Separatists in Alberta claim to have sufficient signatures for a referendum on seceding from Canada

(SeaPRwire) –   Separatists in Alberta announced they have collected enough signatures to hold a vote on whether the province should leave Canada. 

The Stay Free Alberta group stated on Monday that it had formally submitted nearly 302,000 signatures after gathering the required 178,000 names to compel the province to consider such a ballot measure. If the signatures are verified, the issue of separation could appear on a province-wide ballot as early as October, following Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s previous statement that she would support proceeding once sufficient valid signatures are confirmed.   

“This day is historic in Alberta history,” Mitch Sylvestre, leader of Stay Free Alberta, declared on Monday upon arriving at the Elections Alberta office in Edmonton with a convoy of seven trucks carrying the petition. “It’s the first step to the next step — we’ve cleared Round 3, and now we’re in the Stanley Cup final.” 

While Smith has publicly expressed personal opposition to Alberta’s secession from Canada, she has criticized previous federal Liberal governments for enacting legislation she claims restricts Alberta’s oil production and export capabilities, resulting in billions of dollars in economic losses for the province. She has also emphasized her desire to prevent the federal government from interfering in provincial matters, according to The Associated Press.

More than 300 supporters gathered in Edmonton on Monday, waving the provincial flag and chanting “Alberta strong.” 

A “yes” vote on independence would not automatically grant secession; instead, formal negotiations with the federal government would be necessary. 

Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, told the AP that despite ongoing independence efforts, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney remains popular even in Alberta. 

“The push for independence among some Albertans predates his tenure as prime minister and stems from longstanding economic, fiscal, and political grievances about what they perceive as unfair treatment by the federal government,” Béland explained. “These concerns intensified during Justin Trudeau’s premiership but have since eased following his departure.” 

Béland noted that several Indigenous groups are already using legal avenues to block an independence referendum and may continue to do so through courts or other forums to prevent secession. 

The petition drive faces a potential legal obstacle this week, as an Edmonton judge is expected to rule on a challenge filed by First Nations in Alberta, who argue that provincial separation would violate treaty rights.