Alberta Separatist Group in Canada Collected Over 300K Signatures on Petition That Could Trigger Independence Referendum
NEED TO KNOWA petition for Alberta's independence referendum received over 300,000 signatures, surpassing the required 178,000Indigenous groups in Canada are challenging the referendum, citing treaty rights that could be impacted by Alberta's separationExperts say support for Alberta's independence is low, with less than 30% of residents backing the movementA petition that could trigger a referendum on the Canadian province of Alberta leaving the country was formally submitted by separatists this week.On Monday, May 4, Stay Free Alberta said they received over 300,000 signatures on the petition, a number that's significantly more than the 178,000 they needed for the referendum campaign to move forward, per the Associated Press and the BBC.Mitch Sylvestre, the head of Stay Free Alberta, delivered the signatures — which were reportedly handled five times to verify the names — at the Elections Alberta office in Edmonton along with seven trucks carrying the papers. “This day is historic in Alberta history,” Sylvestre said, per the outlets. “It's the first step to the next step — we've gotten by Round 3 and now we're in the Stanley Cup final.”PEOPLE has reached out to Stay Free Alberta for comment.Separatist leader Mitch Sylvestre on May 4, 2026Credit: Henry MARKEN / AFP via GettyWhile Albertans could vote on an independence referendum as early as October, negotiations with the federal government would also have to take place before the separation could move forward. The question of separation is also facing legal challenges from some Indigenous groups.According to the CBC, an Alberta judge paused the signature verification process of the petition after a group of Alberta First Nations challenged the petition in court, arguing that the province's push for independence violates their treaty rights.A lawyer for the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Kevin Hille, told the BBC that his clients' case could be enough to put a stop to the referendum. "An international border would impact their treaty rights and way of life," Hille said. He also referenced centuries-old treaty agreements that were made before modern-day Canada was established.If Alberta gained independence from Canada, that would mean severing the terms of those treaties, Hille said of his clients' beliefs.Supporters carry boxes of signatures on Monday, May 4, 2026 to submit for a separation referendum on May 4, 2026Credit: Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via APNever miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The formally submitted petition comes after Alberta's Premier Danielle Smith previously said the referendum on the province's separation from Canada would move forward if enough signatures were gathered, but she does not personally support it, per the AP.According to the BBC, the separation movement was sparked by a term called “western alienation,” which describes the belief some Albertans hold regarding the province being often overlooked on important decisions in Canada's capital of Ottawa.While the separatist group's petition exceeded the number of signatures it needed to move forward, Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, told the AP that a referendum will likely lose. “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.Read the original article on People
