Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a final appeal on Friday to voters in his home province of Alberta who are weighing a path toward independence, framing Monday's referendum as a dangerous gamble at a time of growing threats to Canada's sovereignty.

With U.S. President Donald Trump waging a trade war and threatening to make Canada the 51st state, Carney said the vote comes at the "worst possible time" and urged Albertans not to take the outcome for granted.

"Don't let anyone tell you this is already decided. Turnout will determine the outcome," Carney told a pro-Canada rally in Edmonton, the city where he grew up. "This is not a game. This is not poker. A vote against Canada is a dangerous bluff that will lead to years of deep uncertainty and lost opportunities for Albertans and Canadians."

Monday's ballot is not a direct referendum on independence. Alberta — home to most of Canada's proven oil reserves, the fourth largest in the world — will instead decide whether to remain a province or instruct the government to begin the legal process toward a future referendum on separation. The distinction matters for voters: a "yes" result would not make Alberta a separate country on Monday, but would instead set in motion the legal process toward a future referendum on separation.

Two days of campaigning against separation

Carney's closing argument followed two days of campaigning against separation in the province. Earlier on Friday, the Liberal prime minister appeared alongside Alberta's conservative premier, Danielle Smith, in a show of unity against independence.

Smith praised Carney for improving relations with a province that frequently clashed with his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, over the carbon tax and other energy policies. "I think what we can agree on is that we have had some real change in the last 18 months," Smith said alongside Carney in Red Deer, Alberta. She noted that Carney grew up in Alberta and remains an Edmonton Oilers fan. "He can't be all bad, right?" she joked.

"Some outside our borders are working to break us so they can own us. Never. Never," Carney warned in Edmonton on Friday, repeating a message he had delivered a day earlier in Calgary. At both Thursday's Calgary rally and Friday's Edmonton gathering, the crowd erupted in its loudest applause when Carney spoke about reducing Canada's economic dependence on the United States.

Acknowledging grievances, stressing roots

Carney acknowledged Alberta's longstanding resentment of federal energy policies. "Growing up, I remember how Ottawa made Albertans feel like our resources weren't our own," he said. But he also emphasized his deep personal ties to the province. "Alberta is my home. I grew up here. This city, this province, this country have given me everything: my family, my education, my values," he said.

Outside the Edmonton rally venue on Friday, Alberta independence supporters waved flags and held a sign reading "Say no to Carney's new world order."

A vote Smith called — and opposes

Smith called the referendum despite opposing independence herself. She recently cited a poll showing 22% of Albertans support separation, a figure she said was still too high. Smith also faces pressure from separatists within her governing United Conservative Party. Former Premier Jason Kenney has said the independence movement gained influence within the party as activists angry over COVID-19 restrictions, some influenced by conspiracy theories, embraced separatism.

Some Albertans who want to remain in Canada are angry with Smith for triggering the vote. "I think it's a travesty really to be putting our province and our country through this when such a small portion of people are rabble rousing and saying they want to separate from Canada," said Deb Lee, a retired Calgary resident who voted in advance to remain in Canada.

Smith said Carney had substantially addressed seven of the nine federal laws Alberta opposed, and she also cited cooperation on a proposed oil pipeline. Independence advocate Tanya Clemens dismissed the agreements between Carney and Smith as "basically pinky promises" that came with too many conditions.

Carney's chief political rival, federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, also urged Albertans on Friday to remain in Canada. "Don't leave your fellow Canadians behind. Lock arms with them," Poilievre said.

Despite their agreement on keeping Alberta in Canada, Carney and Smith remain divided over nine other questions on Monday's ballot involving immigration and provincial powers. Smith wants voters to approve them, while Carney has urged their rejection.

"For the first time in a long time, Alberta and Canada are walking together," Smith said.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com. Related primary coverage: Alberta separation vote and Trump-Carney trade war via AP News.