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- calendar_today October 15, 2026
Mark Carney Visits Calgary Ahead of Referendum
Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Calgary on Thursday, October 15, to encourage Albertans to vote against the nine referendum questions centered on immigration and constitutional reform. His visit comes days before the province is set to vote on October 19.
'No to the Nine' Federalist Campaign
Carney addressed a crowd of volunteers and supporters at the Bridgeland Riverside Community Association Park in Calgary's northeast. During the event, he thanked attendees for their efforts leading up to the provincial vote and emphasized the message of the "No to the Nine" campaign—a prominent federalist movement urging residents to reject all nine ballot questions, as well as to support remaining in Canada.
"Make sure everyone’s out there marking their ballots ... including, ‘No to the Nine,’" Carney told the crowd. He also interacted with members of Public Interest Alberta, an education advocacy group, supporting their call to reject the questions.
Focus on Canadian Unity
The nine questions on the October 19 ballot address issues related to immigration and constitutional reform. Carney’s stance aligns with previous messages he has shared regarding national unity. In a recent Thanksgiving message, he cited federal initiatives such as the Pacific Link pipeline and stated, "We can't achieve any of this if we're divided. You can't build big things on fault lines."
Carney’s Thursday schedule included plans to join former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk at a "Forever Canadian" rally and to attend additional unity rallies in Edmonton and Red Deer the following day. Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre was also slated to deliver a pro-unity message at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Calgary.
Alberta Premier and Former Leaders Respond
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated that she has voted to remain in Canada but has encouraged residents to vote yes on the other nine referendum questions, saying she "wants a mandate" on those issues. "I haven’t been neutral on that," Smith said in a recent CBC interview, "I've been persuading people that this is what we need to do."
Earlier in the week, three former Alberta premiers also called for a "no" vote on the five immigration-related questions on the ballot. CBC News reported that they urged voters to reject these measures in the upcoming referendum.
MP Corey Hogan Voices Opposition
Liberal MP Corey Hogan, representing a Calgary riding, spoke out against the nine questions, stating his opposition to both the content and process of the referendum. During an appearance on the Calgary Eyeopener, Hogan said, "We should be asking ourselves, do we want to reward this kind of behaviour? And I don’t think that we should. I don’t think that we should use our country as a bargaining chip … I think the questions are quite manipulative, they’re written in ways to get certain answers."
Hogan indicated he would vote "no" to all nine, though he was more open to ballot question seven, concerning the possible abolition of the federal Senate.
Upcoming Referendum and Continuing Debate
As Albertans prepare for the provincial vote on October 19, the "No to the Nine" campaign continues to gather support from federal politicians and advocacy groups. The referendum has sparked widespread debate about the best path forward for the province, with key figures emphasizing the importance of national unity and caution in considering constitutional changes.
Source: cbc.ca.
