OTTAWA, Oct 16 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned Thursday night that external forces are attempting to "divide and own" Canada, calling on voters in Alberta to choose to stay in Canada in an upcoming referendum.
Carney made the remarks while addressing thousands of attendees at a "Forever Canadian" rally in Calgary, Alberta, reported Xinhua.
Alberta is holding a nonbinding referendum on Monday to decide whether to remain part of Canada or hold a second, legally binding referendum on separation.
Pointing to a more dangerous and divided global landscape, Carney said, "Some outside our borders are working to break us so they can own us."
"At this pivotal moment, Albertans have a choice: to build a stronger Alberta and an even greater Canada to leave for our children, or we can burden them with years of deep division and great uncertainty," Carney said. "What we need is a decisive result on Monday to settle this question."
During his speech, Carney highlighted the construction of the Pacific Link pipeline. The crowd broke into prolonged applause when he noted that the crude pipeline would significantly reduce Canada's dependence on the United States.
"Careful: they might think that is election interference," Carney quipped.
Carney is scheduled to attend another "Forever Canadian" rally in Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, on Friday.
--BERNAMA-XINHUA