TORONTO—Weeks before a referendum on Alberta’s future in Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday sought to strengthen ties with the province by designating a proposed oil pipeline to the Pacific coast a “project of national interest,” a move that speeds its regulatory approval process.
Separatists in the oil-rich prairie province have pointed to longstanding disaffection with the federal government’s energy and climate policies, which they say have constrained the oil-and-gas industry, as a key reason they champion independence. The province will vote on Oct. 19 on whether to stay in Canada or to start the process of holding a second, binding referendum on leaving.
