The Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) has formally filed a new question for an independence referendum.Jeffrey Rath of the APP revealed on X that the organization’s CEO, Mitch Sylvestre, and lawyer Eva Chipiuk — famous for her work with the Freedom Convoy — attended the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Alberta on Thursday night to file paperwork presenting the revised question: “Do you agree that Alberta shall cease to be a province in Canada and become an independent state?”.The updated question differs from the original independence referendum question unveiled by the APP in May, which asked, “Do you agree that the province of Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province of Canada?”This change comes in light of Bill 14 passing in the Alberta Legislature and receiving Royal Assent on Thursday night.“Royal Assent for Bill 14 today is the breakthrough we’ve fought for — it’s game on for Alberta’s independence, ” Sylvestre said in a statement.“This question empowers every citizen to vote yes for a brighter, sovereign future. Let’s hit the doors in January and build the yes vote that changes everything!”This follows a recent court ruling on the referendum's wording, and according to the APP, amendments in Bill 14, including changes to the Citizen Initiative Act and Referendum Act, will now shift oversight from unelected officials to the Minister of Justice, “ensuring that Albertans' voices on matters of sovereignty are heard loud and clear.”Dr. Dennis Modry, APP Chairman of the Board of Directors, told the Western Standard that the change in the question’s wording was to have it “even more closely aligned with the specifics of the Clarity Act,” so “it would be really difficult for a question like this to be turned down.”.Section 1(3) of the Clarity Act 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.”Modry says the APP now intends to collect far more signatures than the minimum required, describing that the number they expect to have will be “overwhelming” and that they have 20,000 volunteers ready to mobilize for the signature drive.“Our objective is to give the provincial government the leverage it requires to effectively deal with the federal government, and that comes with a petition that forces a referendum resulting in a majority vote in favour of Alberta sovereignty,” Modry said.“We’re not trying to do anything more than educate the public on the rationale and merits of sovereignty and how to get there.”.KRUZENISKI: Alberta Prosperity Project rally draws thousands — The largest in Alberta independence history.He cited ongoing tensions between Alberta and Ottawa, noting that 18 or 19 lawsuits have already been filed by the provincial government against the federal government over issues Albertans feel have been ignored.“The provincial government needs to ask the citizens of Alberta to give it the leverage required to protect individual freedoms, rights, and prosperity,” Modry stated.“That request comes through a successful referendum on Alberta sovereignty — the only way to get the federal government’s attention and negotiate what Alberta wants.”The law now requires the APP to submit a notice of intention and wait 30 days before filing the official application.Rath has previously said the APP intends to surpass the 450,000 signatures collected by Thomas Lukaszuk for his Forever Canada petition.The group will now launch signature collection starting in late January 2026, aiming to gather the required support to trigger a province-wide vote.
