CALGARY — Rob Schneider is drawing attention online after voicing support for the Alberta independence movement on social media.The American actor and comedian, known for films such as Deuce Bigelow and The Benchwarmers, posted “Free Alberta!” on X in response to a message from online independence advocate Erik Thorvaldsson..Thorvaldsson had published a post on X regarding a recent development involving the Stay Free Alberta campaign, which claims it has gathered enough signatures to trigger a referendum on independence.“They laughed when we started collecting signatures,” Thorvaldsson said.“They mocked us when we hit 100k. Now we’ve blown past the legal threshold. The independence referendum is on. The elites in Ottawa aren’t laughing anymore. The fight of our lives begins.”It was reported on Monday that canvassers with the Stay Free Alberta initiative were informed that the petition had reached the required number of signatures under Alberta’s Citizen Initiative Act.To qualify, the campaign needed signatures from at least 10 per cent of eligible voters—approximately 177,000 people based on turnout in the last provincial election..'NO STOPPING IT': Mitch Sylvestre declares independence referendum is now inevitable.After making the announcement, the petition’s proponent and Alberta Prosperity Project CEO Mitch Sylvestre told the Western Standard that, “We will have a referendum on independence based on what the requirements are.”“Now, how big that becomes is up to the people,” he said.While some online commentators criticized Schneider for bringing up foreign politics, reaction from independence supporters was overwhelmingly positive.“Thank you, Rob, for bringing attention to this important issue Albertans are fighting for,” an X user posted.“Alberta independence is imminent.”.Others pointed to the economic potential of a sovereign Alberta, with a commentator on X suggesting an independent nation would make “Saudi Arabia look like Somalia” in reference to Alberta’s vast oil reserves — totalling roughly 158.9 billion barrels (bbl) in proven reserves.One simply said, “Rob gets it.”Schneider has previously commented on Alberta politics.In 2022, he praised Premier Danielle Smith on X following the UCP Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Edmonton, calling her a “real leader” and shared a video of her speech to UCP members, where she promoted the Sovereignty Act.He also made headlines in 2016 when he donated all of the proceeds from his Edmonton comedy shows to support Albertans who had been affected by the Fort McMurray wildfires, saying at the time it was “the least I can do.”
