Mark Carney makes closing argument to Alberta against path to independence from Canada: outsiders ‘are working to break us so they can own us. Never’

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a final appeal to voters considering a path toward independence in his home province of Alberta on Friday, warning that a referendum is a dangerous gamble at a time of growing threats to Canada’s sovereignty.

With U.S.

President Donald Trump waging a trade war and threatening to make Canada the 51st state, Carney warned that the referendum comes at the “worst possible time” and urged Albertans not to take the outcome for granted.

“Don’t let anyone tell you this is already decided.

Turnout will determine the outcome,” Carney told a pro-Canada rally in Edmonton, where he grew up.

“This is not a game.

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,” he said.

Monday’s vote is not a direct referendum on independence.

Alberta, home to most of Canada’s proven oil reserves — the fourth largest in the world — will decide whether to remain a province or instruct the government to begin the legal process toward a future referendum on separation.

Carney’s closing appeal came after two days of campaigning against separation in the province.

Earlier Friday, the Liberal prime minister joined Alberta’s conservative premier Danielle Smith in a show of unity against independence.

Smith praised Carney for improving relations with a province that frequently clashed with his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, over his carbon tax and other energy policies.

“I think what we can agree on is that we have had some real change in the last 18 months,” Smith said alongside Carney in Red Deer, Alberta.