Alberta Separatists Expand Referendum Campaign to Arizona Snowbirds
The movement to trigger a referendum on Alberta's future within Canada is expanding its reach beyond provincial borders, with organizers now targeting Albertans spending their winters in the sunny American southwest. The Alberta Prosperity Project, through the activist group Stay Free Alberta, has announced a petition-signing event in Yuma, Arizona, specifically designed to capture signatures from Alberta snowbirds who temporarily reside in warmer climates during the winter months.
Cross-Border Campaign Strategy
On Wednesday, organizers unveiled plans for an event at Martha's Gardens date farm in Yuma, Arizona, using promotional materials that feature a distinctive flag merging symbols of Alberta and Arizona against a backdrop of cacti and oil pumpjacks. The social media campaign accompanying the announcement explicitly encourages participation with the message: "Don't miss your chance to add your voice from the sunny south."
The event requires participants to bring valid proof of Alberta residency and identity to ensure only eligible Albertans can sign the petition. Organizers are also recruiting volunteers to become canvassers who can sign up Albertans they encounter in other locations outside the province, suggesting a broader strategy to reach the Alberta diaspora wherever they may be found.
The Petition's Independence Question
The Citizens' Initiative Petition being circulated seeks to bring a referendum on Alberta independence directly to the people of Alberta. The proposed referendum question is straightforward and unambiguous: "Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?"
This petition drive launched on January 3, 2026, and is scheduled to continue running until approximately May 2, 2026, giving organizers several months to collect the required number of signatures to potentially trigger a provincial referendum on the independence question.
Parallel Provincial Referendum Plans
Meanwhile, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced her own referendum plans that differ significantly from the separatists' independence-focused initiative. On Thursday, Smith revealed she wants Albertans to vote on nine separate questions in a referendum scheduled for October 19.
These questions are divided into two distinct categories: immigration policy and constitutional matters. On immigration, the proposed questions would ask Albertans about supporting greater provincial control over immigration processes, limiting access to provincially funded programs for new arrivals, and requiring proof of citizenship to vote in provincial elections.
On constitutional matters, the questions would gauge support for several significant changes: working with other provinces to allow them to select judges for provincial courts; abolishing the Senate; allowing provinces to opt out of certain federal programs that overlap with provincial jurisdiction without financial penalty; and giving provincial laws priority over federal laws when conflicts arise between the two levels of government.
Diverging Political Objectives
The simultaneous existence of these two referendum campaigns highlights the different approaches to Alberta's relationship with the federal government. While the separatist petition seeks a direct vote on complete independence from Canada, Premier Smith's proposed referendum focuses on obtaining greater autonomy within the existing constitutional framework.
This creates a complex political landscape where Albertans may be asked to consider both radical separation and significant constitutional reform through different democratic mechanisms. The Arizona event represents an innovative approach to political organizing that recognizes the mobile nature of modern populations, particularly those with the means to winter in warmer climates.
As the petition drive continues both within Alberta and now in locations like Arizona where Albertans congregate during winter months, the debate about Alberta's future relationship with Canada is expanding beyond provincial borders and engaging citizens wherever they may reside.
