President Donald Trump long has openly discussed adding Canada to the United States in one form or another.
It’s true that’s an unlikely prospect, but what is happening is that voters in Alberta soon will be taking a vote on whether to leave Canada.
The Stay Free Canada organization has announced it submitted almost 302,000 signatures, of 178,000 that were needed, on petitions demanding a ballot measure on the question.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has confirmed she will move forward if enough names are verified, according to a report at Fox News.
“This day is historic in Alberta history,” Mitch Sylvestre, the head of the organization. He used a convoy of seven trucks on Monday to deliver the names.
“It’s the first step to the next step — we’ve gotten by Round 3, and now we’re in the Stanley Cup final,” he said.
Smith has said she personally does not support the idea of the oil-rich province leaving, but she also has blamed the Liberal governing faction at the federal level for legislation that hurts Alberta’s ability to produce and export oil.
IT’S OFFICIAL: Mitch Sylvester has announced 301,620 signatures for the Alberta independence petition outside Elections Alberta’s office in Edmonton.
He called on the Premier to recognize this as a clear expression of the democratic will of Albertans and move forward with… pic.twitter.com/9Xv0gDFxA6
— Rise Of Alberta (@RiseOfAlberta) May 4, 2026
‼️WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! – ALBERTA PROBABLY CANNOT LEAVE CANADA BUT IT CAN STILL SHAKE THE COUNTRY
Alberta cannot simply vote one day and walk out of Canada, because secession would require negotiations, a clear referendum result, and major constitutional agreement from the rest… https://t.co/1y8DfRggMf pic.twitter.com/SE6QluwqAV
— NewsForce (@Newsforce) May 3, 2026
A simple vote would not result in Alberta’s departure, as there would be required negotiations and agreements. The vote also would not address immediately the province’s future affiliation.
The movement is related to economic, fiscal, and political grievances about the seemingly unfair treatment of Alberta by the federal government, explained Daniel Béland, a political science professor in Canada.
“These concerns increased during the Justin Trudeau years,” he said.
