Danielle Smith calls separatists' U.S. outreach offer 'absurd' as Oct. 19 referendum vote nears

Premier Danielle Smith rejected reports Saturday that Alberta separatists offered U.S. State Department officials access to the province's fresh water and resource royalties in exchange for American support for independence.

"I think it's absurd that anybody would offer something like that up that's not theirs to offer," Smith said at a news conference in Edmonton Wednesday. She added that even if such an offer had been made, "It's a decision that Albertans would make, and I don't think Albertans would support it."

The Globe and Mail reported Saturday that separatists met three times with U.S. officials in Washington in late 2025. Those meetings had already been public knowledge; what was new was the substance of the discussions. Dennis Modry, co-founder of the Alberta Prosperity Project, told the Globe that the group offered to give Americans access to Alberta's water and resource revenues in return for help establishing an independent province. Jeff Rath, a lawyer with the separatist movement, denied to the same outlet that water or resource deals were discussed.

Smith did not answer when asked Wednesday whether she believed her decision to include a separation referendum question in the fall ballot had encouraged U.S. involvement. She said instead that people involved in the Washington meetings are political critics of hers who oppose her stated plan to vote to keep Alberta in Canada.

"We expect that the American administration will deal with the duly elected governments," Smith said. "That includes mine, but it also includes the government of Canada."

Albertans will vote on October 19 on whether the province should remain in Canada or launch a legal process for a binding future referendum on separation. The referendum itself does not trigger independence; it is framed as a vote to authorize further negotiation on the question.

As HOC reported in October, the UCP has stated it wants Alberta to remain in Canada while donors have funded separatist campaigns in parallel. The separation question has drawn criticism from First Nations leadership and scrutiny from observers concerned about referendum messaging.