Prime Minister Mark Carney met with members of the Forever Canadian campaign in Banff, Alta., on Friday, September 11, 2026, drawing praise from the group’s head, Thomas Lukaszuk, who described Carney as a calm and reassuring leader during trade negotiations with the White House. Carney greeted about 50 supporters, wrote ‘Canada is everyone and for everyone’ on the campaign’s pink RV, and joined the crowd as they sang O Canada. The meeting followed the final day of a federal cabinet retreat in the province. Alberta is scheduled to hold a referendum on October 19 regarding whether to hold a second vote on leaving Canada. While Carney has urged residents to participate and vote, he has not actively campaigned on the ground, emphasizing instead his focus on delivering an economic agenda based on cooperative federalism. Lukaszuk expressed hope that Carney would become more personally engaged later in the campaign and called on federal Conservatives, including Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, to step up their involvement. During a closing news conference, Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski stated that the federal government’s role is not to dictate how Albertans should vote, but rather to act as a strong partner and demonstrate that Canada benefits all regions. Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas also commended Carney and his cabinet for their visible presence and hard work across both urban and rural communities in the province.
Source: cbc.ca
