Alberta Flag (Image Credit: (Dreamstime))

By The Canadian Press

Politics

No appetite for Alberta becoming a U-S state, says Smith and petition organizer

Jan 23, 2026 | 1:56 PM

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and the man pushing for a referendum on the province leaving Canada both say there’s no appetite for Alberta becoming a U-S state.

Their comments come after U-S Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a right-wing media outlet that he knows Albertans want what the U-S has — and that’s “sovereignty.”

Bessent said Alberta and the U-S are natural partners, and he invited the province to look south for a new pipeline if Ottawa stalls on one to the B-C coast.

Smith says Alberta wants to see new pipelines built in every direction and it will continue working with partners in the U-S to expand pipeline capacity.

Mitch Sylvestre, the main figure behind a petition seeking a separation referendum in Alberta, says Bessent is right that the two jurisdictions are good partners.

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But Sylvestre says that doesn’t mean he and others in Alberta’s separation movement want the province to join its southern neighbour.

Sylvestre says U-S officials should be paying attention to what’s happening in Alberta, but he’d rather they didn’t comment on the push for Alberta independence.

(The Canadian Press)