Carney to attend Edmonton Forever Canadian rally Oct. 16

Prime Minister Mark Carney will attend a Forever Canadian rally at Edmonton’s EXPO Centre on Friday, Oct. 16, three days before Albertans vote in the Oct. 19 referendum, and anyone who wants in must register first.

The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Carney will attend the Edmonton event and a Calgary rally on Oct. 15, The Canadian Press reported on Oct. 13. The Forever Canadian campaign, launched by former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, is organizing both.

The Edmonton rally is at the EXPO Centre, 7515 118 Ave. N.W. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the campaign’s registration page says to expect a wait outside for security screening. A start time and speaker list were not published there.

Admission is free, but each person needs a registered pass, shown on a phone, as a saved image or printed. Registration closes at 6 p.m. on the day of the event. Guests must bring government-issued photo ID with the same name as the pass. Anyone under 18 attending with an adult does not need ID.

The organizers set limits on what can be brought in. Bags must be smaller than 35 by 30 by 19 centimetres. Flags are allowed without poles. Backpacks, signs, banners and chairs should stay at home, according to the registration page.

In a video message, Carney said: “You can’t build big things on fault lines.” The Canadian Press reported the campaign describes itself as “Albertans from every walk of life standing up for a united Canada.”

The rally falls in the final stretch of the campaign. Albertans vote on Oct. 19 on a question about separation and nine other constitutional and immigration questions, The Canadian Press reported. Advance voting in Edmonton ran with long waits earlier this week, and it continues until Oct. 17, Taproot Edmonton reported. Our guide explains how to vote in Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is expected to speak in Calgary on Oct. 16 at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference, and Premier Danielle Smith is expected to address the conference after him, The Canadian Press reported.

This is a developing story. Venues and times for the Calgary rally were not confirmed in the sources reviewed, and the Edmonton program had not been published as of Oct. 15.

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