EDMONTON — UCP Calgary-Shaw nomination hopeful Stewart Jeanes will not run in the party's nomination race, after UCP leaders determined he submitted an incomplete application and missed the deadline for filing, days after being endorsed by Alberta independence leader Mitch Sylvestre. "This will let you know that I am no longer a candidate for the Calgary-Shaw UCP nomination," reads an email from Jeanes sent to his campaign's volunteers on Sunday. "My application was deemed incomplete.""There are no hard feelings on my end, and I hope you don't feel I’ve let you down. Thanks for offering to help. It was an interesting experience filled with highs and lows. The high point was you and the others who tried to help me."Jeanes's email comes after Stay Free Alberta CEO Sylvestre put out a call for individuals to support Jeanes in a campaign to win the seat vacated by former Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz. "Step one: participate in a democracy, help it out," said Sylvestre in a video with fellow independence supporter Brian McClelland posted on X on Wednesday. "You saw what happened last week with the question. We absolutely need all of your help to get the attention of the UCP and make them understand that they have to cater to some of the things that we want, at least, and this is the start to that whole process." Jeanes was looking to run against Calgary City Councillor Dan McLean, who represents areas within the Calgary-Shaw riding. .Sylvestre and Stay Free Alberta have urged Alberta independence supporters to buy UCP memberships and increase their presence within the UCP party for months, and their messaging intensified after Stay Free Alberta's independence referendum petition was submitted on May 4. Their pleas increased again on May 21 after Premier Danielle Smith failed to call for a direct referendum on Alberta independence, as some independence advocates called for a leadership review of Smith and to axe her as UCP leader. "Up until last Thursday, I thought that the best path forward would be under Premier Smith, and she still has time to show us that that is the case," Sylvestre said in a prior interview with the Western Standard. "I've asked it at many, many, many town halls, 'If it comes to a choice between any leader in Alberta independence, how would you choose?' and it's unanimous. Alberta independence is the answer. So, if the Premier chooses to allow this vote to happen, like we've been told it would, by them, then I don't see any need to do anything drastic."
