Premier Danielle Smith says it was “absurd” and “ridiculous” for prominent separatists to offer the United States government access to fresh water and resource royalties in return for its help establishing an independent Alberta.

The information was reported by the Globe and Mail on Saturday. CBC News has not independently confirmed the details in the story.

Alberta separatists met three times with U.S. State Department officials in Washington in late 2025.

“I think it's absurd that anybody would offer something like that up that's not theirs to offer,” Smith said at an unrelated news conference in Edmonton Wednesday. “It's a decision that Albertans would make, and I don't think Albertans would support it.”The Washington meetings were already public knowledge, but what was offered to U.S. officials was new information.

Past Alberta separatist meetings in U.S. don't fall under foreign influence registry: watchdog According to the Globe and Mail, Dennis Modry, co-founder of the pro-independence Alberta Prosperity Project, told the media outlet about the offer that was made.

Jeff Rath, a lawyer with the separatist movement, denied to the Globe and Mail that any of those matters were discussed.

Mitch Sylvestre is the president for the Bonnyville-Cold Lake UCP constituency association. He also heads up the APP.

In an interview with The Canadian Press on Monday, he also denied any discussion about access to water or oil taking place during the meetings in Washington, though he noted he only went to one meeting.

"We have no authority to do any of that," he said. "We're not in government. We can't go down there and have that conversation." Sylvestre added that he believes there's enough support in Alberta for independence that U.S. support is not needed.

It's the biggest Alberta separatist account on the internet. It has links to a movement leader Smith has been criticized for including a question on Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum about whether the province should remain in Canada or if it should start the legal process for a binding future referendum that would provide a definitive answer on Alberta’s fate within Confederation.

Smith didn’t answer a question Wednesday about whether she believes she has encouraged U.S. involvement in the political situation by asking the question.

Instead she said she believes the people that were involved in the meetings are critics of hers because she plans to vote to stay in Canada. “We expect that the American administration will deal with the duly elected governments,” Smith added.

“That includes mine, but it also includes the government of Canada.”Alberta mayors voice concern ahead of fall referendum The mayors of Calgary and Edmonton appeared on CBC News Network's on Monday and spoke about their concerns in light of the Globe and Mail report.

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he believes the referendum is a distraction from other issues facing Albertans.

He said he's worried about the potential for misinformation and foreign interference, and more generally about the impact that Alberta's referendum could have on the province's future. "My fear is regardless of the outcome, this is not going to be settled," he said.

"My fear is that we're going to continue to see continued divisive debates and potentially more referendums being called." Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack said the report about water and royalties being offered to the U.S. is a reminder of what's at risk, especially with U.S. President Donald Trump's past comments about his interest in potentially making Canada his country's 51st state.

"That to me has been part of the challenge of this," he said. "This is a very dangerous path." Knack said he believes the vast majority of Edmontonians do not support a binding referendum on independence, and called on all Albertans to vote in this month's referendum.

"If there's one good thing about this ridiculous story — I can't even believe that's happening — is that hopefully it serves as a wake-up call to everyone in this province that you cannot be sleeping on Oct. 19."