A truck carrying containers filled with signed petitions advocating for a referendum on Alberta’s separation was delivered to Elections Alberta on Monday. The group behind the Stay Free Alberta petition announced they gathered 301,620 signatures, surpassing the required 178,000 threshold for the province to consider a referendum question.
Supporters congregated outside Elections Alberta, accompanied by a convoy of vehicles displaying Alberta flags to commemorate the achievement. Mitch Sylvestre, the leader of Stay Free Alberta, emphasized that the significant number of signatures should prompt the inclusion of a separation question on the October referendum ballot. He stated that the high level of participation indicates strong public interest in the issue.
During the event, Sylvestre publicly read a letter addressed to Premier Danielle Smith, expressing anticipation for the government to acknowledge the democratic will of Albertans as demonstrated by the petition signatures. However, approximately 1,500 signatures are still in transit due to issues with Canada Post and were not included in the final tally.
Premier Smith had previously indicated that she would present the separation question in a referendum if a sufficient number of signatures were collected and verified. Nonetheless, the verification process has been delayed following a court decision that paused the validation process pending a legal challenge from a group of Alberta First Nations, arguing that the petition infringes on treaty rights.
Jeff Rath, the legal representative for Stay Free Alberta, asserted that the court’s actions are inconsequential politically, as disregarding hundreds of thousands of signatures would be untenable for the premier. Despite these legal hurdles, the group remains confident in the legitimacy of their signature collection process.
In a contrasting initiative, a pro-unity petition named ‘Forever Canadian’ garnered 404,293 verified signatures in December. This campaign advocates for Alberta to maintain its status as part of Canada, presenting an alternative perspective to the separatist movement.
The conclusion of the Stay Free Alberta petition coincided with an investigation and court injunction prompted by another separatist group’s unauthorized release of Alberta voters’ personal data. This breach raised concerns about the integrity of the signature verification process, with experts questioning the validity of the gathered signatures.
Once the verification process resumes, Elections Alberta will conduct thorough checks to ensure the authenticity of the signatures, including confirming the absence of duplicates, proper witness endorsements, and residency in Alberta. The chief electoral officer, Gordon McClure, emphasized the importance of verifying the authenticity of the signatures to maintain the integrity of the electoral process.
Rath affirmed that Stay Free Alberta adhered to stringent protocols throughout the signature collection process to ensure transparency and legitimacy. Despite external challenges, the group remains steadfast in their efforts to advocate for separation through democratic means.
