A citizen-led petition calling for Alberta to seek independence from Canada is gaining momentum across the province. Supporters of the Stay Free Alberta petition say they are already well on their way to their goal of 177,000 signatures by May 2nd.
00:05:21.800I think at this point the numbers are surprisingly strong.
00:05:26.840These events have been incredibly well attended.
00:05:29.960There was one here in Edmonton just a few blocks from where I am now on the weekend that had, you know, pictures of what appear to be thousands of people lined up.
00:05:39.880I know that there's another one in Calgary later on this week that has been moved from, you know, one building at the Stampede grounds to a larger one with organizers expecting upwards of 7,500 people.
00:05:55.320So at this point, I think it's likely that they get the number of signatures that they need.
00:06:01.080So first they mocked you, then they ignored you, but then the movement got too big to ignore.
00:06:09.000They come up with a new narrative, anti-independence propaganda.
00:06:13.800Watch them try to make this about Trump supposedly taking over Alberta.
00:06:18.360Watch them create this fear campaign because they have nothing else.
00:06:23.720They can't make a compelling case for Albertans to stay a part of Canada because the reality is Alberta has every reason to leave and none to stay economically, culturally and politically would be much better off as an independent country.
00:06:50.040And we already signed an agreement with America that gives you not only unlimited access, like Canada cannot limit the access to how much oil you buy, you get preferential, preferential access to our oil than any other country.
00:07:03.800Like it's it's the most amazing deal from America's point of view.
00:07:07.320And, you know, Venezuela has got a huge oil reserves.
00:07:10.440But Alberta, that's the province I'm referring to, which is the most right wing province.
00:07:15.160It has about one hundred and seventy billion barrels of oil.
00:07:28.840How is that going to work and will the central government try to stop it?
00:07:33.000You know, it's I'm so glad you asked me that question that that province of Alberta feels hard done by for a lot of real reasons, because the provinces in Canada, like Alberta is a smaller population and and it gets looted with taxes and carbon taxes and transfer taxes by the central government.
00:07:52.280And it just doesn't have the votes to stop it because we don't have the checks and balances like your U.S.
00:07:57.480Senate, which protects little little states and big states.
00:08:00.680So there is a separatist wave sweeping over the province of Alberta right now.
00:08:04.120Last polls I saw show that about 35 percent of Albertans want to be independent and that's without a real campaign.
00:08:10.920So the government of Alberta has agreed that if a certain number of petitions are received, they will have an independence vote.
00:08:19.240And I have to say every night I see more video on my X feed of little towns and cities where thousands of people are showing up.
00:08:28.760You've got mile long lines going into vote.