Carney and Smith appear together in Red Deer to urge Albertans to vote for Canada

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith appeared together at Red Hart Brewing in Red Deer County on Friday afternoon, both urging Albertans to vote in favour of remaining in Canada ahead of Monday's referendum.

According to CPAC footage of the event, Carney opened by thanking former MP Monty Solberg, calling him "too modest even to be in the room," and praised Smith for what he called "tough collaboration" on difficult files.

"In our time working together, the Premier has consistently put the most difficult issues on the table with the intention of finding a common way forward," Carney said at the event.

Carney pointed to canola and beef export figures and the Pacific Link Pipeline as evidence of what he said the two governments had accomplished together. "Pacific Link Pipeline would not be possible without trying to do more at the same time," he said, adding the project "will yield more than 140,000 jobs and a more independent country, prosperous country."

He also acknowledged past grievances between Alberta and Ottawa. "When I was growing up, Premier, well, we'd all remember, we as Albertans were made to feel that sometimes our resources weren't our own," Carney said. "Something that should have brought us together, united us, became something that divided us. Now, we're turning that around."

Smith, in her opening remarks, told Carney: "I think this is your 15th or 16th time in Alberta. So, thank you for coming back."

The event came one day after Carney spoke at a Forever Canadian Rally in Calgary. In remarks posted by the Prime Minister's Office dated Oct. 15, Carney described the referendum stakes as high and called on Albertans to deliver "a decisive result on Monday that will settle this question." The referendum asks whether Alberta should remain in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on separation.

Later Friday evening, Smith posted on X that Carney had received a copy of the province's referendum questions, including nine on immigration and constitutional reforms. "If Albertans give us a strong mandate on these questions, our government will get right to work on these needed reforms," Smith said. "And as I've said many times, please vote for Option 1, a strong Alberta within a united Canada, and yes to the rest!"

Carney was scheduled to appear at a second Forever Canadian Rally in Edmonton at 6:45 p.m. Friday, according to a Prime Minister's Office media advisory dated Oct. 15.

Referendum day is Monday.