Urge For Independence: The Alberta Separatist Movement

Written by Grace Horlings

You may have noticed an uptick of Alberta flags hanging from hockey sticks and fence posts on the side of the road. Plastic foldable tables with homemade signs on white poster boards surrounded by serious looking people dressed to stand out in the cool early spring weather. Their signs urge passersby to sign their petition, in an attempt to gather as many signatures as possible to put forward a vote that would call for Alberta to become a sovereign nation, separating from Canada.

There are, of course, many hoops that must be jumped through to make this plausible and even more obstacles that make the very idea seem completely absurd. Alberta is made up entirely of Treaty land and is home to five national parks. Albertians are reliant on federal forms of disability, employment insurance, child benefits, public pension, health insurance, and income support. These are programs for a wide range of Albertans from Indigenous peoples to Veterans, many people require access to these forms of federal funding to survive. Alberta is dependent on all kinds of trade for basic necessities, relations that are built with federal support. Our money, banks, police, military, courts, prisons, and so much more are Canadian before they are Albertan. Of course there is more pride taken when there is a ‘farm to table’ feel—when things are created by Albertans and enjoyed by Albertans. The scope and financial possibilities are greatly narrowed when we are limited to our own resources.

It also comes into question who is included when the separatist movement says “all Albertans”? I raise this question as many in this movement are the same ones who spread anti-immigration, transphobic, and anti-indigenous rhetoric. If the Alberta this group envisions is a white heternormative one then this is already inaccurate to the Alberta that exists now. With such a narrow and idealistic view of the province it could be assumed that few Albertans share this thinking.

Abacus Data surveyed 1,000 Albertans during February 2026 and found that 26% either strongly support or are open to the idea of a sovereign Alberta. Though this is still a minority it is a strong minority that can only grow. With more Albertans becoming unhappy with things like the pricing of necessities, delays in healthcare, and other wider Canadian issues, they want to find a person to blame and a solution that feels extreme enough to work. Instead of looking to Alberta’s Premier for solutions, even though Danille Smith’s “people over profit” mentality has led to much of the underfunding that Alberta is suffering from, they simply cross their fingers hoping she will become a part of their cause. She has recently stated that she supports “a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada.” (Baird, 2026)

I reached out to Stay Free Alberta, the groups responsible for the roadside petitions in every city and small town across the province. I wanted to ask for a general statement regarding their organization’s goal and, in their own words, why they think Albertians would benefit from taking part in this movement. After two weeks of not receiving any kind of response, I had planned on visiting one of their petition signing locations in Lethbridge. However, in the midst of me writing this article, Stay Free Alberta made the claim that they have received the 177,732 signatures they need to go forward with the referendum. The group must now grow through the process of having every signature verified through Elections Alberta under the Citizen Initiative Act, which allows Albertans to petition questions that could create legislative and policy changes.

It can be very easy to not take this movement seriously. To shrug off their extremism like a bunch of spoiled preteens acting out against their liberal parents. Now that they potentially have the signatures they need, it’s important to understand how this possible referendum could harm the land, economy, and residents of Alberta. Campaigns like this one often start with low numbers but as more and more Albertans become dissatisfied and this movement gains more of a validated platform, this can sway which way those still on the fence will choose to vote come October. If you value the Alberta you live in and, if anything, want to make it better for the people who need it most, then you should pay attention. If you believe something this drastic could never happen, you must have been shocked by 177,732 signatures and could be even more shocked when more Albertians vote in favour of separation when given the option on their ballets. It’s important to take this movement as seriously as the ones campaigning it. If this referendum moves forward it’s important to show up and vote for the Alberta you want to live in. Until then, it’s important to be vocal about your own discontent with this movement, understanding that there are better ways to improve our province that do alienate anyone or urge for us to be independent from what we’ve always known and have been happy to share.