MIRROR, Alberta—Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to use a Group of Seven summit starting Sunday to showcase Canadian strength and unity. But global leaders will be visiting an oil-rich province that is considering a divorce from Canada.
Rising disaffection in Alberta presents a challenge for Carney, who was governor of the Bank of England when U.K. voters decided to leave the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum. Carney has promised since winning election in April to strengthen Canada’s economy and reduce dependence on the U.S.
The feat would be impossible without Alberta, which holds almost all of Canada’s crude-oil reserves—the world’s fourth largest. The Western province helps drive Canada’s economy. Alberta contributed almost as much to Canada’s growth last year as its financial and manufacturing hub of Ontario, which has more than three times the population, government figures show.
