Six Thousand Volunteers for Forever Canadian

Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent

There were plenty of drivers honking, waving, and cheering when the Unity Bus for the Alberta Forever Canada Petition Tour with Former Deputy Premier of Alberta Thomas Lukaszuk and canvassers was at the old Peavey Mart’s parking lot on October 15.

Lukaszuk spearheaded this initiative and stated that this petition started almost 90 days ago, around June 30. They will be traveling on a tour across Alberta.

He decided to start this petition because just before June 30, separatists were having town hall meetings, and they just unveiled their question of whether Alberta should become a separate country. He thought these guys would definitely ask for a referendum, and the Premier seemed to be very open towards their cause. Lakaszuk explained, “So, I thought there must be some provisions in the legislation for the Citizens' Initiative Act that says there can be only one petition at a time, and once you get a petition through and it is successful, then no one can file another one for a certain period of five years. So, I went to the Chief Electoral Office that morning and asked if the separatists had filed a petition yet. The commissioner’s staff told me they could not tell me, and the only way I could find out if I started my own petition, and if it was accepted, that meant they never filed one.  

So, I filed one and it was approved. But I went by the old rules and was determined to get the 300,000 signatures.

Last count, we had 230,000 but only a portion of our signature collection is reported, so we will start the count of the collection on the 25th of October.

Once we get 300,000 signatures, this will be the biggest petition in the history of Canada. We have 6,000 volunteers.”  

Lukaszuk went on to express that if we separate from Canada, Alberta would be a landlocked country. We would have no access to water with no ocean or sea.  How would farmers be exporting their goods, such as beef and grain, if we had no access to ports and ships? What rail lines would we be using?” Vegreville resident Ray Welsh, who was canvassing shared it is critical that we state we are Canadian first, and Albertans second, as he is concerned about the direction that the province is going. It seems to be mirroring what is going on in the United States. “This is a major concern. I am looking at health care, education, and some of the bills of the legislation. I am worried about the agenda of our premier and the United Conservative Party government.”

A Vegreville resident’s Lisa Topilko has been canvassing for a while all over Vegreville because her friend, Renette Bertholet from Edmonton was working for this petition and Lisa wanted one in Vegreville. Lisa felt if Alberta were to separate, investors and Canadian businesses would pull out of Alberta because of the uncertainty of what might happen to them and that would be a terrible thing for our economy.

“The majority of people are really happy to see us and sign the petition, and there are some who are shocked that this question is even a thing.

My ancestors would be appalled that we are even considering this in Alberta,” Lisa added.