Eby calls reported meeting between Alberta separatists and U.S. official ‘treason’

B.C. Premier David Eby says that a reported meeting between individuals in the Alberta separatist movement and White House officials amounts to “treason.”

Speaking in Ottawa this morning before the premiers’ meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney, Eby — citing a report in the Financial Times — said it’s completely inappropriate for a group to ask a foreign power for help in breaking up Canada.

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Eby said it’s one thing to attempt to hold a referendum on independence, but meeting with a foreign power to discuss it crosses a line.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said recently Alberta would be a “natural partner” for the U.S., pointing to the province’s resource wealth and desire to build a new pipeline to the West Coast.

The Alberta independence movement is collecting signatures in an attempt to initiate a referendum on whether Alberta should separate from Canada.

Mitch Sylvestre, who is spearheading the petition for a referendum, said on Jan. 23 he doesn’t think anyone in his movement wants to join the U.S.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2026.