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Thousands of people participated in a rally outside the Alberta legislative building in Edmonton on Oct. 25 in support of a referendum to separate the province from Canada.
The Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), which organized the “I Am Alberta Rally,” filed its application for a citizen-led petition to Elections Alberta on July 4. The group proposed asking the referendum question: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province in Canada?”
The APP applied to be a separation referendum proponent for a province-wide vote next year. The group holds that the federal government has “encroached on Alberta’s ability to manage its own affairs,” and says independence would allow the province to “keep our resources, grow our economy, and re-invest in Alberta families, businesses and infrastructure.”
Alberta’s chief electoral officer has referred the proposed referendum question to the courts to determine whether it contravenes certain sections of the Constitution Act. The judge presiding over the case is expected to provide a ruling by the end of the year.
In parallel to this proposed referendum question, another group led by Alberta’s former Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk is collecting signatures for a competing referendum to keep Alberta in the Canadian Confederation.
Rally
Wayne Hartley holds a sign at the "I Am Alberta Rally" outside the Alberta legislative building in Edmonton on Oct. 25, 2025. The Epoch Times
Rally attendee Wayne Hartley said he was participating in the event because he sees Alberta’s independence as “the only way to fix” Canada. “This referendum won’t so much decide the future of Alberta as it will determine the fate of us trapped in it under the jackboot of Ottawa’s colonialism,” a sign that he was holding read in part, which also referred to the desire for freedom, prosperity, and security.
He said he was there for his children and grandchildren. “They’re not going to have a life unless we do something about this,” Hartley told The Epoch Times, adding that “I think people just have to get away from being selfish and start thinking about their fellow Canadians.”
Thousands of people participate in the "I Am Alberta Rally" outside the Alberta legislative building in Edmonton on Oct. 25, 2025. The Epoch Times
Nick, another rally participant, who declined to give his last name, told The Epoch Times that Canada should have established independent states when the British Parliament passed the Statute of Westminster in 1931, which gave Canada its legislative independence from Britain. Prior to that, Canada was a British colony, he noted.
“We would not need a referendum to decide whether we want to leave Canada or not, because we are already independent and free,” Nick said.
The host of the YouTube channel Unacceptable Fringe, Derek Smith, gave a speech at the rally, saying his family moved to Alberta because, as his father explained, it was “a province of opportunity—a place where, if you’re willing to get your hands dirty and work, you can work your way up a ladder and you can be successful.” Smith said that this promise has “diminished, especially in the last 10 years.”
Derek Smith speaks at the “I Am Alberta Rally” outside the Alberta legislative building in Edmonton on Oct. 25, 2025. The Epoch Times
For his part, anti-separation advocate Lukaszuk says that he’s a proud Canadian and doesn’t want to see Alberta secede from the country.
“We are a country that is in constant negotiation, and that’s what makes us so unique, and that’s what makes us work so well. But we have mechanisms for solving the problems, but separating from Canada is never an option,” Lukaszuk, a former Progressive Conservative MLA and deputy premier, told The Epoch Times previously.
Smith, Carney on Separation
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she doesn’t support separation but would allow the democratic process to move forward if a citizen-led petition meets the requirements for a referendum.
In April, she lowered the bar for holding referendums by extending the signature collection period from 90 to 120 days and setting the threshold at 10 percent of eligible voters who participated in the most recent general election.
In a statement in March, Smith suggested that a number of Ottawa’s policies could lead to an “unprecedented national unity crisis” if not addressed by the prime minister, noting that such policies have stalled Alberta’s resource development for years or infringed on its sovereignty. Those policies include the Impact Assessment Act, the oil and gas emissions cap, and the tanker ban off the B.C. north coast.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has emphasized national unity when asked to comment on the possibility of Alberta holding a referendum on separation.
“Canada is stronger when we work together,” Carney told reporters in May. “I am Albertan. I proudly believe in Canada. So one can ask the question, but for me the answer is clear.”
Carolina Avendano and Chandra Philip contributed to this report.
