Carney urges US to respect Canadian sovereignty after Alberta separatist talks
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned the United States to respect Canada’s sovereignty after reports that Alberta separatists held discussions with officials in Washington about the province potentially leaving the country.
Mr Carney said he had made Canada’s position clear to Donald Trump, stressing that any conversations about Alberta’s future must remain a matter for Canadians alone.
“We expect the US administration to respect Canadian sovereignty,” he said. “I am always clear with President Trump on that point.”
Alberta’s premier Danielle Smith echoed that message, saying she expected US officials to stay out of Alberta’s democratic process.
“This is a conversation for Albertans and Canadians,” she said.
Separatist contacts with Washington
The comments follow a report in the Financial Times that activists linked to Alberta’s separatist movement had met senior figures in the Trump administration.
Separatist groups in the province are currently collecting signatures to trigger a petition process that could lead to a referendum on leaving Canada.
The report sparked criticism from several provincial leaders. British Columbia Premier David Eby said seeking foreign assistance to break up Canada amounted to treason.
“To go to another country and ask for help in breaking up Canada, there is an old fashioned word for that,” he said. “That word is treason.”
His remarks were dismissed as “stupid” by Jeffrey Rath, a supporter of independence who confirmed meetings had taken place in Washington.
Mr Rath, a co founder of the Alberta Prosperity Project, told the BBC his group had travelled to Washington three times in the past year as private citizens on what he described as a fact finding mission.
He said discussions included a feasibility study into a possible $500bn line of credit from the United States should Alberta separate, although he denied soliciting funding and declined to name the officials involved.
A White House official told the BBC that administration figures meet with a wide range of civil society groups and that no support or commitments had been offered.
Political reaction across Canada
Canadian premiers are currently meeting in Ottawa ahead of trade talks linked to a review of the US Canada Mexico free trade agreement.
Ms Smith said she would raise Alberta’s concerns directly with US officials and the US ambassador, while maintaining that her government supports a strong Alberta within a united Canada.
She said she would not demonise Albertans who favour a referendum and argued that the province needs to offer residents hope rather than division.
The Ontario premier Doug Ford said Ms Smith should take a firmer stance against separatists, urging her to say “enough is enough”.
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said she believed most Albertans wanted Canada to remain united.
“I think you are talking about a minority of people who are agitating,” she said.
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US comments fuel concern
Tensions were heightened last week when US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared to endorse the idea of closer ties with an independent Alberta.
“Alberta has great resources,” he said in a televised interview. “Albertans are very independent people.”
Anger towards Ottawa has been growing in Alberta for years, particularly over federal policies affecting energy development and pipeline access. However, analysts say outright separation remains unlikely.
Mr Carney recently signed an agreement with Alberta that could allow an oil pipeline to the Pacific coast, although the plan faces opposition from Mr Eby and significant regulatory hurdles.
Public support remains limited
Polling by Ipsos suggests around three in ten Alberta residents would support beginning a separation process, although about one fifth of those respondents said a leave vote would be symbolic rather than a genuine desire to exit Canada.
Late last year, more than 430,000 people signed a counter petition calling for a united Canada.
Indigenous leaders in Alberta have also raised concerns, warning that no separation could proceed without consultation with treaty holders whose agreements predate the province’s creation.
Some analysts have warned that foreign involvement could amplify the separatist movement beyond its actual level of support.
Conflict researcher Thomas Homer Dixon has cautioned that outside influence could destabilise Canada if claims of interference or disputed referendum results were used to challenge the country’s territorial integrity.
He has urged Canadian authorities to prepare for such scenarios, warning that the country risks “sleepwalking” into a crisis if the issue is not addressed early.
