Former Alberta Deputy Premier Leads ‘Forever Canadian’ Petition Against Separatist Push

Edmonton, August 24, 2025 — Former Alberta Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk has launched an ambitious campaign to keep Alberta firmly within Canada, countering growing separatist calls in the province.

Lukaszuk, who once served as deputy premier in a Progressive Conservative government, is spearheading the Forever Canadian petition. The initiative requires nearly 294,000 verified signatures by the end of October to trigger a referendum on whether Alberta should enshrine its commitment to remain part of Canada as official policy.

“This has become a full-time job. I’m very passionate about this,” Lukaszuk told reporters, stressing his motivation stems from both patriotism and lived experience. Having immigrated from Poland as a child, he recalled seeing tanks and armoured vehicles outside his home before his family found refuge in Canada. “Canada gave my family a second chance,” he said.

So far, 3,000 volunteers have signed up as signature collectors, with thousands more helping to organize events. Collection drives are being held at farmers’ markets, dog parks, summer festivals, and even the Calgary Zoo. Lukaszuk noted that two volunteers in Calgary recently secured 8,000 signatures in a single day.

While Premier Danielle Smith has avoided endorsing the petition, saying she supports a “sovereign Alberta within a united Canada,” Lukaszuk insists she should publicly take a stance.

The separatist push remains strong. The Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) is seeking court approval for its own petition to ask Albertans whether the province should become an independent country. Under a new UCP government law, APP would need only about 177,000 signatures within four months if its initiative is approved. APP CEO Mitch Sylvestre said his group already has about 250,000 online pledges and is preparing for in-person collection.

Lukaszuk maintains his movement is non-partisan, with backing from leaders across the political spectrum, including former Alberta PC premier Ed Stelmach, former Reform Party founding member Ian McClelland, and ex-Alberta NDP leader Ray Martin.

“We are simply providing structure and organization to what is, in many ways, a grassroots movement,” he said, adding that the campaign’s goal is to affirm Alberta’s place within Confederation.