‘Forever Canadian’ campaign collects 400K+ signatures in support of Alberta remaining in Canada

本站添加: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]And, Brad Tomlinson wears his allegiance on his sleeve.

[00:00:04]>> I'm a Canadian first, I'm an Albertan second.

[00:00:06]>> For him, love of country is rooted in service.

[00:00:10]>> My great-grandfather fought in World War I and in World War II. My grandfather fought in World War II. My father served 20 years with the Strathcona Armored Regiment. I was raised as a military kid.

[00:00:20]>> But, the reason he's spending a sunny spring day chatting with strangers in a Calgary park is the prospect of Alberta independence and fears of what could come after.

[00:00:31]>> What's going to happen, I think, if we separate is we will be annexed by the US, and I think that's a disaster for this province.

[00:00:38]>> He got involved with the Forever Canadian campaign last year during its signature collection blitz. Some 400,000 signatures were submitted to Elections Alberta in October and verified soon after.

[00:00:51]But now, these volunteers are campaigning for the cause again, shoring up support for the fall referendum.

[00:00:59]It's time Charlene Bélanger will happily give.

[00:01:02]>> Honestly, it just wasn't really a question.

[00:01:04]>> [laughter] >> Um, it's something that I feel very passionate about. I have kids, and I want to see them to be able to grow up and have a future similar to what I had growing up.

[00:01:12]>> She acknowledges grievances with Ottawa, but believes they're problems that can be fixed together.

[00:01:18]>> I did work in oil and gas, and I can understand the concerns people have around pipeline access and things like that, but I really don't think that, uh, separating from Canada is going to be get us what we want. I think it's going to put us in a position where it's going to be more difficult to get the things that we want.

[00:01:34]>> A sentiment echoed by Janice Christiansen.

[00:01:37]>> My motivation is that I think Alberta staying in Canada is far better than any alternative that's been presented. I have been involved from the first week of the first part of this because that's how important it is to me.

[00:01:55]>> Alexander Malashnikov says he'll never take Canada for granted after leaving the USSR nearly 50 years ago.

[00:02:03]>> My priorities, my values are freedom, liberties, uh ability to express yourself, ability to make for the living, everything that I was denied uh back in the in the old country. So, all these things that we stand to lose and I'm afraid we will lose it if we separate, that makes me dead against it.

[00:02:23]>> Tomlinson says the conversations he's had have largely been positive and respectful with most strangers telling him they're also against separation. But he and his friends aren't stopping. For them, the stakes are too high.

[00:02:38]>> I'm a patriotic Canadian. I'm Canadian first and I will always be a Canadian.

[00:02:42]If Alberta were to separate, I would leave.

[00:02:46]>> Blake Lough, Global News.