Two Alberta separatists say their group has collected enough signatures from citizens to trigger a referendum on the province quitting Canada.

Mitch Sylvestre says the group – named Stay Free Alberta — has collected well over the approximate 178,000-signature threshold. And he says volunteers who have been keeping tally as the signatures come in are expecting that number to grow.

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“We have more than the buffer that’s required if they (Elections Alberta) refuse signatures as well,” Sylvestre said in a phone interview Tuesday.

They still have another month to go before they must deliver the names to Elections Alberta for verification, but Jeffrey Rath, the general counsel for the group, says they want to announce their success now.

Rath says they want to boost the spirit of canvassers, who will still continue to gather names in the weeks to come.

He says the name-gatherers have been getting harassed in person and online, with one getting spit on. He says the group also wants to counter online messaging that Stay Free Alberta can’t collect enough signatures.

“There’s just been lots and lots of online trolls and other idiots trying to suggest that our campaign isn’t well managed,” he said.

“It was demoralizing to some of our volunteers and our canvassers.”

Premier Danielle Smith has said she will move forward with a provincewide referendum if the required number of signatures is gathered and verified.

“I have said that any citizen initiative that gets the requisite number of signatures will be put on the ballot,” Smith reiterated to reporters on Tuesday during an unrelated news conference.

When asked about Rath’s reported invitation for her to join the independence movement, she repeated her long-standing support for what she calls a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada.

“And I’m hoping that I will be able to convince more and more people that Canada can work,” she added.

Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said Smith, despite her protestations of patriotism, continues to pander to separatists.

The NDP has been accusing her government of procedurally delaying moving forward on a “Forever Canadian” petition organized by former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk to make it official policy that Alberta stay in Canada. 

The petition was verified successful by Elections Alberta in early December.

Nenshi also criticized Smith for reducing signature thresholds to make it easier for a separation question to go on a referendum ballot.

“This isn’t democracy. This is a premier grasping for power,” he said.

Smith said Tuesday that questions need to be cleared up on whether Lukaszuk’s petition drive was to trigger a province-wide referendum or trigger a vote by legislators in the house. 

She pointed to Lukaszuk’s statements in the media and added, “I think we need to hear from Mr. Lukaszuk.” Her office later cited Lukaszuk’s application from last June, which states, “since a referendum appears to be imminent,” it proposes the question: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?”

Lukaszuk said in an interview with The Canadian Press last week that he is concerned Smith will allow the separatist question to leapfrog his own. 

“She’s been driving the Zamboni, clearing the ice for them to compel her to have a referendum.”

He said he filed his petition as a policy proposal because he wants it to be resolved in the legislature by a vote, but the premier can put his question on a referendum if she wants.

Lukaszuk said his group is readying for a referendum should it be called. “I can’t sit on my hands.”

A legislative committee led by UCP MLAs is set to meet on April 21 to begin work to discuss the Forever Canadian petition. 

NDP deputy leader Rakhi Pancholi has noted that if the committee doesn’t report to the legislature by the time the house rises in mid-May, the petition will not be tabled until after a referendum on immigration and constitutional questions planned for late October that could also include the separatists’ question.

In a Tuesday letter to the committee chair, UCP backbencher Brandon Lunty, Lukaszuk asked to appear before the committee in person.

He also called for the committee to quickly work to resolve the Forever Canadian question to the legislature for a vote.

“By delaying the committee’s work, the voices of almost half a million people, Albertans who have signed the petition, stand to be ignored,” he wrote.

Lunty, speaking to reporters Tuesday, said he’s looking forward to discussing next steps, but declined to say whether he supports Lukaszuk appearing at the committee or how quickly his panel can finish its work.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2026.

— With files from Lisa Johnson.