Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office said Oct. 5 it has no knowledge of reported meetings between Alberta separatist leaders and U.S. Republican strategists, less than two weeks before the province votes in an Oct. 19 referendum on separation.
The Globe and Mail reported that separatist leaders met Republican strategists in Calgary in January to discuss software for identifying and mobilizing supporters. The newspaper also reported that separatists later met State Department officials in Washington, D.C., in September, and that discussions reportedly included the idea of exchanging water and oil for U.S. support. The allegations have not been independently confirmed, and the people named have disputed parts of the report.
“Premier Smith is not affiliated with these individuals’ activities and has no knowledge of these alleged meetings,” her office said in a statement, according to the Calgary Journal. Global News reported the office also said she opposes separation or Alberta becoming a U.S. state.
Mitch Sylvestre, who leads the Alberta Prosperity Project and is president of the Bonnyville-Cold Lake United Conservative constituency association, denied discussing the trade of resources. “We’re not in government. We can’t go down there and have that conversation,” he said.
Separatist movement leader Jeff Rath rejected the reporting outright. “The story is completely false. The whole water thing is inflammatory,” he said.
Political reaction was swift. Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas criticized the reported contacts, saying: “That’s selling Alberta out.” Conservative MP Dane Lloyd described the report as concerning, CTV News reported, citing The Canadian Press. The Calgary Journal also listed Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi and UCP caucus member Jason Stephan among those who weighed in.
The controversy lands as campaigning enters its final stretch. Albertans will vote on Oct. 19 on a referendum tied to the separation question, and the Globe and Mail’s reporting has put the role of outside political actors in the independence movement at the centre of the debate.
It also ties the issue to Smith’s own party. Sylvestre holds a position within the United Conservative Party’s constituency structure, and Smith’s office was careful to distance her from his activities. The statement stopped short of addressing whether the party itself would take any action over his role.
Recent polling has suggested support for separation remains a minority position. Canada News Media reported earlier this week that polls put it at 20 to 26 per cent, with a significant share of respondents confused by the wording of the referendum question. Whether the Globe and Mail report moves opinion before voting day is not yet known.
Reports of contact between Alberta separatists and U.S. officials are not new. In January, CP24 reported that B.C. Premier David Eby called a reported meeting between Alberta separatists and a U.S. official treason. The latest reporting adds details about the alleged software discussions and the September Washington meetings.
No Canadian or U.S. government has confirmed the meetings described by the Globe and Mail. The story is developing and will be updated as more information is confirmed.
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Via Global News, with additional reporting from the Calgary Journal and CTV News (The Canadian Press). Original reporting by the Globe and Mail. Read the Global News report.
