Alberta independence petition exceeds signatures needed to proceed
(LifeSiteNews) — A citizen-led petition that calls for the province of Alberta to hold a separation vote to leave Canada and become an independent state was approved to proceed but is now on hold due to a court battle.
Elections Alberta announced that it has validated approximately 223,000 signatures from a petition by Mitch Sylvestre and Stay Free Alberta for the province’s independence. The number of signatures needed by law for a citizen-led referendum to be on the ballot is 177,732.
“As a result of a judicial decision on June 29, 2026, Elections Alberta has conducted the verification and determination process for the ‘A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence’ citizen initiative petition,” Elections Alberta said. “As required under section 10 of the Citizen Initiative Act in force on May 1, 2026, Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure has determined the requirements of section 6 have been met, and the petition is successful.”
The current petition has been in a legal battle, however. As reported by LifeSiteNews, a judge blocked the approval of a group’s petition to have Alberta separate from Canada and become its own nation. Stay Free Alberta appealed the decision.
As reported by LifeSiteNews, Stay Free Alberta said a few months ago that it had gathered enough signatures to trigger a referendum on the issue as allowed by provincial law.
However, a few days later, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau-appointed Court of King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard ruled that Alberta chief electoral officer Gordon McClure made a mistake in approving the group’s petition.
Leonard ruled that McClure did not take into account an earlier ruling that claimed Alberta leaving Canada would violate the local indigenous population and that the province did not consult with local First Nations.
However, the province was not behind the petition, and Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) legal counsel Jeffrey Rath posted that the group is challenging Leonard’s ruling.
In a June 29 ruling, the Alberta Court of Appeal allowed Stay Free Alberta a partial stay of Leonard’s ruling, allowing Elections Alberta to go ahead and verify the signatures.
https://x.com/JeffreyRWRath/status/2055816078266363949
Until the appeal is fully resolved, the group’s petition will not be allowed to proceed.
Separate but similar to this matter, an October 19 vote on the question of whether or not a petition for Alberta separation should proceed in the future will be allowed by the current provincial government under Premier Danielle Smith.
As reported by LifeSiteNews, Smith recently announced that despite her “personal support for remaining in Canada,” she will let Albertans decide if there should be a vote on Alberta leaving Canada.
The question to be put to Albertans reads, “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”
The calls for Alberta’s independence have grown since Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney defeated Conservative rival Pierre Poilievre in the 2025 federal election. In Alberta, almost all of the seats except two went to the Conservatives.
Carney, as well as all of the federal Conservative Party and the local Alberta NDP party, support the stay in Canada side.
Recent polls show about 29 percent support for a free and independent Alberta. However, the true number could be higher, as the majority of UCP members support independence.
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 10-year reign in Canada only increased calls from many Albertans to separate from Canada.
Comments