Alberta Premier says 'let's remain in Canada' as Carney warns US is trying to break the country ahead of Monday's referendum

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have united in calling on Albertans to vote against separation ahead of Monday's referendum. At a Calgary rally attended by around 5,000 people, Carney cautioned that outside forces are "working to break us so they can own us," a pointed reference to Trump's repeated threats to annex Canada as the 51st state. Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre also urged Albertans to stay, contending that leaving is "the easy way out."

Monday's vote falls short of a direct independence decision, but a 'yes' result would instruct the government to begin the legal process toward a future separation referendum.

Carney warned Albertans against treating the vote as a form of protest: 'A vote against Canada is a dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep division.'

Alberta holds the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves, making its potential separation a major prize in Trump's ongoing trade war with Canada.