Former Alberta Deputy Premier Launches Petition to Preserve Canada

EDMONTON – Former Alberta Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk is actively campaigning against Alberta’s potential separation from Canada. His initiative, named Forever Canadian, aims to gather 294,000 signatures by October 31, 2023, to prompt a referendum on whether the province should officially commit to remaining a part of Canada.

Lukaszuk, who served as a Progressive Conservative member of the provincial government, expressed his passion for this cause during a recent event in Edmonton. “This has become a full-time job. I’m very passionate about this,” he stated, as volunteers aided individuals in signing the petition. He emphasized the significance of reaching 300,000 signatures, which would mark it as the largest petition in Canadian history.

The project faces opposition from a growing separatist movement that argues Alberta is operating under a “hostile” federal government. This situation presents a political dilemma for Danielle Smith, the leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) and Premier of Alberta. While she maintains a stance for a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada, she has refrained from endorsing Lukaszuk’s petition. Lukaszuk encourages Smith to take a definitive position on the issue.

Currently, the Forever Canadian campaign has mobilized around 3,000 volunteers to collect signatures. The challenge, according to Lukaszuk, is not in finding supporters but in effectively reaching them with the petition. He noted there are typically 20 to 30 signature-collection events organized daily across the province, including locations such as dog parks, farmers’ markets, and community festivals.

Lukaszuk praised grassroots efforts, citing an example of two volunteers in Calgary who managed to collect 8,000 signatures in just one day. “Every person in their own community knows their community, and they’re basically telling us how they’re going to do it,” he remarked, adding that the campaign provides structure to the volunteers’ initiatives.

As interest in the petition grows, Lukaszuk warned of opportunists selling unauthorized merchandise related to the campaign. He advised potential signers to verify the credentials of those collecting signatures.

Motivated by a sense of patriotism, Lukaszuk views the push for separation as illogical, drawing from his own experiences as an immigrant from Poland. “Canada gave my family a second chance,” he reflected, recalling the turmoil he witnessed during his youth in Poland.

The Forever Canadian initiative is positioned as a non-partisan effort, attracting support from diverse political figures, including former Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach and Ray Martin, a former leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP).

Recent polling indicates that support for Alberta’s separation is not widespread, yet separatist organizers remain resolute in their campaign. Meanwhile, the Alberta Prosperity Project, a pro-separation group, awaits a court ruling regarding the constitutionality of their proposed referendum question. They aim to determine if Albertans should vote on becoming a sovereign country, separate from Canada.

Mitch Sylvestre, the CEO of the Alberta Prosperity Project, remains optimistic despite potential legal hurdles. He affirmed that around 250,000 Albertans have pledged support online, indicating a solid foundation for future signature collection efforts.

Complicating the landscape, a new law enacted by Smith’s government has reduced the threshold for citizen-led referendum initiatives, allowing for just 177,000 signatures and extending the collection period to four months. This change could significantly impact the separation movement if the Alberta Prosperity Project’s petition is approved by Elections Alberta.

Sylvestre commented, “We’re going to go flat out. We’re not going to leave anything on the table,” reinforcing the group’s commitment to mobilizing support across the province.

As the deadline approaches, Lukaszuk and his supporters strive to keep Canada united, while separatist voices continue to challenge the status quo.