Alberta Separatists Rally Ahead of October Independence Vote

The Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) organized a separatist rally on Saturday at the Alberta legislature in Edmonton, where supporters advocated for the province to leave Canada. The event precedes an October 19 vote in which Premier Danielle Smith will ask Albertans if the province should remain in Canada or hold a binding referendum on separation.

During the rally, APP leader Mitch Sylvestre argued that a legal petition should trigger a separation question regardless of general elections. Other separatist leaders, including Jeffrey Rath, accused Premier Smith of failing to protect provincial sovereignty and kowtowing to Prime Minister Mark Carney. The rally was characterized by a heavy presence of Alberta flags and grievances regarding federal treatment from Ottawa.

In response, former Conservative MP Monte Solberg launched the Vote to Stay campaign to persuade soft separatists against supporting a separation process. Solberg warned that using the ballot to send a message to the federal government could inadvertently trigger a binding referendum. He and former premier Jason Kenney argue that current progress between Smith and Carney on pipelines and electricity justifies remaining in Confederation. Solberg further criticized a draft constitution released by the APP, specifically calling its proposal for an open-carry state unrealistic.