Alberta separatists win partial victory in appeals court

Mitch Sylvestre and supporters are seen at the Elections Alberta office in Edmonton on May 4, 2026. (Sean McClune/CTV News Edmonton)

Elections Alberta has been granted permission to begin the verification process for a petition by Alberta separatists after a decision by the Alberta Court of Appeals.

The petition by Stay Free Alberta had been stalled in May after a judge found Premier Danielle Smith’s government neglected its duty to consult First Nations.

Jeffery Rath, a lawyer for Stay Free Alberta, applied for a stay, arguing Elections Alberta should be allowed to verify what he says are more than 300,000 signatures collected in support of referendum on separation.

“In my view, the appellant will suffer irreparable harm if the verification process does not take place until the final resolution of this legal dispute, particularly bearing in mind the possibility of an appeal to the Supreme Court, or the constitutional questions being remitted to the Court of King’s Bench for further consideration,” Justice Alice Woolley wrote in her decision dated Monday.

“Accurate verification will become more difficult as time passes. People who signed the petition may move or die. They may change addresses or phone numbers. Trust and confidence in the security and integrity of the collected sheets will begin to erode.”

Woolley also wrote that the petition cannot advance to a referendum until the appeal is determined.

CTV News has reached out to Elections Alberta for more information on when the verification will begin.