By Michael Vadon - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54216023
OTTAWA — Multiple news outlets across Canada are reporting that senior officials in U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration have held meetings with Alberta separatists, prompting accusations of foreign meddling and sharp condemnation from British Columbia’s premier.
The Financial Times reported that representatives of the Alberta Prosperity Project met with U.S. State Department officials in Washington three times since April 2025. The Daily Beast reported similar details, citing people familiar with the talks.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told the Financial Times the meetings took place but said no commitments were made. A White House official also said no support or other commitments were conveyed.
British Columbia Premier David Eby denounced the reported contacts on Thursday as premiers met Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa to discuss Canada’s trade relationship with the United States and preparations for the scheduled review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement later this year.
“Now I understand the desire to hold a referendum to talk about the issues you want to talk about, in Canada we have free speech and that’s important,” Eby told reporters. “But to go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada, there’s an old fashioned word for that, and that word is treason.”
The reports surfaced as some senior Trump administration figures publicly mused about Alberta’s resources and a possible referendum. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently described Alberta as a “natural partner” for the United States in media appearances.
Alberta’s government has pushed back. A spokesperson for Premier Danielle Smith said the overwhelming majority of Albertans are not interested in becoming a U.S. state.
An Alberta independence referendum has not been called. Separatist organizers have been seeking to collect about 177,000 signatures to trigger a petition process. An Ipsos poll cited in the reports suggested over seven in 10 Albertans would vote to remain part of Canada if a referendum were held.
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