Over 300,000 Albertans sign petition calling for an independence referendum
The success of the petition — 300,000 signatures collected by grassroots people with no big money, no big media, no major political backing — is sure to mobilize activists in Ottawa, including the media.
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Article by Rebel News staff
Under Alberta law, roughly 177,732 petition signatures are needed to trigger a referendum — 10% of the number of people who voted in the last election.
Today, the chief petition-gatherer submitted what he says are 301,620 signatures in support of a referendum on Alberta independence — slightly more than the 299,493 votes Mark Carney received in Alberta in the last election.
If that number holds, it will be more than enough to survive any audit of the signatures to verify their validity.
The referendum, tentatively scheduled for October 19th, still faces a few obstacles, including the outcome of ongoing litigation.
Extremist Indian bands, worried about losing billions of dollars from Ottawa, have taken the province to court, claiming that a referendum is illegal. But the Supreme Court itself has previously said otherwise, and so has the Clarity Act. And, after all, Quebec has already held two referendums, and may yet hold more. It seems likely these lawsuits will ultimately be dismissed.
While three hundred thousand signatures is a significant effort, as previously stated, it still represents only about 17% of those who voted in the last election. It’s enough to start the job, but not enough to finish it.
As you know, last week our third-party group, Act for Alberta, commissioned a large 3,000-person poll on this very question. About 60% of respondents said they would vote to stay in Canada, while only 28% said they would vote for independence. Another 12% were undecided.
There is still a great deal of persuading left to do.
In the meantime, the success of the petition — 300,000 signatures collected by grassroots people with no big money, no big media, no major political backing — is sure to mobilize activists in Ottawa, including the media.
Don’t be surprised if federal institutions begin releasing a steady stream of warnings and position papers about the risks of independence.
Look for the CPP to warn seniors they’ll be cut off, as if you have to live in Canada to get your CPP benefits.
You’ll have banks warning about higher interest rates.
You’ll have the military threatening to shut down bases in Alberta — as if the Liberals haven’t been doing that for years already.
Some Albertans have grown comfortable with the status quo. After all, while Alberta may have been knocked down by Ottawa, it is still performing better than most other provinces.
We'll see. And we'll be there to tell the other side of the story.
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COMMENTS
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Lynne Osborne commented 2026-05-05 19:25:58 -0400“300,000 signatures collected by grassroots people with no big money, no big media, no major political backing” Odd in Canada these facts alone are considered very undemocratic. What group goes out to solicit public support without government approval nor subsidy? It is just not Canadian. The cencus this year, that we are required by law to complete or suffer a penalty, is focused on gender issues and French language skills. Obviously Albertans, anyway, have other interests and priorities. -
Tony Salotti commented 2026-05-05 07:05:39 -0400Let’s hope you gain independance Alberta . I’m rooting for you .
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Paul Mccullough commented 2026-05-05 00:12:36 -0400They need a tremendous amount of energy to develop and run AI. So now the Green billionaires have become AI boosters, and the climate cultists are like a ship without a rudder.
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Silver Feet commented 2026-05-04 23:22:31 -0400The enemies of freedom will use all the fear mongering tactics that exist and may even invent some new ones, but the greatest fear of every Albertan is the horrendous life their children will have if they remain in Canada.
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Bruce Atchison commented 2026-05-04 21:05:39 -0400Demoralization is the tactic of socialists to make people give up. What we who want Alberta as a sovereign country must do is reach out to undecided folks. Remainers are dug in and we already have the leavers. So go after folks who haven’t made up their minds yet. We can use socialist media too.
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Bruce Atchison commented 2026-05-04 21:03:39 -0400I’m glad the climate change scare is ending. Luxury beliefs have no place in basic economies.
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Bryan Poynter commented 2026-05-04 20:59:52 -0400USA exports oil and natural gas.
I would like to know how much of that comes from Canada.
Is that why there is so much resistance to pipelines. -
Duane Pedersen commented 2026-05-04 20:08:58 -0400The east can throw all the scare tactics they want But we in Alberta are finished with the money sucking Liberals we are ready to leave but the question is is the east no there not
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Paul Scofield commented 2026-05-04 20:07:04 -0400Congrats, Alberta! Even with a 20% toss out rate, that is over a quarter-million patriots who appear fed the hell up. Good for giving people the right to choose their own path. Oct 19th should be something.
