Carney says Alberta is 'essential' to Canada as province plans vote on separation

Alberta's decision to hold a referendum on separation has been widely criticised, including the separatists who say the question is not definitive enough. Carney says Alberta is 'essential' to Canada as province plans vote on separation Watch: Premier announces Alberta referendum on staying in Canada Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. A close-up image of Mark Carney mid-speech. He has short grey and black hair and grey eyes. A day after Alberta announced it will hold a referendum on whether it should remain in Canada or hold a binding vote on separation, Prime Minister Mark Carney called the western province an "essential" part of the country. Speaking on Friday, Carney praised the "huge contributions" the province has made and said his government is working to improve Canada, Alberta included. "We're renovating the country as we go, and Alberta being at the centre of that is essential," Carney said as he toured work being done on Canada's parliament building. The vote on Alberta's future is the first significant test of the country's unity in decades. A separatist supporter waves a flag during as part of a convoy in Edmonton, Canada. The flag is black and says THE NORTH STANDS FREE above Alberta's crest, which contains mountains at the top and wheat at the bottom. He is holding his fist up and is standing in the trunk of a moving pick-up truck. He is wearing a plaid shirt and a cap, with sunglasses. What comes next as Alberta plans vote on separation There has been a growing separatist movement in recent years in the oil-rich province, fuelled in part by a belief that it is overlooked by decision-makers in Ottawa. Opinion polls suggest that the majority of Albertans would vote against separating, with about 25% saying they support independence. A pro-unity petition gathered some 400,000 signatures earlier this year. Still, pressure had been building on Alberta's leader, Danielle Smith, to hold an independence referendum this year. A petition calling for separation recently gathered more than 300,000 signatures - enough needed to trigger a vote. But a successful legal challenge earlier this month by First Nations groups in the province halted the process of verifying petition signatures and placed the plebiscite in limbo. The judge ruled that the Alberta government, which approved the petition, failed in its duty to consult with indigenous Albertans. Smith has said she disagrees with the court decision and, while it prevents her from moving forward with a binding referendum now, she believes Albertans want a say in the matter. On Thursday, she announced that citizens will vote 19 October on whether the province should remain in Canada or whether the provincial government should begin the legal process required to hold a binding referendum at a later date on Alberta independence. "I will not have a legal mistake by a single judge silence the voices of hundreds of thousands of Albertans," Smith said. "Alberta's future will be decided by Albertans, not the courts." In the meantime, her government is appealing the court ruling, she said, noting it could be a lengthy legal battle. The premier said she will vote in favour of Alberta remaining a part of Canada. Danielle Smith, the Premier of Alberta, is giving an announcement. But her decision to hold a referendum on whether to hold a future separatism referendum failed to dispel criticism. In a statement, the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation called Smith's government "undemocratic, authoritarian, and willing to bend to the whims of a loud, angry minority". Naheed Nenshi, leader of the left-leaning New Democratic Party in the province, called the vote "needless" and accused Smith of buying time to stay in power. Mitch Sylvestre, one of the leaders of the push to separate, told the Globe and Mail newspaper: "I feel duped." In a Friday news conference, Smith defended her decision, saying the province cannot "kick the can down the road" for years by leaving the independence question unanswered. She said she will be campaigning for the pro-Canada side all summer through town halls. "If you want to remain as I do, vote to remain," Smith said. Asked if she fears being "Canada's David Cameron" - a reference to the former British prime minister who called for the Brexit referendum - Smith said: "I'm not afraid of the judgement of Albertans." "You have to be prepared to have the debate, and you have to be prepared to defend your position." An image of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith standing and speaking at a podium. She is wearing a dark navy blue blazer with a tan top underneath and a silver necklace. She has shoulder-length brown, wavy hair. Alberta to hold referendum on whether to remain in Canada Jeff Rath, a rancher wearing a cowboy hat, leans on a fence post and stares out at the wide open spaces in Alberta 'We have more in common with America than the rest of Canada' Albertans will decide in October whether they want to stay part of Canada or trigger a binding independence referendum. The boost marks a major turnaround for Canada after years of falling behind on defence capabilities. The former war crimes prosecutor has been named by Prime Minister Mark Carney to be the Monarch's, currently King Charles III, representative in Canada. Voters in the western province will decide next October whether they want to stay in Canada or move ahead with a process for a binding independence referendum. Officials did not specify if the passenger, who was coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was showing symptoms of the virus. France and Italy are among the countries that have criticised a video showing Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting dozens of activists detained at an Israeli port. The officers were vacationing in Barcelona, Spain, and not on official duties, Toronto Police Service said. The individual is one of four former passengers on the MV Hondius isolating on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.