Days before Albertans vote on whether to begin a path toward separation, the prime minister and the premier stood side by side on Question 10 while still disagreeing on the other nine.
With the Alberta referendum only days away, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith appeared together on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at a brewery in Red Deer to urge Albertans to keep the province in Canada. The joint appearance was rare for two leaders who often clash in public, and it showed how much is riding on Monday’s vote.
The show of unity had limits. Both leaders want voters to choose to remain in Canada on the ballot’s final question. They are on opposite sides of the other nine, which deal with immigration, services for newcomers and constitutional powers.
A Red Deer Brewery Becomes the Stage for a Rare Carney–Smith Alliance
The event at Red Hart Brewing in central Alberta came midway through Carney’s two-day swing through the province. He stopped in Red Deer on Friday while travelling from a Forever Canadian rally in Calgary on Thursday to another in Edmonton that evening.
Smith acknowledged the unusual pairing directly. She said she and the prime minister frequently disagree in public, but that on Question 10 they would both be voting for Option 1, to remain in Canada.
She went further, describing the moment as a turning point in Alberta’s relationship with Ottawa. Smith said she felt that, for the first time in a long while, Alberta and Canada were “walking together.”
Carney struck a similar tone. He conceded that Alberta’s trust in the federal government had been tested, but argued that the province’s interests and Ottawa’s are now aligned and that the country is co-operating again.
What Voters Will Actually Decide on Question 10
Monday’s ballot contains 10 questions. Alberta’s place in Canada is the last of them, and it gives voters two choices. The table below sets out the options and where the two leaders stand.
| Question 10 option | What it means | Carney’s position | Smith’s position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | Alberta remains in Canada | Supports | Supports |
| Option 2 | Begin the process toward a second, binding referendum on separation | Opposes | Opposes |
A win for Option 2 would not take Alberta out of Canada on its own. It would start the process toward a second vote, and that vote would be binding. Carney has warned that backing it simply to “send a message” would be a dangerous bluff, one he said would bring years of uncertainty and lost opportunities for Albertans and other Canadians.
Where Smith and Carney Split on the Other Nine Alberta Referendum Questions
The common ground ends at Question 10. Smith is asking Albertans to vote yes on the remaining nine questions. Taken together, she says, they would give the province more control over immigration and a mandate to seek constitutional changes that shift power away from Ottawa.
Carney has campaigned on the opposite message, urging Albertans to say “no to the nine.” Smith said on Friday that she intends to change his mind.
She also suggested that Alberta is not alone in wanting a bigger say over immigration. Speaking with the prime minister beside her, Smith joked that she had bad news for him: in her view, all of Canada’s premiers want to talk about immigration reform. She signalled that, whatever happens Monday, there is “still more to come” in Alberta’s push for change.
For voters, this means the two leaders’ joint appearance should not be read as a single recommendation for the whole ballot. On the question of staying in Canada, the premier and the prime minister agree. On the nine policy questions, they are asking for opposite answers.
Pacific Link Pipeline and Other Deals Held Up as Proof of Co-operation
Both leaders used the Red Deer stage to point to recent results of their working relationship. Among the examples they cited:
- Energy infrastructure: the announcement of the Pacific Link oil pipeline, which Carney also raised in Edmonton as part of his government’s wish to build major projects with Alberta.
- Intergovernmental agreements: deals on water, housing and defence.
- Legal developments: Smith noted that the Supreme Court of Canada agreed on Thursday to hear an appeal involving the federal ban on single-use plastics, which she presented as another shared win.
Near the end of his short remarks, Carney held up a pair of red knitted mittens. They were made in Red Deer from a pattern by an Ontario designer, using yarn from New Brunswick. He called them a symbol of the “threads” that connect the country, and said the choice facing Albertans on Monday partly reflects those ties.
Former Premiers, Defecting MPs and Mayors in the Red Deer Crowd
The audience included a long list of political figures from different parties and levels of government. Both leaders singled out several of them from the stage.
- Ed Stelmach: former premier of Alberta.
- Monte Solberg: former MP who served in Stephen Harper’s cabinet.
- Matt Jeneroux: MP for Edmonton Riverbend, who recently left the Conservatives to join the Liberals, citing what he called a national unity crisis.
- Municipal leaders: Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas, former Edmonton mayor Amarjeet Sohi, Sylvan Lake Mayor Megan Hanson, Airdrie Mayor Heather Spearman and Red Deer Mayor Cindy Jefferies.
The mix of former Progressive Conservative and Conservative figures alongside Liberal and municipal officials gave the event a cross-partisan look. That appears to be the point the federalist campaign wants to make in its final days.
Red Deer Mayor Cindy Jefferies on Business Jitters and the Attention Alberta Is Getting
Jefferies said Red Deer had not seen this kind of attention in a long time. She recalled telling federal politicians at a Liberal caucus retreat about a month ago that she had noticed them paying more attention to Alberta lately. She said she does not want that attention to fade once the referendum is over.
She had earlier co-signed a statement with Edmonton Centre MP Eleanor Olszewski urging Albertans to back Option 1 on Question 10. Jefferies said she was reluctant to take a side at first. Local businesses changed her mind, she said, because many told her that uncertainty over the referendum was making it harder to recruit and keep staff.
“I want stability,” she said. Her concern echoes a wider theme for Canadian business readers: political uncertainty can affect hiring, investment and planning well before any result is known. Readers who follow how such developments filter into markets may find our guide on what Canadians should watch as mid-October trading unfolds useful, along with our explainer on how to read weekend data before Monday’s open.
Not Everyone Outside Red Hart Brewing Was Sold
Inside, the brewery was packed with supporters of staying in Canada. Across the road, the picture was different. A few people waved an “Alberta strong” flag, and at least one person said they support an independent Alberta.
Some who came to see the prime minister had not made up their minds the way the organizers hoped. Red Deer resident Kelsie Petersen said she attended because she had never seen a prime minister in person. She plans to vote for Option 2 on Question 10. She said she would rather Alberta did not separate, but she wants the province to get “a better deal.”
Her reasoning is the kind of protest vote Carney has warned against. It also shows why both campaigns are working hard for turnout and for undecided voters in the final weekend.
Carney’s Edmonton Homecoming: “The Stakes Are High”
Later on Friday, Carney spoke to a large, enthusiastic crowd at Edmonton’s Expo Centre. He framed the vote in stark terms. He said the referendum had come at the worst possible time, as the world grows more dangerous and divided. He also warned that some outside Canada’s borders are working to break the country apart.
He told the audience that turnout could decide the result. He asked supporters to make sure friends and family vote, and urged them to vote as though Canada’s future depended on it.
Carney also leaned on his personal ties to the city. He said he grew up in Edmonton and credited the city, the province and the country with giving him his family, his education and his values.
Several speakers warmed up the crowd before him: Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack, Edmonton Oilers great Kevin Lowe, and Thomas Lukaszuk. Lukaszuk is a former deputy premier of Alberta who now leads the Forever Canadian campaign. He told the crowd that separation would not solve the province’s problems and that future generations would judge Albertans by how they voted. He also urged voters to show the world that Canada is united and independent and will never become a 51st U.S. state.
Smith and Poilievre Carry the Unity Message to Calgary’s Canada Strong and Free Network Conference
After Red Deer, Smith was expected to travel to Calgary to address the Canada Strong and Free Network conference. Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had already spoken there earlier on Friday, making his own case for unity.
That means the prime minister, the Alberta premier and the federal Opposition leader all made public appeals for Albertans to stay in Canada on the same day. It is a rare alignment among leaders who are usually rivals, and it reflects how seriously the national political class is treating Monday’s vote.
Albertans head to the polls on Monday. Results on Question 10 will show whether the province stays on its current path or begins the process toward a binding vote on separation. The results on the other nine questions will show how much support Smith’s push for more provincial power actually has.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Alberta referendum?
Voting takes place on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026.
Would a vote for Option 2 on Question 10 mean Alberta leaves Canada?
No. Option 2 would start the process toward a second, binding referendum on separation. It would not separate the province on its own.
What do the other nine questions cover?
They deal with immigration, services for newcomers to Alberta and constitutional matters. Smith says a yes vote would give Alberta more control over immigration and a mandate to seek constitutional changes.
Do Carney and Smith agree on how to vote?
Only on Question 10, where both support Option 1 to remain in Canada. Smith backs yes on the other nine questions, while Carney is urging Albertans to vote no on all of them.
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