Separatists hold independence rally in lead-up to Alberta’s birthday bash

The head of the Alberta Prosperity Project, the separatist group that organized the rally, called on attendees to stand up to Ottawa.

“Ottawa is putting its elbows up to protect themselves from us,” Mitch Sylvestre claimed in front of a large crowd of people holding Alberta flags at the start of the rally. “We think that’s backwards.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney first pledged to go “elbows up” for Canada during his election campaign last year in response to threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.

After Sylvestre’s brief speech, two pastors spent a large portion of the rally praying for the independence movement and delivering sermons.

“Provide for us the wisdom and leadership needed as we seek your justice in this province,” said one pastor during a prayer, as some separatists took off their hats and lowered their heads.

Seven weeks away from the province’s separation referendum, the Alberta Prosperity Project said before the rally that all Albertans were welcome at its “gathering for a province in peril.”

The group filed a petition earlier this year pushing for a referendum question asking if Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada and become an independent state.

It was quashed in court in May, although the ruling is being appealed by those behind the petition campaign as well as by Premier Danielle Smith’s government.

Smith has since scheduled an Oct. 19 referendum, but her ballot will instead ask Albertans whether the province should remain in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country.

The reasons for why the premier called the vote are in dispute.

Smith has said she supports staying in Canada but hundreds of thousands have signed petitions regarding separation and that it’s time to put the issue to rest once and for all.

She has said those wanting to separate are frustrated with Ottawa and “are not fringe voices.”

Critics, pointing to long-standing opinion polls indicating massive support for Alberta staying in Canada, accuse Smith of self-serving politics by calling the vote merely to placate restive separatist hardliners in her United Conservative Party.

Earlier this week, Thomas Lukaszuk, organizer of the pro-federalist Forever Canadian petition to keep Alberta in Canada, called for Smith to defer the vote in light of the trade war that Trump has launched.

Lukaszuk said he was writing on behalf of the more than 400,000 Albertans who signed his petition.

“We submit that this is not the time for unnecessary domestic conflict; this is the time for Albertans to stand together with our fellow Canadians and collectively rally against this unprecedented economic threat,” Lukaszuk wrote.

Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, who held a “Vote for Canada” rally in Calgary on Saturday, has also called for the fall referendum to be put off or kiboshed.

During his rally, he called the vote “crazy,” especially in light of the trade war.

He also criticized Smith’s meeting with U.S. officials next week. Smith said Wednesday after Canada-U.S. trade talks fell apart that the United States had “no excuse for their behaviour” but that she didn’t think Canada could win through “brute force.”

Nenshi said that Smith’s meetings with U.S. officials are pointless.

“Albertans have every right to be angry with a premier who basically thinks that if she’s really nice to Trump, he will be really nice to us,” Nenshi said.

“Let’s not forget, she flew to Mar-a-Lago right after (Trump’s) election to congratulate him. She went to his inauguration and none of it has worked,” he said.

Nenshi also marked Alberta’s birthday during his rally.

“It’s a great day to celebrate all that we’ve accomplished,” he said. “It’s great day celebrate who we are as Albertans and remember that the core part of being Albertan is being a proud Canadian.”

Smith is set to speak at an Alberta Day event in Calgary on Sunday.

Music, barbecues and beer gardens are also planned for Sunday across Alberta, including at the legislature.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2026.

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Separatists hold independence rally in lead-up to Alberta’s birthday bash

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