Thousands pack Calgary venue in major show of support for Alberta independence

CALGARY — Stay Free Alberta’s much-anticipated event at the Calgary Stampede’s Big Four Building went off without a hitch on Monday as thousands of supporters gathered to sign the independence petition and listen to speakers later in the evening.Organizers say they have already collected thousands of signatures but must gather at least 177,000 names under Alberta’s citizen-initiative petition rules to potentially force a referendum later this year.They declined to release specific numbers from Monday’s event, but said turnout exceeded expectations..The petition signing ran from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. According to event staff, roughly 750 people were waiting outside before doors opened in the morning.An evening rally upstairs at the venue began around 7 p.m., with organizers estimating between 4,000 and 5,000 people packed into the space..The event was emceed by Derek Smith — who hosts Unacceptable Fringe on YouTube — and featured several speakers advocating for Alberta independence.Retired military veteran Jim Sinclair opened the lineup, followed by constitutional lawyer Eva Chipiuk and Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) CEO Mitch Sylvestre.Lawyer and APP spokesman Jeffrey Rath closed out the evening, with his remarks being interrupted when a fire alarm was pulled partway through his speech.Speakers throughout the evening criticized federal climate policies, carbon taxes, gun control legislation, wasteful spending, immigration levels, and pandemic-era restrictions, among other topics..Police and security were present throughout the event, but organizers said the atmosphere remained peaceful.Despite the fire alarm disruption during Rath’s speech, there were no counter-protesters who caused any substantial commotion.Among those attending was Mike Meilleur, also known online as Freedom Honey.He said he was struck by the size of the crowd and what he described as a rapid increase in interest in the independence movement.“Everyone’s been awesome and I’m really excited to be here,” he told the Western Standard, adding he thought this was one of the biggest events the independence movement has had so far.“It’s definitely ballooned. People start seeing that their neighbours are talking about it, guys at the work site, lunchrooms and stuff like that.”Meilleur also said he supports holding a referendum regardless of the outcome.“It doesn't matter what side of the fence you are on. This is a petition to get a referendum for a vote,” he said.“At the end of the day, it’s about letting people decide.”.Michael Harris, a political science student at the University of Calgary and a previous Libertarian Party of Canada candidate for Battle River–Crowfoot, said he believes economic pressures are driving younger Albertans toward the independence movement.“I hear it every day from students who are struggling financially and feel like they can’t handle another year or two of this [federal] government,” Harris said.He also claimed that libertarian campus groups have seen growing membership at the U of C — roughly around 1,200 people — and strong support for independence.“We polled our members, and 88% of them favour Alberta independence, because they support the idea of this flag, which says ‘don’t tread on me,’” Harris told the Western Standard while carrying a Gadsden flag — a historic American Revolutionary War flag featuring a coiled rattlesnake symbolizing resistance to tyranny.Darrell Komick, president of the Calgary-Lougheed UCP Constituency Association, said Monday’s event appeared to be the group’s largest indoor event to date, with only the independence rally in front of the Alberta legislature in October being larger.“This is an incredible show of support,” he said.“It's not just rural Alberta that wants independence. This just tells you that there's a lot of folks from all stripes.”.Komick attributed the recent surge in momentum in the movement to years of groundwork by independence advocates such as Sylvestre and Dr. Dennis Modry, coupled with the growing frustration of regular Albertans with federal policies.“It’s grown because there’s a foundation and a well-educated population based in Alberta,” Komick said.“A lot of folks are quiet about their support for various reasons, but at the end of the day, you can tell here today, just by the number of undercover police officers and CSIS officials that are here, that it makes the federal government nervous because it's real; it's not the fringe minority.”He also emphasized that the petition drive is only an initial step in what he described as a long process.“We're in it for the long haul and, you know, Albertans — we are doers — and it will be done, and we will get where we want to go.”After the evening concluded, Sylvestre told the Western Standard that turnout met organizers’ expectations.“I was expecting this,” Sylvestre said when asked about the size of the crowd.“Actually, to tell you the honest truth, I just wish the building had been bigger — I think we could have gotten more [people].”Sylvestre also said organizers were prepared for potential disruptions but saw none inside the venue.“Who would come into a room like this and try to start something?” he said.“It just wouldn’t make sense.”Sylvestre added that more than 150 canvassers were working throughout the day and evening, with signing locations set to continue operating across Alberta ahead of the May 2 deadline.