Alberta Fact Check: Is Forever Canadian a political movement or a social club?
CBC reported that Forever Canadian now claims it has 18,000 volunteers and is organizing daily pop-up events, collecting signatures and mobilizing thousands of volunteers to persuade Albertans to support one side of the referendum debate.
CBC's own interviews suggest many of Thomas Lukaszuk's sewing circle of elderly female volunteers are motivated as much by companionship as by constitutional politics.
CBC travelled to Airdrie to discover what motivates volunteers with Forever Canadian, one of the most visible organizations campaigning against Alberta independence.
The answers had little to do with constitutional law, equalization, Alberta's economy or federal overreach. Instead, volunteers spoke about loneliness, finding purpose and meeting people.
One volunteer explained she had been sitting at home feeling discouraged before deciding to get involved.
"I was sitting at home... and then I thought maybe I should do something about that."
She said collecting signatures introduced her to many people "just like me" and called it "the most uplifting situation that I have been in for a very long time."
CBC goes to a Forever Canadian most-definitely-not-a-campaign event in Airdrie and finds that FC volunteers are just a bunch of bored grandmas looking for something to do with their time. It's Lukaszuk's personal quilting bee. pic.twitter.com/6WPlN0m8ye
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) July 30, 2026
Another volunteer didn't talk about Alberta independence at all, saying instead that the campaign made her feel positive and connected.
CBC reported that Forever Canadian now claims it has 18,000 volunteers and is holding pop-up events almost every day across Alberta.
Ironically, the interviews suggest the organization's greatest appeal may not be political. For at least some volunteers, it functions as a community group that offers friendship, social interaction and a shared activity.
There is nothing wrong with that. Many Albertans find the same sense of purpose by volunteering at food banks, seniors' centres, churches, animal rescues or community organizations.
But CBC's reporting raises an interesting question: is Forever Canadian primarily mobilizing Albertans around constitutional issues, or has it become a place where people looking for connection have found a cause?
The segment also undercuts repeated claims that Forever Canadian is not campaigning. According to CBC, the group is organizing daily pop-up events, collecting signatures and mobilizing thousands of volunteers to persuade Albertans to support one side of the referendum debate.
That is campaigning by any ordinary understanding of the word.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Editor-in-Chief, Alberta Bureau Chief, member of the board of directors, and host of The Gunn Show at Rebel News. Sheila also serves as President of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada. A mother of three and longtime conservative activist, Sheila is the author of bestselling books, including her most recent release, Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec.
https://mybook.to/sheilaFeatured Stories
COMMENTS
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Bruce Atchison commented 2026-07-30 22:07:57 -0400Bored? I’m a senior. How can anybody be bored? What these women need is to become amateur radio operators. There are so many ways to communicate with like-minded folks. Amateurs, nicknamed hams, love to have coffee meet-ups. There are monthly club meetings to attend and many radio-related events. These woman should put down the knitting needles and study for their exam. We need more women on the air in any case.
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Bernhard Jatzeck commented 2026-07-30 12:11:26 -0400Forever Canadian: a political movement masquerading as a social club, or is it a social club that wishes it was a political movement?
