Ontario Premier Doug Ford appeared to throw shade at Danielle Smith yesterday after the Alberta premier said she would move forward with a separatism referendum if a petition gathered enough signatures.
During a skilled trades promotion event in Etobicoke on Tuesday, Ford took an opportunity to send an apparently indirect message to Smith after talks of separatism emerged in Alberta following the federal election last month.
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Without mentioning Smith’s name, Ford called for unison amid the trade war launched after the U.S. President Donald Trump implemented tariffs on Canadian goods.
“This is a time to unite the country, not people saying, ‘Oh, I’m leaving the country,’” he told reporters at the scene. “United we stand, divided we fall. And we have to be united Canada together to fight President Trump’s tariffs.”
The move was perceived as an indirect jab at Smith, who replied to the comments during a press conference later on Tuesday, saying she hopes Ford will stay out of it.
“He is the premier of Ontario. I’m the premier of Alberta. We just have different issues that we have to respond to in our respective jurisdictions,” she told reporters.
“I don’t tell him how he should run his province and I would hope that he doesn’t tell me how to run mine.”
The Alberta premier also emphasized that she has a “respectful relationship” with Ford, and expects to keep working with him.
“Doug and I have a great friendship. We don’t agree on everything. In fact, I think we supported different people in the last federal election. So, we don’t have to agree on everything,” she said. “We have a very respectful relationship and I hope that continues.”
ALBERTA SEPARATISM DISCUSSION ESCALATES
Last week, as federal election results poured in, Smith released a statement saying that Albertans were “deeply frustrated” with the outcome and announced some proposed changes to the democratic process.
One of the changes included lowering the voting threshold for citizen-led referendums from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, and increasing the timeframe to gather votes from 90 days to 120 days, which would make it earlier for the province to pass a referendum to separate from Canada.
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After the announcement, many Albertans took to social media and an online petition to express their desire to no longer be a part of Canada.
The separatism talks escalated again on Monday, after Smith shared a social media livestream in which she said she would indeed hold a separatism referendum in 2026 if Albertans managed to get enough petition signatures.
“To be clear from the outset, our government will not be putting a vote on separation from Canada on the referendum ballot,” she said.
“However, if there is a successful citizen-led referendum petition that is able to gather the requisite number of signatures requesting such a question to be put on a referendum, our government will respect the democratic process and include that question on the 2026 provincial referendum ballot,” she added.
But the premier also guarantees that she still wishes Alberta to remain part of Canada and does not support the province’s separatism movement.
“I do not support Alberta separating from Canada. I personally still have hope that there is a path forward for a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada,” she said.
“I am going to do everything within my power to negotiate a fair deal for Alberta with the new prime minister.”
Today I took questions from the media about why Alberta is stepping up now to defend our economy, protect our resources, and stand firm on our constitutional rights. Here’s how it went 👇 pic.twitter.com/4TQFC4K5R9
— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) May 6, 2025
Responding to her video, many Canadians seemed to support the premiers’ decision, saying that her remarks seemed reasonable.
“You handled it well and [supported] Albertans” one user said.
“You did a fantastic job. You are listening to Albertans and you will stand up for them,” another user added.
“Alberta needs to leave Canada as soon as possible,” a different user chimed in.
Meanwhile, other Canadians are urging for the end of the separatism talks, calling for Canada to stay united.
“NO SEPARATION Smith! STOP the talks!! Canada is better off UNITED to defend ourselves from the USA and other threats! You are losing our confidence,” a user commented.
“Albertans did not vote for this. Please stop,” another user said.
“You say [you’re] for Canada so… why are you making it easier to have a referendum on [separation]? Actions speak louder than words. You need to work for Alberta, not against Ottawa,” a different user pitched in.
