OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Friday he will be in Alberta next week to deliver a speech on Canadian unity ahead of the province’s referendum on separation. The House of Commons will be on a break next week after MPs head back to their ridings for the Thanksgiving weekend. Poilievre told a press conference in Burlington, Ont., on Friday he will be doing “additional campaigning on the ground” in Alberta. “We encourage all Canadians of all parties to join in uniting all Canadians to make ourselves safe, affordable, and fully independent here at home,” Poilievre said. When asked about tech industrialist Elon Musk saying recently that Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec should separate, Poilievre said “Canadians control their own destiny.” “Frankly, people can tweet whatever they want, but tweets and memes do not affect Canada. What affects Canada is the decisions made by the Canadian people,” he added. The premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan brushed off Musk’s comments, while Quebec’s new premier has said he won’t trigger a separation vote while U.S. President Donald Trump is in office. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the future of Canada will be decided by Canadians when asked Thursday about Musk’s comments at a press conference in Sherbrooke, Que. While Musk was born in South Africa, he holds Canadian citizenship because his mother was born in Saskatchewan. He has lived previously in Canada. Poilievre did not say where and when he will deliver his speech on national unity. The Canadian Press has reached out to his office for more details. Alberta Conservative MP Dane Lloyd has been tasked with leading the federal Conservatives’ unity campaign in the province. Responding to reports in The Globe and Mail about Alberta separatists allegedly seeking the help of the U.S. government in exchange for potential water rights and oil royalties, Lloyd said Monday “no one has the right to promise away Alberta’s birthright.” Lloyd stopped short of describing that activity as foreign interference, saying more information needs to be gathered. Mitch Sylvestre of the separatist Alberta Prosperity Project denied offering oil and water rights to the U.S. in his group’s three conversations with U.S. State Department officials in Washington. He also said he only attended one of those meetings. Albertans will vote on the prospect of a future separation referendum, along with nine other questions involving constitutional and immigration issues, on Oct. 19. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2026. David Baxter, The Canadian Press — With files from Jack Farrell in Edmonton.
