Alberta separatists submit petition for independence referendum

Alberta separatists submit petition for independence referendum8 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNadine YousifSenior Canada reporterBloomberg via Getty ImagesPolls suggest that about a quarter of Albertans are in favour of the province separating from CanadaA petition asking Albertans if they want the province to separate from Canada was formally filed by its organisers on Monday, marking a key step towards a possible independence referendum in the fall.Stay Free Alberta, the group behind the citizen-led petition, has said that it has surpassed the amount of signatures needed to trigger a referendum. The Alberta separatist movement has its roots in western alienation - a term used to describe the belief by some that the province is often overlooked by decision-makers in the national capital, Ottawa. Petition organisers had until this month to collect at least 178,000 signatures - or 10% of eligible voters - for the referendum campaign.Mitch Sylvestre, the head of Stay Free Alberta, said outside the election office in Edmonton on Monday that the organization delivered more than 300,000 signatures."This day is historic in Alberta history," he said. "It's the first step to the next step - we've gotten by Round 3 and now we're in the Stanley Cup final."However, verification of signatures has been paused by an Alberta court pending a decision on a legal challenge by a group of indigenous First Nations, who argue the push to separate from Canada infringes on their rights.A decision in the case is expected to come later this month. Kevin Hille, lawyer for the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, said he thinks his clients have a good case that may shut down the referendum question. "An international border would impact their treaty rights and way of life," Hille told the BBC, referencing treaty agreements forged between the British Crown and First Nations communities more than a century ago, before the creation of mod...