Supporters of Alberta independence held a petition-signing drive on February 15, 2026, in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, to gather support for a province-wide vote on separation. Organizers set up tables at a location known as Sylvestre’s and displayed Sign for Freedom posters near the town skating rinks to reach local residents.
According to Stay Free Alberta, the group needs to collect 177,732 signatures by May 2, 2026, to meet the requirements of Elections Alberta. The effort is led by Mitch Sylvestre, a businessman from Bonnyville who serves as the CEO of the Alberta Prosperity Project.
Residents visiting the signing locations, which included the Hazard County Bar & Grill, must provide a residential street address to sign. Those who have a PO box on their driver’s licence are required to show a second form of identification, such as a utility bill, to prove their home address.
While similar events in other towns saw more people earlier in the year, observers noted a lower turnout at the Sylvan Lake weekend displays. The strict rules for proving a home address may have limited the number of people able to sign the document during the event.
