Canada hosts G7 in Alberta, where talk of independence and joining the US lingers

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith welcomed G7 leaders to Calgary on Sunday. Speaking on her radio show Your Province, Your Premier the day before, Smith said she was "quite excited" about Alberta hosting the G7 summit.

"I'm pretty excited about the fact that Alberta is the showcase for the G7," she said, "especially as we're going through having a recalibration and conversation about the role of traditional energy in the energy mix."

In a post on X, Smith welcomed the leaders of the G7 member countries and defended Alberta’s natural resources.

"With the fourth-largest oil reserves and the ninth-largest natural gas reserves on Earth, we are one of the most reliable and secure energy suppliers in the world," she said.

"Our geography uniquely positions us to supply Asia, Europe, and the world with the energy they need whether it’s oil, propane, liquified natural gas, hydrogen, ammonia, and more.”

After years of frustration with the green policies of former prime minister Justin Trudeau, Smith declared in May that Alberta was toying with the idea of holding "a referendum on seceding from the province if the petition gathered the necessary support."

At the time, Smith stated, "over the past 10 years, successive Liberal governments in Ottawa have unleashed a series of laws, measures and political attacks aimed at Alberta's free economy, against the future and well-being of our people."

However, during his radio show on Saturday, Smith said she hoped the G7 members would support Alberta.

"I hope the G7 will come together and make a positive statement about the role Alberta and Canada can play in global energy security, in reducing emissions and in reducing global energy poverty," she said.

"There is a business case," she added. "We just have to build the pipeline networks to be able to get them to market."

"And so I think this is a terrific opportunity to showcase Alberta to the world and share that message."

Also on Saturday, Premier Smith met with Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, and Emily Fleckner, the U.S. consul general. She was joined by James Rajotte, Alberta’s senior advisor on U.S. affairs.

According to her office, Premier Smith is scheduled to host representatives from non-member countries on Monday evening and hold bilateral meetings throughout the summit.

Since Trump won the election, Smith has sought to rebuild ties with the United States. In January, the premier met with the president in Florida to avoid tariffs on Canadian goods.

In early June, Smith also traveled to the United States to attend the Washington Energy Summit.

Meanwhile, as host of the G7, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney may invite leaders from non-member countries. This year’s guest list includes Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.