Alberta independence signature drive begins on Saturday

The fight over Alberta’s future kicks off Saturday as a 120-day signature drive for an independence referendum begins.

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The fight over Alberta’s future kicks off Saturday as a 120-day signature drive for an independence referendum begins.

In a news release issued Friday afternoon, Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure confirmed that the petition for the constitutional proposal titled “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” has been formally approved and issued.

The proposed question that will appear on the petition reads:

“Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”

The question differs slightly from the original separation referendum question unveiled by the group in May, which was: “Do you agree that the province of Alberta shall become a Sovereign Country and cease to be a province of Canada?”

Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) general counsel Jeffrey Rath previously told True North that the change was made to more closely align with Section 1(3) of the Clarity Act.

“In considering the clarity of a referendum question, the House of Commons shall consider whether the question would result in a clear expression of the will of the population of a province on whether the province should cease to be part of Canada and become an independent state,” reads Section 1(3) of the Clarity Act.

Elections Alberta issued the petition after the Chief Electoral Officer determined the requirements for appointing a chief financial officer for the initiative had been met, as required under section 1.2 of the Citizen Initiative Act.

Signature collection is authorized to run from Jan. 3 to May 2, 2026, and requires 177,732 valid signatures to succeed. The threshold represents 10 per cent of the total votes cast in the 2023 provincial general election.

The Alberta Prosperity Project said signature gathering will begin once canvassers are registered and official petition sheets are distributed, which it expects in the coming days.

“Our methods will include door-to-door canvassing by thousands of dedicated volunteers across every community in Alberta, town hall meetings, and public events to engage supporters. We already have over 250,000 Albertans who have pledged their support, and our strategy focuses on each volunteer recruiting two to four additional signatories from their personal networks, ensuring strict ID verification for every signature,” said the group in a press release.

The APP said that Albertans interested in canvassing can begin registering as volunteers at albertaprosperityproject.com. Additionally, a campaign website will surface Monday where people can participate, donate, and stay informed.

“This fully transparent, citizen-funded effort—backed by a dedicated bank account and pursuing third-party advertiser status—represents a defining moment for all who hold dear faith, family, and freedom,” said the party.

Rath told True North the Alberta Prosperity Project aims to collect one million signatures.

He said they will do everything in their power to collect more than Thomas Lukaszuk, who surpassed 450,000 signatures for his anti-separation petition. Lukaszuk was later accused of misleading supporters after disavowing a referendum.

For the APP’s petition, the group’s CEO and the petition’s proponent, Mitch Sylvestre, must register canvassers before signature collection can begin.

Under the rules, only registered canvassers may collect signatures. Canvassers must be eligible electors, comply with the Canvasser Code of Conduct, and follow all guidelines from the Chief Electoral Officer.

Registered canvassers are required to witness each signature, verify each signer’s proof of identity, and sign each petition sheet confirming compliance. Eligible electors must provide either one piece of government-issued photo identification showing their name and current residential address, or two authorized pieces of identification with their name, one of which includes their current address.

“Only original physical signatures are valid,” Elections Alberta said. “Digital or online signatures will not be accepted.”

The proponent must submit all completed petition signature sheets to Elections Alberta no later than May 2, 2026. Submissions received after that date will be rejected.

Once the petition is submitted, Elections Alberta has up to 21 days to verify the signatures and publish the results. If the petition is submitted on the final day of the signing period, verification would be completed by May 23, 2026, according to the agency.

Elections Alberta noted that changes introduced under Bill 14, the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, which came into force on December 11, 2025, altered canvassing and signature requirements. The legislation removed procedural hurdles that previously allowed referendum questions to be delayed or tied up in court under the previous initiative process. Those changes now govern the current petition process.

Alberta independence advocates previously celebrated Bill 14, as it halted court challenges that were holding up the petition and discontinued pending judicial reviews tied to initiative applications, allowing this petition to proceed.