Carney urges Alberta to vote to stay in Canada, reject nine other questions

Prime Minister Mark Carney campaigned in Calgary on Thursday, urging Albertans to vote to stay in Canada in Monday's referendum. He told supporters to choose Option 1 to stay in Confederation and to vote "No to the Nine," according to CBC.

The ballot holds 10 questions in total, The Globe and Mail reported. The main question asks whether Alberta should remain in Canada or hold a second, binding vote on leaving Canada. The other nine questions deal with proposals from Premier Danielle Smith on immigration and constitutional reform.

Smith has said she voted to stay in Canada while urging Albertans to vote yes on the other nine questions. She said a vote to stay, combined with yes votes on the nine, would give her leverage to press for Alberta's interests within a united Canada.

Carney was scheduled to appear with former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk at a Forever Canadian rally in favour of staying in Canada. Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was scheduled to appear with Smith in Calgary ahead of the vote. Both leaders brought a pro-unity message to the province in the final days before the referendum, CBC reported.

The vote is the first time Alberta has put a question about leaving Canada to voters, according to The Globe and Mail. The provincial government lists Oct. 19 as voting day and has launched the website AlbertaReferendum2026.ca with information for voters.