Groups on Both Sides Ramp Up Campaigns Ahead of Alberta Separation Vote

Advocacy groups on both sides of Alberta’s separation debate are ramping up their efforts after Premier Danielle Smith said the province will hold a referendum on whether the Alberta government should hold a binding separation vote.

Existing groups have intensified their outreach since the announcement, while new organizations have entered the fray seeking to influence the vote in their favour.

Here’s a look at the main groups organizing around the issue and where they stand.

Alberta Prosperity Project and Stay Free Alberta

Two closely linked groups—Alberta Prosperity Project and Stay Free Alberta—played key roles in collecting 301,620 signatures for a petition that called for a separation referendum to be held, before a court tossed it out citing inadequate consultations with First Nations.

Alberta Prosperity Project CEO Mitch Sylvestre, who delivered the petitions to Elections Alberta for validation on May 4, said the group is preparing to “get busier” and intensify campaign efforts while hosting “hundreds” of events across Alberta ahead of the October referendum.

“We’re going to onboard as many people as we can, and what we’re going to do is what we do very well—which is educate the people of Alberta as to the merits of a free and independent Alberta,” he said in an interview.

Some separatist organizers are also trying to force either a United Conservative Party (UCP) leadership review of Smith or a change to the referendum question so that it’s more directly a referendum on separation rather than a “referendum to hold a referendum.” Smith has said the court ruling doesn’t allow a direct binding referendum on separation before certain processes are followed.

As part of their petition drive, the two groups held numerous events and signature collection drives across the province since the campaign began early this year.

Alberta Court of King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard ruled on May 13 that Elections Alberta failed to properly consider a prior court ruling that found separation would negatively impact First Nations’ treaty rights. She also found that the government failed in its duty to consult with indigenous peoples.

Stay Free Alberta has appealed the ruling. Premier Smith has said she will also launch an appeal, arguing that the court made an error in law and that citizen-led petitions should not be rejected.

Smith said she called a referendum asking whether Albertans want to remain in Canada or begin the formal process toward a secession vote because the appeal may take months or years and she doesn’t want the issue to remain unresolved in the meantime.

Alberta Transition Council

The Alberta Transition Council, launched in mid-May, says it is building the “institutional, fiscal, and legal foundations” to deliver on a functioning sovereign Alberta. The group says it is writing a white paper on how this would work, to be launched in the months ahead.

The group was co-founded by Alberta lawyer Keith Wilson, who previously represented Freedom Convoy leaders Tamara Lich and Chris Barber. The other founder, retired corporate executive Dennis Kalma, was one of the authors of Alberta Prosperity Project’s “The Value of Freedom” document, which advocates for Alberta independence.

Vote to Stay

Vote to Stay, co-founded by former Conservative cabinet minister Monte Solberg and former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, is advocating for Alberta to stay within Canada. The organization says it’s formed by a group of  “proud Albertans” who believe that “Alberta’s future is stronger within a united Canada than outside of it.”

The group says separation from Canada could weaken the province’s prosperity by reducing investor confidence and leaving it isolated.

“Like the vast majority of Albertans, I’m both a proud Canadian, and a proud Albertan,” Kenney said when announcing the movement on May 22. “And we’re not going to let anyone tear apart our home—the true North strong and free. It’s time to fight for our country.”

Forever Canadian

Forever Canadian was founded by Thomas Lukaszuk, a former Progressive Conservative deputy premier who has said Alberta “must not follow” the Brexit path of the United Kingdom, which he said resulted in “economic devastation.”

Forever Canadian had launched its own petition in 2025, asking “do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?,” which garnered 404,293 signatures and was certified by Elections Alberta.

The signatures collected by the group were also cited by Premier Smith as part of the justification to hold a referendum after the court’s ruling. Lukaszuk has criticized Smith’s decision to hold a referendum, saying his purpose was to have the legislature declare a position on the issue rather than have the question go to a public referendum.

On May 23, over 600 people gathered in Edmonton for a rally to mark the opening of the official Forever Canadian campaign office, with Lukaszuk saying they will be campaigning to ensure Alberta stays within the confederation.

Lead. Not Leave.

Another group consisting of former Alberta cabinet ministers, political campaigners, and university professors was launched this week to make the case for Alberta not to separate.

The group, Lead. Not Leave., includes former Alberta finance minister Travis Toews, former Alberta Treasurer Jim Dinning, and political strategist Ken Boessenkool, among others.

“Our goal is to address Alberta’s legitimate frustrations in a way that is productive and pro-active, strengthening both Canada and our province’s place within it,” said.

“This initiative will host structured conversations, or salons; test new ideas with stakeholders in policy labs; and contribute actionable ways of improving Alberta’s place in Confederation.”

Federal and Provincial Officials

In her reasoning for adding a separation question to the ballot, Premier Smith said that while she is in favour of a sovereign Alberta within Canada, she was “deeply troubled by an erroneous court decision that interferes with the democratic rights of hundreds of thousands of Albertans.”

She said she will be campaigning and holding town halls this summer to make the case that Alberta should stay within Canada. She cited recent agreements with the federal government, including a memorandum of understanding on an oil pipeline to the West Coast, as signs that things are shifting in Alberta’s favour.

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has spoken out strongly against the referendum, arguing that Smith should have campaigned on the issue before calling a vote and warning it would create economic uncertainty and harm the province’s economy.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said on May 25 that Smith’s decision to add a referendum question to the province’s ballot could “backfire” like the United Kingdom’s Brexit vote a decade ago. “They’re still, 10 years later, trying to undo what people didn’t think they were voting for, but what they ended up having,” Carney said.

Conservative Leader Poilievre said on May 21 that he is a “strong Canadian federalist, a proud Albertan, and a proud Canadian.” Poilievre said that all Conservative MPs will be campaigning for Alberta to remain in Canada and that the Liberal government should allow for the province’s energy sector to grow.