51st state? Northern neighbor starts down path of secession
While President Trump has half-joked about Canada becoming the 51st state of the U.S., arguably the “reddest” province in that nation now expects a voter referendum in 2026 asking residents if they’d like to secede from the motherland.
A court had previous stopped an effort to put the question before Albertans, but now the province’s election commission has given the OK for organizers to begin collecting signatures.
According to Global News, Elections Alberta says the proponent, the Alberta Prosperity Project, and its chief executive officer, Mitch Sylvestre, have until early January to appoint a financial officer for its petition campaign, after which signature collection can begin.
The group then would have four months to collect just under 178,000 signatures.
“This is the breakthrough we’ve been fighting for,” the Alberta Prosperity Project said. “Soon, we’ll be collecting signatures to put Alberta’s future directly in your hands.”
The question itself would be: “Do you agree that the province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”
In a TikTok video, a separatist leader in the oil-rich province claims the U.S. State Department has been in talks with the movement and the U.S. is ready to “recognize” it as an independent country should the referendum be successful at the ballot box.
? BREAKING: In a newly released video, a separatist leader claims the U.S. State Department is already in talks with the Alberta Prosperity Project — and would recognize Alberta as an independent country if a referendum passes.
Elections Alberta just approved the petition. APP… pic.twitter.com/9POlZ2vcCu
— Jake (@JakeCan72) December 23, 2025