EDMONTON — Voter exhaustion is settling in after Alberta's 18-month independence debate, as Albertans donated $64,602 to TPAs advertising on either side of the Alberta independence referendum question between Oct. 9 and 15, including $49,574 to the federalist groups and $15,028 to nationalists. The pro-Canada group backed by political heavyweights including former MP Monte Solberg, former Premier Jason Kenney and former cabinet minister Tyler Shandro, "Vote to Stay," carried the week after raising $24,200 and lifting their campaign total to $167,191, according to reports published on Friday. Kenney was active on the federalist campaign trail during the week, including a joint discussion with his ex-political rival and former Premier NDP leader Rachel Notley at an Edmonton Chamber of Commerce event on Tuesday. .Thomas Lukaszuk's "Forever Canadian" TPA was the week's second-highest performer, recruiting $14,750 during the reporting period and raising their campaign advertising contributions total to $119,545 since Aug. 20. Forever Canadian held its campaign's penultimate rally at the BMO Centre in Calgary on Thursday, and is scheduled to hold an event at the Edmonton Expo Centre on Friday. Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke at Thursday's gathering and is expected to speak again on Friday. "Stay Free Alberta," which leads a pro-Alberta independence citizen initiative petition throughout the first half of 2026, was the highest-performing nationalist TPA during the week, collecting $5,330 and bringing its campaign total to $74,558. .Keith Wilson and Tanya Clemens' "Let Alberta Decide" nationalist group reported zero contributions during the week, after raising $581,780 throughout their referendum campaign. Let Alberta Decide is holding a rally at the Alberta Legislature Building on Saturday, with Wilson, Clemens and other key nationalist advocates slated to speak. The TPA has organized shuttle buses from across Alberta to the event. Former Red Deer federal Liberal candidate Ayaz Bangash and his TPA "Canada Beyond Division" joined the federalist fight and raised $4,994 after registering with Elections Alberta on Sept. 16. Albertans have donated over $1.82 million to TPAs on either side of the Alberta independence referendum question since Premier Danielle Smith introduced it in May, with the nationalists collecting $1.1 million and the federalists getting $725,565.
