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Alberta Premier Proposes Legislation Easing Path to Secession Referendum

A rally at the Alberta Legislature highlights growing separatist sentiment, but First Nations leaders emphasize treaty rights cannot be overridden.

Overview

  • Premier Danielle Smith's government has introduced legislation to lower the procedural threshold for holding a secession referendum in Alberta.
  • Hundreds of Albertans gathered at the Legislature on May 3 to advocate for independence, citing political marginalization and federal energy policies as key grievances.
  • Some rally participants displayed U.S. flags, signaling interest in Alberta potentially joining the United States as its 51st state.
  • First Nations leaders, including Piikani Nation Chief Troy Knowlton, assert that treaty obligations with the federal government cannot be unilaterally altered or ignored by Alberta.
  • Premier Smith reiterated her respect for treaty rights, emphasizing that they remain enshrined independently of any provincial actions toward autonomy.