Alberta Separatists Submit 302,000 Signatures for Independence Vote

Separatists in Alberta said Monday they submitted nearly 302,000 signatures to trigger a vote on the province leaving Canada.

The Stay Free Alberta group delivered the names to Elections Alberta in Edmonton after needing 178,000 valid signatures to force consideration of a ballot measure. The separation question could appear on a province-wide ballot as early as October if Premier Danielle Smith follows through. Smith has pledged to advance the process once signatures are verified.

"This day is historic in Alberta history," said Mitch Sylvestre, head of Stay Free Alberta, as he arrived at the office with a convoy of seven trucks. "It’s the first step to the next step — we’ve gotten by Round 3, and now we’re in the Stanley Cup final."

Smith has stated she does not support Alberta breaking away from Canada. But she has accused past federal Liberal governments of passing laws that limit the oil-rich province's production and export of oil, costing billions of dollars. She added that she opposes federal interference in provincial matters, according to the Associated Press.

More than 300 supporters rallied in Edmonton on Monday. They waved provincial flags and chanted "Alberta strong."

A "yes" vote would not grant independence outright. Negotiations with the federal government would follow.

Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, told the AP that despite the push, liberal Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney remains popular even in Alberta. "The push for independence by some Albertans predates his prime ministership, and it’s related to economic, fiscal, and political grievances about the seemingly unfair treatment of Alberta by the federal government," Béland said. "These concerns increased during the Justin Trudeau years, but they have peaked and even declined since he left office."

Béland noted that some Indigenous groups, already challenging a referendum in court, would fight independence through legal channels.

The petition faces an immediate test. An Edmonton judge is due to rule this week on a court challenge from Alberta First Nations, who argue separation would violate treaty rights.