Carney’s comment irks Smith, and a jab at sensitive Americans: 6 key moments from PM’s Calgary visit

Prime Minister Mark Carney during the Forever Canadian Rally at the BMO Centre in Calgary on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Photo by Darren Makowichuk /Postmedia

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Prime Minister Mark Carney was in Calgary on Thursday, where he visited Cinnamon Indian Cuisine and Bar to enjoy some pakoras, met with volunteers from Public Interest Alberta and gave a speech at a Forever Canadian rally.

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On Friday, Carney will attend another rally in Edmonton and visit Red Deer with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, all as part of his efforts to drum up support for keeping Alberta in Confederation.

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“A vote against Canada is a dangerous bluff,” the PM warned in his speech, adding, “There are some outside our borders who are working to break us so they can own us.”

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From displays of patriotism to moments of friction, here are six key moments from the PM’s visit to Calgary.

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‘No to the nine’ vs ‘Yes to the rest’

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Speaking to a crowd in Calgary, Carney encouraged Albertans to vote “no to the nine,” referencing a federalist advertising campaign urging voters to reject the nine ballot questions on Oct. 19, as well as voting to remain in Canada.

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Four of those questions ask whether the province should work to amend Canada’s Constitution, while the other five relate to immigration — including whether Alberta should have increased control over immigration.

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The comment has caused friction with Premier Smith, who responded with the counter message of “yes to the rest” in a post on X.

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“The Prime Minister and I have found common ground on many things over the last 18 months. However, it appears that he has yet to fully understand just how damaging the open-border policies of his predecessor were,” she wrote.

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“That’s why I’m encouraging Albertans to vote ‘yes to the rest’ to give our government a strong mandate to take more control over our immigration system.”

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Autograph requests

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Later in the day, Carney visited the student hall food court at the University of Calgary, where he greeted students by shaking their hands and answering questions.

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While he was there, one man asked the prime minister to sign his chest. “I’m not gonna sign your chest,” Carney replied.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney greets students during the lunch hour at the University of Calgary on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Gavin Young/Postmedia

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Hitting back at Hoekstra

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During his speech at the Forever Canadian rally, Carney made reference to recent comments from U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, about potential election interference.

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“We are closely watching Canadian activities because it appears that some of this, from our perspective, and the way that we view our elections, could be inferred to be election interference,” Hoekstra said in a podcast appearance on Tuesday. “Keep your nose out of American politics,” he added.