Alberta Forever Canada Petition Gaining Momentum

 Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?

That is the question on the Alberta Forever Canada Petition that has been circulating in some areas of the province over the past couple of months.

According to the ‘Citizen Initiative Petition Cover Sheet’ # 2025-CIP-04:

Only electors can sign the petition. To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen, and ordinarily resident in Alberta. 

·         You may only sign the petition once and you may not sign on behalf of any other individual.

·         You must provide your full name, physical address, and contact information (phone or email).

·         You may not use your mailing address (e.g. post office box) as a physical address.

The citizen that spearheaded the petition is Thomas Lukaszuk, former Deputy Premier of Alberta. In a letter he penned, and featured on the Forever Canadian website, Lukaszuk explained why he supports a unified Canada with Alberta.

He stated, “My family, refugees from totalitarian Poland, arrived in Canada 43 years ago. We were welcomed by Canadians, total strangers, with open arms. Since then, I haven’t gone a day without feeling gratitude for Canada. Canada is a beacon of hope and freedom for millions of people who wish to be Canadian.”

Lukaszuk pointed out, “History has shown us the economic devastation that results from discussions of separation or secession. In the 1970s, when Quebec considered separation, businesses and investments fled the province, and the negative economic effects are felt to this day.”

Stephen Friend, one of 5,000 canvassers with the Forever Canadian campaign, said he lived through the separation stuff that went on in Quebec. “I lived in Toronto at the time and witnessed the huge migration of people from Quebec into Toronto. Quebec never really did recover from their separation talk and referendum. Companies don’t like instability and that has the potential of happening here if separation talk continues. It’s not going to help the province at all.”

As for what is happening now in Alberta, with the Alberta Prosperity Project, (APP) “The Referendum Movement for a Sovereign Alberta.” The question APP is asking eligible voters to pledge support: “Do you agree that Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province in Canada?”

Friend believes it is now more important than ever to stand united as a country. His partner, Liz Hedegaard feels the same. She is also a canvasser, and said she decided to volunteer, explaining, “its one thing to believe in something. It’s another to do something about it. The same thing with voting. You hear a lot of people complain, but they actually didn’t actually go out and vote. To me, this is really similar. I’m retired. I certainly have time to dedicate to canvassing.”

She added that, “It’s an opportunity to meet with some of our neighbours and some of the people in the community, but also bring an opportunity for the people of Smoky Lake to sign the petition.”

Speaking on a personal level, Hedegaard said, “There are so many things that make me wonder on so many different levels for separatism to possibly succeed. It just doesn’t seem like a viable alternative. Regardless of peoples’ dissatisfaction with the feds I think Alberta has the opportunity to address its grievances now as opposed to when it was a Trudeau led government…We’re in a different place. Let’s jump on sovereignty. Let’s not get divorced get divorced right now. It seems to me we need to have more negotiations, conversations, than be divorced from the country.    

Former Premier Ed Stelmach said he supports the petition and plans to help canvas for signatures in the near future. “There’s no doubt that there are issues and frustrations with the federal government, but that should not lead to separation and creation of a separate county.”

Stelmach said separation would have significant ramifications; everything from resource revenue from the oil sands to infrastructure dollars, investment, taxes, social grants, pension plan, police force, operation of health care programs, etc.

He feels strongly that, “We shouldn’t give any consideration to separation, period. There’s no benefit and that’s why this petition will give us an indication of the support for staying as a country.”

The goal of the Alberta Forever Canada Petition is to have 300,000 plus signatures. Around two-thirds (230,000) of the required 298,000 signatures have been collected since the campaign began. The deadline to collect in-person signatures is Oct. 28.

Stelmach said there will be a campaign through rural Alberta to garner signatures. “It will be a busy time towards the end of the month.” As he pointed out, “I’m an Albertan, but I’m also a Canadian.” Hedegaard concurs with that sentiment, stating, “I certainly am an Albertan. I was born and raised here, but I’m also a Canadian, and I’m a Canadian first.”