Alberta separatists have submitted enough signatures to force independence vote
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Separatists in Alberta say they now have enough signatures to trigger a vote on the province’s secession from Canada.
The Stay Free Alberta group said Monday it had officially submitted almost 302,000 signatures after needing 178,000 names to force the province to consider such a ballot measure. The secession issue could be put to a province-wide vote in early October, as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said it could move forward if enough names are collected and verified.
“This is a historic day in Alberta history,” Mitch Sylvestre, president of Stay Free Alberta, said Monday as he arrived at the Alberta Elections office in Edmonton, leading a convoy of seven trucks to distribute names. “This is the first step of the next step; we got through Round 3 and now we’re in the Stanley Cup final.”
Smith said he does not personally support the oil-rich province seceding from Canada, but he accused previous federal Liberal governments of passing laws that hindered Alberta’s ability to produce and export oil, which he said cost the province billions of dollars, and noted that he did not want the federal government to get involved in provincial affairs, according to The Associated Press.
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Supporters carry boxes of signatures to be submitted for the secession referendum at the Alberta Elections on May 4, 2026 in Edmonton. (Jason Franson/Canadian Press)
More than 300 supporters gathered in Edmonton on Monday, waving the provincial flag and chanting “Alberta strong.”
A “yes” vote will not automatically trigger independence, as negotiations will need to take place with the federal government.
Despite his independence efforts, liberal Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “is really popular, even in Alberta,” Daniel Béland, a professor of political science at McGill University in Montreal, told the AP.
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Mitch Sylvestre, president of Stay Free Alberta, holds signature boxes before sending them to the Alberta Elections for the secession referendum on May 4, 2026 in Edmonton. (Jason Franson/Canadian Press)
“The push for independence from some Albertans predates his premiership and relates to economic, financial and political grievances about the federal government’s seemingly unfair treatment of Alberta,” Béland said. he said. “These concerns increased during the Justin Trudeau years, but have peaked or even diminished since he left office.”
Béland added that some Indigenous groups, which already use the courts to prevent an independence referendum, will use venues, including the courts, to prevent independence from happening.
Mitch Sylvestre submits signatures for a secession referendum to Elections Alberta, May 4, 2026, in Edmonton, as supporters wave flags behind him. (Jason Franson/Canadian Press)
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The referendum petition could hit a snag this week as an Edmonton judge is expected to rule on a court challenge by Alberta First Nations, who say secession would violate treaty rights.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
