Hundreds line up to endorse referendum on Alberta leaving Canada

Hundreds of Albertans braved bone-chilling temperatures west of Edmonton to sign a petition to force a vote on the province leaving Canada.

People in Stony Plain on Thursday were met by a long lineup when the doors at the community centre opened around lunchtime, with some waiting more than an hour to sign.

Roger Cyr says he signed the petition because he says he’s tired of Alberta subsidizing other provinces while also being ignored by Ottawa.

Shirley and Dave Howard also say they think Alberta would be better off financially if it became independent.

The Stony Plain event was one of many organized by a group named Stay Free Alberta to gather signatures in a referendum campaign sanctioned by the province’s chief electoral officer.

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The events have been running for three weeks with long lines reported at sites across the province.

Organizers have until May to collect 178,000 names — of which 10 per cent must be eligible voters from the last provincial election.

The signatures must then be validated by the province’s Chief Electoral Officer, before the petition can be presented to the Alberta government.

— More to come…

With files from Ken MacGillivray and Heather Yourex-West, Global News