Lloydminster residents who reside in Alberta can add their names to the Forever Canadian petition aimed at keeping Canada united.
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Border City-based campaigner Richard Starke said the Forever Canadian petition has seen strong local interest. Signing sessions are held on Thursday afternoons from noon to 5 p.m. at the Border City Farmers Market and Saturday sessions will start in October, pending volunteer availability.
“So far, signature collection is going well and the response has been very positive,” Starke said. “People are reaching out, asking where and how they can sign.”
The campaign aims to collect a minimum of 300,000 signatures to trigger a province-wide referendum to keep Alberta in Canada.
Thomas Lukaszuk is the leader of the petition initiative and said more than 5,000 canvassers have registered across the province with about 70 more joining each day.
“If each canvasser collects 70 or 75 signatures, we’ll surpass 300,000,” said Lukaszuk, who is also a former Deputy Premier for Alberta.
The petition asks a single, straightforward question: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?”
The leader’s perspective
Lukaszuk said clarity is essential to avoid the confusion seen in previous referendums. He noted that, as it stands, only one question can be posed on the issue at a time. However, courts are currently reviewing that principle.
Lukaszuk also warned of the potential issues organizers of other questions have yet to address if Alberta were to separate.
He highlighted the impacts on international trade, federal funding, policing, education, border patrol and the military. He also pointed specifically to border communities like Lloydminster, which already straddle the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, saying any change would make daily life more complex.
“Residents here live under a unique arrangement and any change would complicate everything from schooling to infrastructure,” he said.
The campaign is operating under the previous rules, which require 10 per cent of eligible voters to participate within 90 days, despite changes made by the current provincial government to make triggering a referendum easier.
Starke and Lukaszuk said they are confident local support will help them meet their target ahead of the Oct. 28 deadline.
Starke encouraged residents to visit the Farmers Market signing tables, and noted the petition is an opportunity for Albertans to have their voices heard in a debate that could shape the province’s future.
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