EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg stayed away from any direct criticism of Alberta's oil sands as she took her message to the oil-rich Canadian province.

The 16-year-old told thousands of people in front of the provincial legislature in Edmonton on Friday that the future of the planet is at stake. Alberta has the world's third largest oil reserves in the world.

A group of oil and gas industry supporters held a counter-rally. They took part in a truck convoy but were vastly outnumbered by climate activists.

Thunberg began holding solitary demonstrations outside Sweden's parliament in August 2018, skipping classes once a week to protest climate change.

Her "Fridays for Future" demonstrations have inspired millions across the world to stage protests urging leaders to tackle global warming.