The head of the Forever Canadian group campaigning for Alberta to remain in the federation said Prime Minister Mark Carney has been a “calm” and “reassuring” presence for Albertans.
Thomas Lukaszuk, a former deputy premier of Alberta, said Friday Carney is showing “there is someone at the helm” by standing up for Canadians in trade negotiations with the White House.
Carney shook hands with volunteers from the Forever Canadian campaign on Friday in Banff, Alta. They were invited to the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity on the final day of the federal cabinet retreat.
The prime minister was cheered by about 50 supporters of the Forever Canada campaign, almost all holding red and white signs and some wearing the maple leaf.
The prime minister wrote “Canada is everyone and for everyone” on the campaign’s bright pink recreational vehicle with a black marker.
The crowd then broke out in a rendition of O Canada.
Alberta is set to hold a referendum on Oct. 19 on whether to hold a second vote on leaving Canada.
Lukaszuk said he expects there will be “a stage in the campaign” when the prime minister will become “much more personally engaged.”
“At a time where people go to sleep worried about what tomorrow may bring because of geopolitics, this is a very positive campaign. We’re not voting against anything,” Lukaszuk said.
“We’re just saying, ‘We’re Canadians.’ We don’t care whether you’re Conservatives, or NDP, or Liberal or anything else. This is about the Canadian family.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2026.