Canada’s Carney calls for unity as Alberta prepares for secession vote

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Thanksgiving message comes a week ahead of Alberta’s vote on a separatism referendum.Prime Minister Mark Carney has used his Thanksgiving message to Canadians to call for national unity, a week before the oil-rich province of Alberta is set to vote on a proposal to secede from Canada.“We can’t build big things on fault lines,” Carney said in his video message on Monday, warning that Canada faces threats to its economy, security and way of life.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US ban on $1bn of Canadian goods takes effect in Trump’s latest retaliationlist 2 of 3Canada to fast track oil pipeline meant to diversify economy away from USlist 3 of 3Secessionist party wins Quebec election in Canadaend of list“We have to be strong, and we are stronger together.”His comments come as Albertans head to the polls on October 19 to decide whether to begin the process of seeking independence. The initial referendum is non-binding, but it proposes to hold a binding vote in the future to decide whether Alberta should secede.The question facing voters is: “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”The vote follows a growing push by a vocal group of separatists, fuelled by longstanding grievances over federal energy and environmental policies.The secessionist movement has accused the Canadian government of unfairly targeting Alberta’s oil and gas industry, the cornerstone of the province’s economy.The movement is also being watched south of the border, as Canada’s relationship with the United States under President Donald Trump has become strained.An investigation by The Globe and Mail earlier this month revealed that US Republican operatives met with secession organisers in Alberta to talk about campaign strategies. Separatist leaders had reportedly offered access to the province’s water and oil royalties in exchange for US support for independence. Separatist leaders have disputed those claims.