Separatists in Alberta declared they now have enough signatures to trigger a vote on the province leaving Canada. The Stay Free Alberta group said Monday it formally submitted almost 302,000 signatures. They only needed 178,000 names to force a vote.
The population of Alberta is about five million.
The question of separation could go on a province-wide ballot as early as October. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she would move forward if enough names are gathered and verified.
“This day is historic in Alberta history,” Mitch Sylvestre, the head of Stay Free Alberta, said Monday as he arrived at the Elections Alberta office in Edmonton, leading a convoy of seven trucks to deliver the names. “It’s the first step to the next step — we’ve gotten by Round 3, and now we’re in the Stanley Cup final.”
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Smith has said she personally does not support the oil-rich province leaving Canada. However, she has accused previous federal Liberal governments of introducing legislation that hamstrings Alberta’s ability to produce and export oil, which she said has cost the province billions of dollars, and noted that she doesn’t want the federal government meddling in provincial issues, according to The Associated Press.
A “yes” vote would not trigger independence automatically, as negotiations with the federal government would still be required.
Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, told the AP that despite the independence effort, liberal Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “is indeed popular, even in Alberta.” The deep concerns were tied to Justin Trudeau, he says.
The indigenous people don’t want it and are in court to stop it.
However, the Separatists are very serious.
IT’S OFFICIAL: Mitch Sylvester has announced 301,620 signatures for the Alberta independence petition outside Elections Alberta’s office in Edmonton.
He called on the Premier to recognize this as a clear expression of the democratic will of Albertans and move forward with… pic.twitter.com/9Xv0gDFxA6
— Rise Of Alberta (@RiseOfAlberta) May 4, 2026