EDMONTON — Premier Danielle Smith pitched increased economic ties to Quebec business owners in Quebec City on Wednesday in her latest attempt to show Albertans that Alberta can work in the Canadian confederacy. "Both Alberta and Quebec stand to gain so much from working together, forging ahead as partners in this ever‑evolving project we call Confederation," said Smith at an event hosted by the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Quebec. "There is so much that we can offer each other, because our economic strengths complement each other in so many ways.".She pointed to examples such as Alberta farmers fuelling Quebec's agri-food processing sector, as well as aerospace, defence, critical minerals, natural gas, and clean energy. "Let me assure you: in Alberta, we want to build on all of these economic connections, and we do want to do a whole lot more business with our friends in Quebec," Smith said. "The way we see it, the net result will be stronger supply chains, jobs, and growth in both of our provinces, and a more resilient national economy that can withstand the pressures in an uncertain world." Her call goes both ways, though, as Smith encouraged the business owners in the room to reciprocate, invest in Alberta, and build the "Alberbec" or "Queberta" alliance. According to her, economic cooperation between Alberta and Quebec exemplifies the interprovincial relations on which Canada was built. "In Canada, we chose the decentralized federation model, composed of unique and diverse provinces left to govern themselves," Smith said. "And in governing ourselves, we must come together within our federation to build closer ties, understand each other’s differences, and play to our strengths with our powerful economies.".Albertans are engulfed in a campaign ahead of the October referendum, where voters will decide whether to pursue a binding referendum on Alberta independence. Smith, who adamantly claims she supports a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada, has said he campaigning focuses on showing Albertans that Alberta has a place within Canada, rather than just telling them it does. "I’m here to reinforce the Alberta–Quebec relationship to ensure our governments, our economies, and our peoples are building strong, autonomous provinces within a united Canada," Smith said. "Like Quebec, our relationship with the federal government hasn’t always been easy. We’ve both dealt with an Ottawa that has refused to listen to our needs and ignored the constitutional rights of our provinces. But in Alberta, we are paving the way for our province to move forward.".Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette and Smith met in Quebec this week, and a potential Alberta-Quebec energy corridor was among the topics expected to be discussed. A hypothetical oil pipeline from Northern Alberta to the Northern B.C. coast has garnered significant attention for several months, especially as Alberta and the federal government have progressed toward finalizing a deal on the matter, but the UCP government is not looking to stop after B.C.Smith has repeatedly stated that she wants to build pipelines to the east, west, north, and south.
