Alberta Separatist Group Says More Than 300,000 Have Signed Petition as Deadline Passes

Mitch Sylvestre of Stay Free Alberta hugs a supporter before submitting signatures for a separation referendum to Elections Alberta in Edmonton on May 4, 2026. The Canadian Press/Jason Franson

The signature collection period for a referendum on Alberta leaving Canada officially ended May 4, weeks after organizers said they had secured the required 177,732 signatures to trigger a referendum.

Organizers, who submitted the signatures to Elections Alberta, said they have now gathered 301,620 signatures.

“This process shows that Albertans are engaged, and this is an issue people want to have a say on. From all perspectives, there has been significant interest,” Mitch Sylvestre, who heads Stay Free Alberta, said in Edmonton on May 4. “This day is historic in Alberta history.”

The last day for Alberta separatists to gather petition signatures that could trigger a referendum on pulling the province out of Confederation was on May 2, but because that day fell on a weekend, they had until May 4 to provide the paperwork to Elections Alberta.

The referendum question around separation, filed with Elections Alberta in December 2025, asks, “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said that a referendum on independence would be held later in 2026 if the petition met the legal requirements. Smith previously said her government would include several different questions that also meet legislated requirements on a referendum ballot.

Jeffrey Rath, legal counsel with separatist group the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), told The Epoch Times on March 31 that enough signatures had already been collected to meet the threshold. Elections Alberta said petition supporters had until May 2 to collect the 177,732 signatures, which is equal to 10 percent of votes cast in the 2023 provincial election.

Among the challenges facing the proponents of the independence referendum is a legal proceeding by First Nations who argue the process violates treaty rights. On April 10, an Alberta judge granted a one-month stay on the validation process of the referendum petition.

Justice Shaina Leonard of the Court of King’s Bench in Edmonton said that while the referendum petition’s organizers could continue collecting signatures, the results could not be announced until an overall decision is made in the court case.

Rath has said the court process will have little impact on their efforts.

Once the court allows the petition proceedings to resume, Elections Alberta will begin the process of validating petition signatures before determining if the legal requirements for holding a referendum are met.

Another controversy arose as Elections Alberta obtained a court injunction that forced another separatist advocacy group, the Centurion Project, to shut down an online database that allegedly included personal information of voters. The group denies wrongdoing and says it’s making sure it’s in compliance with all applicable laws.

Sylvestre says his organization is not involved with the Centurion Project.

“They showed me the app, claiming that it was gonna be this wonderful thing. I looked at it for less than a minute, and then I said, ‘No, we’re not doing this,’” Sylvestre said.

A May 4 poll by Leger found 23 percent support for the province leaving Canada, while 64 percent opposed independence.