at a standing-room-only Forever Canadian rally in the old EXPO Centre hockey rink, which was pretty much the same thing he’d said the night before to a capacity crowd in Calgary.
It didn’t matter that there wasn’t much about the prime minister’s message that was new, though. The enthusiastic crowd of 6,000 souls in Edmonton may have heard it all before, but they wanted to hear for themselves what the prime minister had to say. They cheered him lustily throughout the event organized by former Alberta Progressive Conservative deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk’s Forever Canadian organization.
Indeed, the only reason there were fewer in the Edmonton audience than at the BMO Centre inside Calgary’s Stampede Park – where about 8,000 Albertans turned out to hear Mr. Carney’s message – was fire regulations. Both venues were filled to capacity and people had to be turned away at the door both nights.
On Friday in Edmonton, the city where he grew up, Mr. Carney’s primary message was delivered in a dramatic call and response. “Show your pride,” said the prime minister, pausing between each word. “Wear the maple leaf!” (Loud cheers.) “Wear the sweater!” (More applause.)
“Tell your friends, your family, your co-workers, why you’re voting for Canada!” (Loud applause.) “If you haven’t already voted, bring a friend, and vote like Canada’s future depends on it. Because it does!” (Cries of agreement.)
“And don’t, please don’t, let anyone tell you that this is already decided.” (From where I stood, you could hear many shouts of NO!) “Turnout will determine the outcome!” (A shout of, That’s right!) “And don’t be fooled by the idea that you can send a message with your vote.” (More shouts of NO!)
“This is not a game,” Mr. Carney continued to more applause. “This is not poker. A vote against Canada is a dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep uncertainty and lost opportunities for Albertans and Canadians. Our country and your futures are too precious to play games with.”
“The stakes are high,” he had warned the crowd a few moments before. “This referendum comes at the worst possible time. The world is becoming more dangerous and divided. … There are some outside our borders who are working to break us, so they can own us.” Everyone knew who he had in mind.
And inside our borders too, alas, it must be noted. One of whom, Alberta’s premier – who has lately taken to describing herself as being in favour of remaining in Canada despite months of doing everything she could to enable Alberta separatists who want to break up the country – appeared beside Mr. Carney earlier in the day at a smaller pro-Confederation event in Red Deer.
Come what may, it is Danielle Smith who owns the disruption and division caused by tomorrow’s separation referendum and its noxious nine referenda on immigration and the constitution. I’m pretty sure that if Premier Smith had shown up in Edmonton Friday night, the passionate crowd, many dressed in red and white and waving our Maple Leaf Flag, would have booed her.
“But we know that we can give ourselves more than anyone else can take away,” Mr. Carney concluded that section of his speech. “And we know that when we are united, we become even stronger, fairer, and freer. At this pivotal moment, Albertans have a choice: we can build a stronger Alberta and an even greater Canada to leave for our children, or we can burden them with years of deep divisions and great uncertainty. A decisive result on Monday will settle this question.”
Speaking of heckles, there were very few. From the podium, the prime minister, sounding momentarily irritated but hardly rattled, asked one persistent but unintelligible shouter to show some respect for the Canadian soldiers he was describing in his speech.
My sense Friday night in Edmonton was that a far larger percentage of this audience than usual was made up of what the late Alberta premier Ralph Klein used to call “severely normal Albertans,” proud Canadians and Albertans who viewed the prime minister with respect and even affection. That is to say, not the usual denizens of political events.
Was there any unexpected news, other than the crowd size and its enthusiasm for the PM’s message? Not really, although in reference to the proposed Pacific Link pipeline project, Mr. Carney described how its revenues would “protect the social programs Albertans rely on every day, including health care, dental care, and child care.”
Does this mean Ottawa is committed to ensuring that public health care survives in Alberta, despite the depredations of Ms. Smith’s United Conservative Party Government? Was there a suggestion in this that Ottawa’s dental care and child care programs will be expanded, or at least preserved? One can hope.
As for the other speakers at the professionally choreographed event Friday – Mr. Lukaszuk, Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack, retired Edmonton Oilers star Kevin Lowe, and, via video recording, former NDP premier Rachel Notley – their remarks were short and to the point. It was nice to see former CBC host Mark Connolly back at the mic as the master of ceremonies.
Still, the production was designed to feature Mr. Carney’s message.
“Let’s show the rest of Canada that Alberta is not the weak link in Confederation,” said Mr. Lukaszuk in his introductory remarks. “Friends, we are making history over here, and I know that 50 or 100 years from now, our children and grandchildren will be studying about this moment in their social studies classes, and they will be looking back at us in 2026 and judging us for who we were.”
“How much do we care about Canada? Do we care about Canada enough to go out and vote?”
“They will be judging us on all the other remaining questions,” Mr. Lukaszuk added. “I say to you, let’s set a record and show up at the ballot boxes in unprecedented numbers. Let’s show the rest of Canada, let’s show our Alberta Legislature, and let’s show the rest of this world that this country cannot be broken apart, that we will always be together from coast to coast to coast, because that is our strength.”
In his report on Friday’s event, my blogging colleague Dave Cournoyer has included a transcript of Mr. Lukaszuk’s remarks.
“Let’s talk about those other nine questions for just a moment,” said Mayor Knack in his short remarks. “I think it’s important to say that everyone – and I mean everyone – deserves the same access and opportunity to important public services, like getting to see a doctor or sending their kids to school. This referendum removes focus and resources from addressing these real priorities, and that’s why I will be resoundingly voting no to the nine!”
More than a million referendum ballots have already been cast by Albertans by mail and in advance polls. Advance polls closed last night. All Election Day voting places will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow.
“A massive voter turnout will shut down damaging and divisive separatist discussion, secure our economic future, and restore stability once and for all,” said Mr. Lukaszuk, echoing the prime minister, in a statement after Friday’s rally.
For their part, Alberta secessions vowed to fight on regardless of the referendum result at a rally yesterday in front of the Alberta Legislative Building. The event was sparsely attended compared to the same group’s rally in October 2025.
Very impressive! There have been people who downplayed the turnout, but it was very large. Many people were there. Canada is worth protecting. It will be interesting to see how this referendum turns out, because I can’t trust the UCP or Danielle Smith to deal with it ethically. Furthermore, I think the separatists will turn on Danielle Smith. The UCP and Danielle Smith have got to go.
It’s Carneymania! There, I said it. Listening to the speech, I half expected the crowd to break out and sing “Canada, I wanna hold your hand.” Could this be the basis of a new national anthem. Just musing.
Great event! Well planned and conducted, kudos to the organizers! Lots of Canadians standing next to the No Standing signs. As well as sitting in folding chairs the staff brought out! Definitely an over full house!
While Reformers Danielle Smith and Pierre Poilievre try to pretend that they want Alberta to stay in Canada not one single pretend Conservative MP or UCP MLA has voiced their concerns with what separation would do to us except for Red Deer UCP MLA Jason Stephan and he wants to waste millions more on another Referendum that’s how stupid he is.
Of course Smith and Poilievre want to get re-elected in Alberta and are trying to save their ass and don’t want to show how they really feel. They were the ones who got this stupidity started in the first place and didn’t bother to put a stop to it.
I have things to say about the kind of world Danielle Smith envisions for Albertans. It is a world where public health care delivered in the public system is not available to any of us. Immigrants are the wedge she is using in this referendum to take it away. She is using “them”, just as she will use “us”.
Two fatal incidents in past three days show us why we need our public health system and value it, for all of our people. Danielle Smith’s way is not the Canadian way.
The day of reckoning is upon us. Do we side with Canada or Danielle Smith and her UCP? Do we divide our province and country?
I say no. No to the nine, vote to stay. Send Danielle Smith and her UCP a message. Send a message to the U.S., too. We do not want to be annexed. We want to stay in Canada. We don’t want U.S.-style hatred and division. Canada forever!
There is no question Mark Carney is a lot like our hero Peter Lougheed and is desperately trying to make all our lives better by getting more markets for our exports and imports away from the U.S., yet Poilievre continues to bad mouth him and prove how stupid he truly is. Him and Smith are so pro American Republican Party it’s sickening.
I have had all sorts of stupid seniors say to me “ How do you call yourself a Conservative when refuse to support them”. The answer is simple I know the difference between a true conservative and a fake one reformer, so why don’t you?
Lawyers and true conservative MLAs taught me to never trust a a Reformer they destroy jobs not create them, and cater to helping the rich steal the people’s oil wealth and corporate taxes and that’s exactly what these Reformers have done. It’s no secret that we have lost $1.4 trillion putting us in financial ruin thanks to gullible Albertans supporting the word “Conservative”, proving just how stupid they are creating a nightmare for our children to grandchildren to deal with. It didn’t happen in Alaska and Norway did it, so why did these gullible Albertans allow it to happen to us?
Alan K. Spiller: You certainly have it right. I definitely don’t trust the referendum to be done in an honest manner. That’s because these phony Conservatives and Reformers play games.
Stupid me, but I didn’t realize that Mr. Lukaszuk is an immigrant; that is, he was born in Poland. Surprised the seppies didn’t jump on that.
Unintended consequences, like karma, are a bitch. Who would ever have imagined a standing room only crowd to hear a Liberal Prime Minister in Alberta? Well, here we are thanks to Danielle Smith. I bet PP is furious with her. First, she helped sink his election run in 2025 by aligning him publicly with the Trump administration. Now, she’s created a ‘national unity crisis’ which allows Mark Carney and the Liberals to shine. Smith thought her separation referendum would keep her party united and save her political butt. Instead, it’s weakening her position as premier, undermining the federal Conservatives and threatening the Blue Wall. Whoopsie!
The best day in Northern Alberta in a very long time. Thank you, Prime Minister Carney -you are an Albertan who can carry his head high because you are not hauling off the booty like the ruling UCP. Save Alberta from Hinterlanders. Sincere condolences to the people of Wainwright.
Funny how this event and the one in Calgary were put together with a massive response where people needed to be turned away, while the separatist rally at the Legislature required people to be bused in to make the crowd larger. Totally pathetic.
I got called in early by Elections Alberta to help prep ballot packages for tomorrow.
Why you may ask? Because EA is expecting well north of 85% turnout now.
That is good news, Gerald. Thank you for sharing.
I was there too, but you definitely had the better spot, Dave : )
It was, without a doubt, a love-fest for PM Carney. I was really surprised; he does not seem to me to be a charismatic fellow. I think many see him as saving us from President Trump’s acquisitive America. Putting quite a lot of their expectations on him.
At the start, people were coming in and getting seated, swaying and clapping and waving flags in time with the American pop songs play list on the speakers. The irony was lost on that happy crowd. (To be fair, Shania Twain came up on the play list.) Then, for the last song, ‘(Never the) 51st State’ by Bryan Adams, and everyone was singing along with the chorus.
I thought Thomas Lukaszuk was the easiest speaker, making his points with a friendly and straight-forward manner.
I thought Kevin Lowe was conceding a lot to the separatist cause, bring up past issues like the NEP, Alberta needs a better deal, and so on. He was seemingly making a case for voting, in the referendum, for a referendum on Alberta independence. He was clear he did not want Alberta separation, but his talk was not persuasive for the case he was trying to make.
I don’t think the crowd broke 6000 that night, but I would say we comfortably cracked 5000. Maybe there were more people standing at the back I couldn’t see.
If I am understanding the federalist team’s strategy, it is to crush this separatist referendum with overwhelming numbers, and that includes a big No to the Nine. If this victory is resounding, then Premier Danielle Smith will not be able to come back on PM Carney and shove a stick in his spokes when he is in a difficult discussion with America, and claiming she has a mandate from Albertans. Because, otherwise, of course, she will.
So, that’s a good federalist strategy, and I hope it works; these are dangerous times. But…
I really don’t see a successful Carney, buoyed by a strong result on Monday, coming back later with ‘improvements’ any time. No electoral reform, Senate reform, devolving powers to the provinces, gutting environmental protection, renouncing global warming, even reinstating he & she pronouns, nothing that would turn or blunt western alienation. Carney just has too much to do fighting the desperate battle against Trump’s America. And, frankly, it is he who will have the mandate, from us Albertans, to ignore our concerns. On Friday he said “Canada is not perfect, but it is the best!” With a big remain-in-Canada win, there will be no need to improve Canada, because Albertans will have said it’s fine as-is. There may be some pipeline mega projects, and that will have to do.
I quite agreed with Mayor Andrew Knack that the nine referendum questions, chosen by the provincial government, do indeed remove focus and resources from other, real, priorities. I see them as a lunge for leverage over the federal government, and I genuinely resent them be presented like this. But, OK, these questions come from the government consulting with their rural constituents who are, none-the-less, Albertans. If Premier Danielle Smith had brought these questions up, one at a time, for province-wide discussion, I would very much be on-side with that democratic approach. We could, collectively, have discussed pro’s and cons of each issue, and we may have reached some kind of understanding or compromise on some of these. But, used as a political weapon, No to the Nine! It’s a valid rallying cry.
Long ramble, thank you for your patience.
““This referendum comes at the worst possible time. The world is becoming more dangerous and divided. … There are some outside our borders who are working to break us, so they can own us.” Everyone knew who he had in mind.”
Bay Street, Wall Street, and others have a strategic interest in Mr. Carney and vice versa, because in the midst of every ‘crisis’, manufactured or not, there are great profit making opportunities for entities such as Blackstone, Blackrock, and the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, for example.
https://breachmedia.ca/gulf-billionaire-dictators-are-looking-to-cash-in-on-mark-carneys-investment-bonanza/
Where, “A typical cups and balls routine includes many of the most fundamental effects of magic: the balls can vanish, appear, transpose, reappear and transform. Basic skills, such as misdirection, manual dexterity, sleight of hand, and audience management are also essential to most cups and balls routines.”
Distraction is always crucial for a successful manipulation and exploit.
The referendumb is a scam and also functions as a kind of Skinner Box. Phoney as it is, Albertans do actually have to go out and vote against the most absurd proposition, along with the Klan Nine From Outerspace, because the derp is potentially dangerous if left unchecked. The destruction of a nation state is essentially always mayhem and bloodshed. But Canada remains an imperialist colonialist capitalist entity and the Carny Banker a war-mongering lackey of international speculative finance and US imperialism. Strategy of Tension, driving Canadians to embrace neoliberalism and militarism at the same time. The vote is a mafia-style protection racket move: “Be a real shame if something happened to that universal healthcare youse got there.”
Here it is referendum day and I just got this text:
“Hi, it’s Danielle Smith. I voted Option One to remain and I’m asking you to do the same.
If you want to send Ottawa a message, vote YES on questions 1-9 to support seeking greater provincial authority for Alberta.
Vote today, Oct. 19. Polls are open 9am to 8pm.
I want to hear from you. Reply YES and we’ll send you a short survey.
Authorized by the UCP 1-888-465-2660”
It’s one thing you remind people to vote. It’s another thing for the premier of the province to contact registered voters on referendum day to tell them how to vote. Whatever scruples conservative politicians once had are gone. She’s MAGA now. Did she get my number from David Parker? Toooo late!
I just finished my stint as record clerk. Could have gone sideways so many ways … and didn’t. Wasn’t perfect, but was actually reasonable.
I’m sure there was seperafools present, but they were churchmouse quiet. One thing I did notice – but couldn’t respond to – Smith is wildly unpopular. Multiple voters brought it up.