Alberta separatist group says it has enough signatures to trigger referendum on leaving Canada

[dalton99a]

https://apnews.com/article/alberta-separation-canada-referendum-e93c247ccc2e5f0340a5490d88ab0da2

Alberta separatist group says it has enough signatures to trigger referendum on leaving Canada
Updated 10:37 PM CDT, May 4, 2026

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Alberta separatists said Monday they have formally submitted almost 302,000 signatures to try to trigger a referendum on the province leaving Canada.

The group needed 178,000 signatures to force the province to consider such a vote.

The question of separation could go on a provincewide ballot as early as October, as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she would move forward if enough names are gathered and verified. Smith has said she personally does not support the oil-rich province leaving Canada.

A “yes” vote would not trigger independence automatically. Negotiations with the federal government would have to take place and Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said some Indigenous groups who are already using the courts to prevent an independence referendum would use venues including the courts to stop independence from happening.

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Trump and Putin love these guys

[canetoad]

1. From the article

“Right now, support for independence in Alberta is rather low. Less than 30% and much lower if we only focus on hard core supporters. And the odds of a victory of the pro-independence camp appear to be low at this stage,” he said.

They should shut up and sit down and consider priorities.

[applegrove]

2. It was 28% last year. Now it is down to 27%. And that

was before the scandal of separatism groups illegally publishing a list of voters and their addresses on the internet for anyone to see. Judges, abused women hiding from men, and many more had there data layed open to anyone to see. People are really mad. That is some MAGA-like action. I wonder if the pro-separatist vote will go even lower.

[Disaffected]

3. And a lot of these yoyos

really don't want to separate - they just want to "send a message" by answering Yes to separation polls.

Anyhow, there is no way it could work even with a referendum win - there is nothing in the constitution or legislation that provides for it.

[applegrove]

4. They don't have a chance. Republicans have made being part of the USA unpalatable

what with the attempt to cleave the middle class into parts and send 1/4 rich and 3/4ers poor. People know the average American has lost power in their own country.

[Cha]

5. Glad to see that... It's incredible

to me that they would want to leave Canada.

Hope Mark Carney can soothe their feathers.

Mahllo, apple

[applegrove]

8. Thanks Cha!

[rampartd]

6. the 51st state? alberta?

this sounds great for oil executives

[applegrove]

9. Norway gets so much more for their oil than Alberta does.

Big Oil executives are already doing great in Alberta. They probably want Alberta to be the 51st state so they can get the oil for even cheaper.

[BidenRocks]

7. The Oilers suck!

[DFW]

10. I wouldn't hold my breath.

An independent Alberta won’t be supported by 50% of the people who live there, and I doubt there are 50% of the people anywhere who want their state/province to join Trump’s America.

Separatist movements in modern integrated countries are mostly supported by their own headline seekers. Texas is not leaving the USA, Catalunya is not leaving Spain, etc.

[Spazito]

11. Albertans don't support these fringe white nationalist movements....

there have been fringe groups touting separation for decades and they can never get above 30% support. These latest groups get even less support, it is, at best, 27% and that number includes those who are lukewarm to the idea. The hardcore number is around 19%.

Smith and her government lowered the number of signatures needed, 177,000, extended the time for collection for this group and only did that after forcing the "Forever Canada" group to have to collect 294,000 over a shorter time frame. The "Forever Canada" group collected over 400,000 verified signatures.

The more serious issue is about the 9 questions being asked in an October referendum that asks questions on pensions, immigrants, judges and more. The questions were put together by this appalling government without any real communication with Albertans beforehand, much as they pretended it was otherwise. I can only hope Albertans do their due diligence on the 9 issues before going to the polls on them.

[question everything]

12. We have enough of our own