Premiers from other provinces would be prepared to defend Canada in the event of a referendum debate on Quebec sovereignty. The premiers made a case for Canadian unity on Wednesday at the summer meeting of the Council of the Federation, which brings together all of the country’s premiers in Charlottetown, including Christine Fréchette. According to polls, this fall’s elections could well lead to the formation of a Parti Québécois (PQ) government, which promises to hold a public referendum on independence during its first term—a prospect that is raising concerns elsewhere in the country, as is the separatist movement currently gaining momentum in Alberta. During a press scrum on Wednesday morning, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew dared to take a stand on this sensitive issue. “This is our country—it’s Canada—and we all have a say in telling our fellow citizens that we want to stay together,” he said. He would be willing to play a role if Quebecers want him to, added the Manitoba premier, when a reporter pointed out that he also speaks French—unlike most of his counterparts. “There are many francophones in western Canada, and we have warm feelings toward Quebecers, and we support them in the challenges they face with minority languages,” he said in French. “But at the same time, we are Canadians, and we encourage them to join us.” When asked directly whether he would participate in the referendum campaign if asked to do so, he replied that it was a “hypothetical question.” For her part, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said that the provinces “certainly” had a responsibility to defend Canadian unity. “Politics in Quebec is politics in Quebec; I already have plenty on my plate in New Brunswick, but we would be there to defend and promote a united Canada,” she said, noting that her province was part of the original founding pact in 1867. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 22, 2026. Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press
