Wab Kinew Weighs In on Alberta Referendum

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]We stopped at A & W and there was an older woman who was working there and she stopped me as she was handing me the the brown paper bag and she goes, "Wop, tell our premier we don't want to separate from Canada."

[00:00:14]So, I'm passing that message on to you, Danielle, and saying on behalf of the rest of Canada, we're with that lady from A & W.

[00:00:24]So, I come bearing an important message from the First Nations of Canada on the question of Alberta separation. I've heard loud and clear that indigenous people from coast to coast to coast are prepared to use every treaty right at our disposal to ensure that Canada does not lose Connor McDavid.

[00:00:47]>> [laughter] >> We um wanted to spend some time with uh some of the leadership and uh of course I want to acknowledge the leaders who are uh participating in the round table here as well.

[00:00:58]As uh as a gesture of goodwill. This is um how I was raised uh to pay respects when we come to a territory.

[00:01:06]And so, I would describe yesterday's meet meeting as a cultural gathering, cultural visit.

[00:01:12]And I was very moved. I had the opportunity to share uh with Premier Smith uh yesterday uh some of the concerns around uh Section 35 and the need for it to be respected. So, there was some of that bringing forward uh a message, definitely, and I uh I want to uh share that with the room here. But, I also had a message for the chiefs, which is I'm a patriot.

[00:01:36]I love this country.

[00:01:37]And I just wanted to say thanks as a fellow Canadian for the leadership in the room who had stopped the uh referendum question uh from moving forward.

[00:01:47]And uh I thought that that was important uh to to say as a representative of Manitoba. And so, we had a really good visit and then we came here and we had a really good meeting with uh our fellow premiers.

[00:01:59]And so, I think the other thing that I wanted to share is after the meeting and when we were leaving Calgary, uh we stopped at A&W. And there was an older woman who was working there, and she stopped me as she was handing me the the brown paper bag and she goes, "What?

[00:02:16]Tell our premier we don't want to separate from Canada."

[00:02:19]So, I'm passing that message on to you, Danielle.

[00:02:22]And uh saying on behalf of the rest of Canada, we're with that lady from A&W.