Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to campaign for a united country in the months ahead. Canadians are gathering across the country to celebrate Canada Day on July 1, commemorating the birth of the nation 159 years ago.

Carney will travel to Edmonton on Wednesday. Last month, Carney said, "Canada is worth fighting for." The Prime Minister stated in a video address on Tuesday, June 30, that "What should have brought us together began to divide us." Carney reflected on his experience serving as the governor of the Bank of England during Brexit, stating, "I saw first-hand what gets sold in these referenda. That everything is going to be easy. That you can keep your passport, that you can keep your currency. That you can stay in the country and leave it at the same time." He said such arguments risk undermining Canada's future.

Support for independence in Quebec sits around 30% in opinion polls. Quebec, a majority French-speaking province, held referenda on independence in 1980 and 1995. In Alberta, polling suggests support for the "leave" side stands at between 25% and 30%.

Carney recently signed a deal with Alberta that opens the door for an oil pipeline to the Pacific. Alberta is set to formally submit a proposal to the government on Thursday asking for the "million-barrel-a-day" pipeline project to be fast-tracked. Carney also offered a C$10 billion infrastructure deal for hospitals, housing, and public transit in Quebec.

André Lecours, a political science professor at the University of Ottawa, said, "It's a year of pressures on Canadian national unity." Lecours noted that "All these organisations in Alberta, not coincidentally, they all emerged during the pandemic." He also observed that the separatist movement in Alberta is occurring in the complete absence of any elected representative clearly and openly supporting independence. Historian JDM Stewart said, "Because it's so big, and because it is so regional, it does create tensions that have been with us since the beginning, and we still wrestle with them today." Stewart added, "Most Canadians really feel happy about the country, and are happy to keep working to make it work, and do the bit of compromise that has really been the secret sauce." A poll by the Angus Reid Institute indicates most Canadians believe it is unlikely that either Alberta or Quebec will separate.

Why It Matters

Prime Minister Mark Carney's efforts to promote national unity address ongoing separatist sentiments in Quebec and Alberta. His actions include infrastructure deals and public statements intended to reinforce federal ties through economic and social investments, drawing on his past observations regarding referendums. This initiative takes place as Canadians mark Canada Day, a national holiday.

The Prime Minister's campaign aims to counter movements that have seen historical referenda in Quebec and rising support for separation in Alberta, particularly with an oil pipeline project tied to the province. Academic observations note the emergence of separatist organizations during the pandemic, pointing to current pressures on national cohesion despite public sentiment suggesting that separation is unlikely.