At Calgary Stampede, amid chuck‑wagon races, pancake flips and bare‑back relays, the upcoming October referendum on Alberta’s place in Canada has become the focal point of conversation.
“The referendum is the unreality implicit everything,” said Corey Hogan, a Liberal MP from Calgary who invited dozens of his colleagues from crossed the state to this year’s stampede to beforehand unity.
“It underpins each different speech we mightiness privation to have.”
Hogan added that “Everybody wants to marque definite they're present astatine this moment,” Hogan told the BBC.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is slated to appear in Calgary this weekend, where he is expected to deliver a unity message.
Polls suggest the pro‑unity side will comfortably triumph in October, but supporters of staying in Canada remain anxious, fearing a Brexit‑style upset.
“The shadiness of Brexit is hanging implicit this full thing,” said Andrew Kemle, a postgraduate pupil at the University of Calgary, at Hogan’s stampede breakfast.
“An full state sleepwalked into an economical disaster.”
Albertan Justin Perkins, who spoke to the BBC while fuelling his car in rural Alberta, said, “I would accidental I'm 100% Canadian, but each twelvemonth it is simply a small less,” Perkins said.
“When you're not respected, it's hard to respect the radical that don't respect you... I'm the hated redneck, right? That's me. Not that I did thing wrong, I'm conscionable calved here.”
The Unity Bus, a refurbished 1997 camper van draped in maple leaves and driven by former Progressive Conservative Alberta lawmaker Thomas Lukaszuk, has been criss‑crossing the province for the past 2 months to make the case for Canada.
Lukaszuk’s group, Forever Canadian, recently opened its campaign office in Calgary. He told the BBC his aim is not to tell Albertans how to vote, but to remind them what it means to be Canadian and, in his view, the dire consequences of separation.
“The separatist propulsion has been dismissed by galore successful the unity campy as coming from a 'fringe minority' - polls bespeak astir 20% of Albertans backmost independence.”
Still, many on the pro‑Canada side treat the October ballot as if it were binding.
“I deliberation we're each precise disquieted that Alberta authorities could beryllium consumed by this forever,” Hogan said.
Lukaszuk added, “There are neighbours not trusting neighbours, and radical watching which emblem is flying connected which location - is it an Alberta oregon Canadian flag? And if it's Alberta, (they are) suspicious that they're separatists,” Lukaszuk said, adding: “This has to end.”
Chief Samuel Crowfoot of Siksika First Nation, located just eastbound of Calgary, told the BBC, “Our aboriginal is much unafraid if we enactment successful Canada.”
“There is nary guarantee, there's nary speech from the separatists, nary outreach from immoderate of the movements to talk with immoderate First Nations astir what this caller Alberta would look similar if we were to separate.”
“Those treaties volition be honoured much truthful if we enactment wrong Canada,” Chief Crowfoot said.
Chief Troy Knowlton of Piikani First Nation put it bluntly, telling the BBC he would rather be “dealing with the devil that we cognize today.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who must navigate a governmental base with separatist leanings while remaining
Sincity Press Staff
1 hour ago 3 min read
2 
English (US)·