Canadian political leadership has united in condemning meetings between Alberta separatist groups and U.S. officials, framing the interactions as a violation of national sovereignty. Prime Minister Mark Carney and multiple provincial premiers have issued strong statements affirming Canada’s territorial integrity following reports that Alberta independence advocates held discussions in Washington regarding potential separation from Canada.
The controversy emerged after Financial Times reports revealed that representatives from the Alberta Prosperity Project, a grassroots organization advocating for provincial independence, conducted multiple meetings with senior U.S. officials over the past year. Jeffrey Rath, co-founder of the separatist group, characterized these meetings as private “fact-finding” missions to explore feasibility studies for a potential $500 billion line of credit should Alberta pursue independence.
Prime Minister Carney explicitly stated that Canada “expects the U.S. administration to respect Canadian sovereignty,” emphasizing his consistent position in communications with President Trump. The sentiment was echoed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who asserted that discussions about the province’s “democratic process” should remain exclusively among Albertans and Canadians.
The strongest condemnation came from British Columbia Premier David Eby, who labeled the separatists’ actions as “treason” for seeking foreign assistance in “breaking up Canada.” Rath dismissed Eby’s characterization as “stupid,” maintaining that his group was not soliciting funding but merely conducting feasibility research.
The White House responded to inquiries by noting that administration officials routinely meet with various civil society groups but clarified that “no such support, or any other commitments, was conveyed” during these interactions.
The political firestorm emerges against the backdrop of several significant developments: ongoing trade negotiations ahead of the US-Canada-Mexico free trade agreement review, Carney’s recent signing of an agreement enabling Alberta oil pipeline access to the Pacific (despite opposition from Eby), and continued frustration in Alberta over natural resource development constraints imposed by the federal government.
While separatist sentiment has gained some traction, with approximately 30% of Albertans expressing willingness to begin separation proceedings according to Ipsos polling, approximately 20% of those supporters view such action as merely “symbolic” protest against political frustrations. A counter-petition advocating for a united Canada has gathered over 430,000 signatures, and New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt expressed confidence that “the majority of Albertans will demonstrate their love for this country.”