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.
asserted
province → use → 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.
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Canada → build → life
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“We have to be strong, and we are stronger together.”
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we → take → Canada
His comments come as Albertans head to the polls on October 19 to decide whether to begin the process of seeking independence.
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Albertans → come → independence
The initial referendum is non-binding, but it proposes to hold a binding vote in the future to decide whether Alberta should secede.
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Alberta → propose → future
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?”
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Alberta → face → Canada
The vote follows a growing push by a vocal group of separatists, fuelled by longstanding grievances over federal energy and environmental policies.
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vote → follow → 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.
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movement → accuse → 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.
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relationship → watch → Trump
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.
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operatives → reveal → strategies
Separatist leaders had reportedly offered access to the province’s water and oil royalties in exchange for US support for independence.
uncertain
leaders → offer → independence
Separatist leaders have disputed those claims.
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leaders → dispute → claims
Carney’s comments also come after another secessionist movement, the Parti Quebecois, won the most seats in a provincial election in Quebec last week, allowing it to return to power after more than a decade.
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it → come → decade
The Parti Quebecois, however, only won 59 seats out of a total of 129 in Quebec’s National Assembly, leaving it short of a majority government.
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Quebecois → win → government
Still, following that victory, US tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, considered the richest man on the planet, applauded the results.
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Musk → follow → results
He has been known to use his wealth and influence to support political causes, particularly on the far right.
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He → know → right
Quebec should separate,” Musk wrote on social media.
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Musk → separate → media
Alberta and Saskatchewan should separate too.”
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Alberta → separate → ?
Carney, who grew up in Alberta, said he was filming the message from a classroom at his former school, St Francis Xavier High School in Edmonton.
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he → grow → Edmonton
“I’m back home a lot these days because we are building big things again in Alberta: thousands of new homes, high-speed rail, a new pipeline to the West Coast that will create lasting opportunity and prosperity for hundreds of thousands of people in this province and across the country,” he said.
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he → ’m → country
Despite the secessionist movement’s growing visibility, polls suggest most Albertans oppose independence.
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Albertans → grow → independence
The Aporia
