Pierre Poilievre addressed Albertans in a speech in Calgary on Monday, calling for national unity ahead of a fall referendum on the province's future in Canada.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre delivered a call for national unity and for a reform of federalism in a speech urging Albertans and Canadians in other provinces to find common cause.
Mr. Poilievre’s speech in downtown Calgary on Monday at a Royal Canadian Legion was delivered as campaigning ramps up ahead of the province’s Oct. 19 referendum where Albertans will choose between two options: remain in Canada or begin the legal process to hold a binding secession referendum.
The Conservative Leader framed his remarks as the kick-off of his promised campaign to convince Albertans to remain in Confederation, adding his party’s voice to other calls for unity from Canada’s conservative establishment.
Mr. Poilievre said Canada must be prepared to have honest conversations about what led to separatist sentiment in Alberta, citing federal policies that stymied provincial authority and autonomy, along with a “destructive ideology” that saw Canada’s common history and identity downgraded and denigrated.
The Conservative Leader likened a country to a family that fails when it sweeps its problems under the rug, a situation he said Canada can’t afford to let happen now.
“Listen carefully to the concerns of those saying that they want to leave. And you will find that they do not have a problem with fellow Canadians or even with Canada itself,” he said.
“They have a problem with the federal government. We do not need a different country in Alberta. We need different government policies in Ottawa.”
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre gave a speech in Calgary meant to nudge Albertan separatists to support Confederation. He says Albertans don't need a new country, just new priorities from Ottawa.
The Canadian Press
The referendum question, which Alberta Premier Danielle Smith unveiled last month, will be one of two national-unity stress tests this year.
In Quebec, the opposition Parti Québécois, which is leading in most polls, has promised to hold an independence referendum by 2030 if it wins the provincial election this fall. That election will happen two weeks before Alberta voters head to the polls to vote on Ms. Smith’s independence question.
The separatist rumblings have clashed with the renewed focus on Canada’s national unity resulting from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and ongoing “51st State” overtures.
Alberta’s referendum will include nine additional questions centred around immigration policy that propose limiting non-permanent residents’ access to social services. It will also ask Albertans to weigh in on constitutional changes that would require buy-in from fellow provinces.
Mr. Poilievre alluded to the other questions on the ballot in his remarks, saying Albertans should work to find common causes with provinces that also want greater control over their own affairs.
“Both Quebeckers and Albertans – and probably many others – agree that the provincial governments that pay for the social services and housing of newcomers, must have more control over who comes in and how many enter the country," he said.
“Locking arms with other provinces is a practical, realistic path to a stronger Alberta within a united Canada.”
But he also urged Canadians to reach out to Alberta.
“Tell them how much you appreciate and love them, really listen to them,” he said.
The Conservative Leader has a long history in Alberta. He grew up in Calgary, where he became enamoured with politics at a young age. He moved to Ottawa more than 20 years ago to work for what was then the Canadian Alliance.
That party was the successor to the Reform Party, which sprang up in the late 1980s in response to Western alienation.
During the 2025 federal election, Reform Party founder Preston Manning argued that a vote for the Liberals was a vote for Western secession – a position Mr. Poilievre dismissed while on the campaign trail.
At the time, he was running for re-election as the MP for an Ottawa-area riding but lost the seat. He now represents the rural Alberta riding of Battle River–Crowfoot.
He won the seat in a by-election called after the long-time Conservative MP for the riding, Damien Kurek, stepped aside.
In his speech, he spoke directly to his “fellow Albertans.”
“Sometimes in life we forget what we have. We sometimes take for granted the things that have always been around,” he said. “Look around the world. Where else would you really rather live?”
The Conservatives hold 33 of the 37 federal seats in Alberta. They used to hold 34, but one MP, Matt Jeneroux, crossed from the Conservatives to the Liberals earlier this year.
The Conservative Leader, who has faced questions about whether any Alberta MPs are aligned with the separatist cause, has said that all of his MPs will campaign against separation.
Ms. Smith says she will vote to stay in Canada. So far, she has not signalled whether her United Conservative Party will launch a formal federalist campaign, but recently said she has an “aggressive” summer travel schedule centred on advocating for the pro-Canada cause.
Editorial: How to punch a hole in the sails of Alberta separatists
Mr. Poilievre received raucous applause from the downtown Calgary crowd on several occasions during his remarks, and supporters afterward gave his message a stamp of approval.
But Ms. Smith’s referendum question has generated conflicting emotions for some Albertans who believe it has pressured Ottawa to finally listen to the Western province.
Conrad van Hierden, a former district association president for Conservative MP John Barlow, said he thought Mr. Poilievre’s speech was “outstanding.”
Mr. van Hierden said he’ll be voting in October for Alberta to remain in Canada, but he believes the separatism conversation has forced the federal government and the rest of Canada to respond to Alberta’s frustrations.
“I think it’s helpful because already, all of a sudden, Ottawa is listening better,” Mr. van Hierden said.
Cindy Cameron, seated near the back of the legion for the speech, said she appreciated Mr. Poilievre’s call for other Canadians to try to understand Alberta’s grievances.
But Ms. Cameron said she hasn’t resolved how she’ll vote in October, saying she wants to stay in Canada but feels a majority vote for federalism would mean “that the federal government will keep kicking us.”
“I think that there’s people that want to send a message, and I could be one of those,” Ms. Cameron said. “I haven’t decided which way I’m going.”