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EDMONTON — A major petition effort aimed at affirming Alberta’s place within Canada has reached a key milestone, with Elections Alberta beginning verification of more than 456,000 signatures gathered over the past three months.
The “Forever Canadian” initiative was launched as a counter to an organized push for a referendum on Alberta independence. Supporters say the unity movement grew out of concerns that secessionist rhetoric has increased economic and political uncertainty. They argue that past sovereignty debates in places such as Quebec and the United Kingdom triggered business flight and long term financial consequences. Organizers also point to global instability and believe a strong and united Canada is vital to maintaining economic strength and geopolitical influence.
The petition was spearheaded by former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk and backed by more than 10,000 volunteers who collected signatures in communities across the province. The campaign surpassed the legal threshold of 294,000 names needed to trigger a possible vote on whether Alberta should remain in Canada.
Under the Citizen Initiative Act, Elections Alberta now has 60 days to verify the petition using a sampling process that checks eligibility of signatories and confirms that canvassers followed required procedures. Once the review is complete, the Chief Electoral Officer will report the results by January 6. If the petition is validated, the policy proposal will be submitted to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
A legislative committee would then decide whether the question proceeds to a provincewide referendum or to a vote of MLAs in the chamber. Proponents of the petition say a direct decision in the legislature would reaffirm Alberta’s role in Confederation and help move public debate away from separation.
The verification process will include contacting a random sample of signatories through phone calls, texts or emails to confirm they willingly signed. Elections Alberta has advised those who provided contact information to be prepared to respond.
While Premier Danielle Smith has encouraged Albertans to remain within Confederation, her government has also lowered barriers for citizen initiated referendums. A separate application from the Alberta Prosperity Project seeking a vote on independence is currently before the courts to determine whether its proposed question is constitutional.
Elections Alberta says the results of the verification will be released as soon as practical.
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