Are Alberta separatists inadvertently helping Trump?

From Edmonton to Okotoks and communities in between, large crowds have been lining up to show support for Alberta independence.

Organizers behind the “Stay Free Alberta” petition — which calls for Alberta to leave Canada and become an independent country — say momentum is building as they work toward their goal of collecting 177,000 signatures by May 2.

“We had well over 10,000 people go through the line in Edmonton this weekend,” said Jeff Rath, a lawyer representing petition organizer Mitch Sylvestre. “There were about 5,000 in Okotoks. And those are just the events I was focused on — there were events taking place across the province.”

Some supporters say long wait times are worth it. One person standing in line in Edmonton told CityNews they waited several hours to sign.

“I’d rather stand in line for four hours than live under a Liberal government for five years,” the supporter said. “That’s just facts. I don’t like the Liberals.”

Opposition to the independence movement has also mobilized. Former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk is leading the “Forever Canadian” petition, which he says has already gathered 400,000 verified signatures in support of Alberta remaining part of Canada.

Lukaszuk argues that the separatist movement is being encouraged by U.S. President Donald Trump and his allies. Trump has previously said he wants Canada to become the 51st state and has recently made comments about exerting U.S. control over other regions, including Greenland and Venezuela.

“This is a very dangerous game that separatists are playing,” Lukaszuk said. “They’re creating a major national security crisis — not just for Alberta, but for all of Canada.”

Rath and other leaders of the independence campaign claim they have met with U.S. government officials in Washington who were supportive of Alberta separation. However, Rath insists the conversations had nothing to do with the U.S. annexing the province.

“This has nothing to do with Trump wanting Alberta to be the 51st state,” Rath said. “It has to do with serious concerns about Canada’s direction, and those concerns are shared by people in Alberta and the United States.”

Political scientist Duane Bratt of Mount Royal University remains skeptical. He believes the Trump administration may see Alberta independence as a way to weaken Canada and gain access to Alberta’s energy resources.

“If you accept the claim that there’s a massive line of credit coming from the United States, the question becomes: what’s the collateral?” Bratt said. “The answer would be the oil sands. And if you’re financially dependent on the U.S., how independent are you really?”

Meanwhile, both United Conservative Party and NDP MLAs have approved funding for Elections Alberta to prepare for a possible referendum later this year. What remains unclear is which question would appear on the ballot — whether Alberta should leave Canada or remain within it.

Despite their opposing views, both Rath and Lukaszuk agree the final decision on the referendum question will likely rest with Premier Danielle Smith, and that she is expected to select the question proposed by the separatist movement.