Alberta separatists say they have enough signatures for referendum on leaving Canada

Separatists successful Alberta declared they present person capable signatures to trigger a ballot connected the state leaving Canada. 

The Stay Free Alberta radical said Monday it formally submitted astir 302,000 signatures aft needing 178,000 names to unit the state to see specified a ballot measure. The question of separation could spell connected a provincewide ballot arsenic aboriginal arsenic October, arsenic Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she would determination guardant if capable names are gathered and verified.   

"This time is historical successful Alberta history," Mitch Sylvestre, the caput of Stay Free Alberta, said Monday arsenic helium arrived astatine the Elections Alberta bureau successful Edmonton leading a convoy of 7 trucks to present the names. "It’s the archetypal measurement to the adjacent measurement — we’ve gotten by Round 3 and present we’re successful the Stanley Cup final." 

Smith has said she personally does not enactment the oil-rich state leaving Canada, but she has accused previous federal Liberal governments of introducing authorities that hamstrings Alberta’s quality to nutrient and export oil, which she said has outgo the state billions of dollars, and noted that she doesn’t want the national government meddling in provincial issues, according to The Associated Press.

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Supporters transportation boxes of signatures to taxable for a separation referendum to Elections Alberta successful Edmonton connected May 4, 2026. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

More than 300 supporters gathered successful Edmonton connected Monday, waving the provincial emblem and chanting "Alberta strong." 

A "yes" ballot would not trigger independency automatically, arsenic negotiations with the national authorities would person to instrumentality place. 

Daniel Béland, a governmental subject prof astatine McGill University successful Montreal, told the AP that contempt the independency effort, wide Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney "is so popular, adjacent successful Alberta."

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Mitch Sylvestre, the caput of Stay Free Alberta, holds boxes of signatures earlier submitting them for a separation referendum to Elections Alberta successful Edmonton connected May 4, 2026. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

"The propulsion for independency by immoderate Albertans predates his prime ministership and it’s related to economic, fiscal, and governmental grievances astir the seemingly unfair treatment of Alberta by the national government," Béland said. "These concerns accrued during the Justin Trudeau years but they person peaked and adjacent declined since helium near office." 

Béland added that some Indigenous groups that are already utilizing the courts to forestall an independency referendum would usage venues including the courts to halt independency from happening.

Mitch Sylvestre submits signatures for a separation referendum to Elections Alberta successful Edmonton connected May 4, 2026, arsenic supporters alert flags down him. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

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The petition for a referendum could look a hurdle this week arsenic an Edmonton justice is expected to regularisation connected a tribunal situation by Alberta First Nations, who accidental separation would interruption pact rights. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.