Alberta Prosperity Project CEO Mitch Sylvestre (L) holds a press conference with (2nd L–R) lawyer Jeffrey Rath, Dr. Dennis Modry, and former MP LaVar Payne in Calgary on March 26, 2025. The Epoch Times
The Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), a sovereignty advocacy group, has filed a new question for an independent referendum following the royal assent of Bill 14, the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, on Dec. 11.
Introduced by Alberta’s United Conservative Party government on Dec. 4, Bill 14 contains a range of proposed amendments to existing legislation, including removing the province’s chief electoral officer’s ability to refer citizen-initiated questions to the courts, transferring that authority to the justice minister instead. Another amendment was to provide the ability to halt any active court cases brought by the chief electoral officer in relation to citizens’ initiatives.
The move came after the provincial chief electoral officer, Gordon McClure, referred the APP’s previous petition question on Alberta’s separation to the Court of King’s Bench to assess its constitutionality.
The previous question, submitted this past July, asked Albertans: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province in Canada?” Justice Colin Feasby ruled it unconstitutional less than a day after Bill 14 was tabled, saying it violates Canada’s Constitution and may infringe on Treaty Rights.
On Dec. 9, McClure sent a letter to all members of the legislative assembly expressing concerns that a new rule in Bill 14 would impede the independence of his office, by requiring him to seek the justice minister’s approval on whether proposed questions are similar or the same as those put forward in the past five years.
His letter said the rule represented an “erosion of the separation of powers,” as it meant he would be taking orders directly from Justice Minister Mickey Amery.
Amery responded to McClure’s concerns, amending the bill by the evening of Dec. 9.
One change involved removing the requirement that prevented similar referendum questions from proceeding within a five-year period. This means McClure does not need to seek the justice minister’s approval prior to signing off an application.
Another change removed the justice minister’s ability to refer citizen initiative proposals to the court for an opinion. Amery told the assembly at the time that “the power is not necessary as the power already exists within the Judicature Act.”
“We think that we have reached an appropriate balance, and I would encourage all members to support this amendment,” he said.
With the passage of Bill 14 on Dec. 11, the APP on Dec. 12 submitted to Alberta Elections a revised question: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be part of Canada to become an independent state?”
‘Aligns More Precisely’
In a Dec. 12 statement, the APP said that with the change in wording, the question “aligns more precisely” with section 1(3) of the federal Charity Act, and avoid the scenario of allowing “opponents to dismiss our efforts as unclear or non-binding.”
“By using this exact phrasing, we eliminate any ambiguity and strengthen our position,” the group said.
Specifically, section 1(3) states that, “In considering the clarity of a referendum question, the House of Commons shall consider whether the question would result in a clear expression of the will of the population of a province on whether the province should cease to be part of Canada and become an independent state.”
In an interview with YouTuber John Bolton on Dec. 12, APP CEO Mitch Sylvestre clarified that the referendum on independence has nothing to do with making Alberta become a state of the United States. “It absolutely does not mean that,” he said.
He added that the APP’s goal is to obtain half a million or more pledges from Albertans to support the movement, with the help of “tens of thousands” of volunteers, knocking on doors and holding events with signature-collection areas set up.
Sovereignty Movement
The Alberta independence movement gained traction earlier this year following the federal Liberals’ re-election to a fourth term.
On April 29, the day after the federal election, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith lowered the bar for holding referendums by introducing Bill 54, the Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025. The bill would extend the signature collection period from 90 to 120 days and set the threshold at 10 percent of eligible voters who participated in the most recent general election. Previously, constitutional initiatives needed backing from 20 percent of province-wide registered voters in two-thirds of Alberta’s constituencies.
Days later, on May 5, Smith made it clear that while she doesn’t support separation herself, Albertans holding this view shouldn’t be called “traitors.” The premier also pointed out at the time that Albertans were not questioning the election. Rather, she said, they were feeling “deeply frustrated” that the same ministers who brought in policies like the Impact Assessment Act, which she said has effectively stopped pipeline projects, were back in power, and that policies the province is opposed to remain in force.
On Nov. 28, during her address at the UCP convention’s opening night, Smith reiterated her position that she supports “a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada” and said that she hopes the memorandum of understanding signed with Ottawa to advance a pipeline to the B.C. coast could reassure members that the province can still function within the Confederation.
“I hope people today feel a lot more confident that Canada works than they did a couple of days ago,” Smith said.
Carolina Avendano, Omid Ghoreishi, Paul Rowan Brian, and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Isaac Teo is a news reporter with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times.