Forever Canadian
It’s rare to stand in one spot and have people hand you cash.
$20 from Jerry. Another $100 from Matt. Everywhere I turned, people wanted to contribute and donate to a great cause.
Always, the response was the same: I love Alberta. I love Canada.
If the first few days of the #ForeverCanadian campaign were any indication, we’re going to have a wild summer. The group’s website launched on the long weekend, fully operational, and the clock is ticking. Elections Alberta approved the citizen petition on July 30, and the team has 90 days to collect 293,976 signatures with the deadline of October 28, 2025.
When former Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk called me, he said “This is the biggest issue facing Albertans right now, and we have to do something. Most Albertans do not want to separate, and this petition gives us our voice back.”
My response? “How can I help?”
In this world of polarity and hyper conflict, it’s refreshing to be immersed in a pool of positivity. I am hearing amazing stories of why people are compelled to wade into the murky waters of Canadian unity.
There were Nicole and Jason, a couple from Wabasca, Alberta, who drove four hours just to sign their names on the petition. And this dear man, who dropped by after he visited the Cross Cancer Institute. He told me, “I just had to make the time, I don’t have a lot of it.”
My heart.
This volunteer-driven campaign is as grassroots as you get. Powered by donations and patriotism, many people are giving up their free time for democracy. It’s non-partisan, drawing support from all sides of the political spectrum.
We shook hands with Ian McLelland, one of the original fathers of the Reform Party. We had former MLAs, who held office for the Progressive Conservatives, Liberals and NDP both provincially and federally, and many former councillors and new people running for Edmonton city council.
Don Iveson, who served as Edmonton’s Mayor for two terms, also signed the petition and signed up as a volunteer signature collector.
“I think if Albertans can settle this issue amongst ourselves, that helps us move forward better with the rest of the country rather than having protracted fights, which is so bad for investment, so bad for business and such a distraction from all the other things we can be doing to make this a better place to live in the best country in the world.”
We have a flood of support pouring in from social media. Thank you, Connie, for messaging me and writing, “Super job! We, in the rest of our beloved country, LOVE that you are standing up for Canada. Please know we appreciate all your effort.” I needed that after an onslaught of online hate, misogyny and racism.
As the team mobilizes, we secure more locations to bring the petition to all corners of our province. It’s going to be a grind, and it will get harder. We need volunteers to collect signatures.
And the burning question.
“Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?
