Alberta business leaders rally for Canada as oil majors stay silent ahead of referendum

With an Alberta referendum on separation only weeks away, the province’s business community has begun to voice support for staying within Canada. The Calgary Chamber of Commerce published an open letter, signed by its president Deborah Yedlin and more than sixty executives across sectors from technology to food services, arguing that Alberta cannot thrive outside the federation. The stance draws on a study by University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe that links the province’s prosperity to its ties with the rest of the country.

CEOs of major energy-infrastructure firms—including AltaGas, BHE Transmission, Keyera, ATCO and Capital Power—have signed the letter, emphasizing the benefits of reduced trade barriers and interprovincial cooperation. In contrast, the CEOs of the province’s largest oil producers and pipeline operators, such as Suncor, Enbridge, TC Energy, Pembina Pipeline, Cenovus and Canadian Natural Resources, have not issued statements, with Imperial Oil’s John Whelan being the sole exception.

Their reticence follows recent sector victories, notably the designation of the Pacific Link pipeline as the first national-interest project under the Major Projects Office. The divide highlights a split within Alberta’s energy sector over how to position the province amid the looming vote.