I have never been much for flag waving. Patriotism can be a constructive emotion when it leads to healthy ends, but unfortunately it all too often leads to unhealthy ends, to xenophobia and militarism. Better to simply be a good citizen—obey the law, participate in your democracy and respect your fellow citizens.

Nonetheless, I can’t help feeling a measure of pride about this country; it is an exceptional place after all. So signing the Forever Canadian petition was a pleasure. The petition, engineered by former cabinet minister and deputy premier of Alberta Thomas Lukaszuk, asked simply “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?” It was an overwhelming success, gathering 404,293 verified yesses in under 90 days, exceeding the number required to trigger a referendum by almost 40 percent. It was, apparently, the most successful citizen-initiated petition in Canadian history.

Another petition is out and about in Alberta these days, asking quite a different question: “Do you agree that the province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?” It has just recently been approved by Elections Alberta after overcoming certain legal hurdles. The Alberta government generously helped it along, even passing legislation to facilitate it.

Why Premier Smith would be so obliging is an interesting question. One can surmise three possible reasons: she is herself a separatist; she is afraid the extremists in her party will fire her, as they did her predecessor, if she doesn’t appease them; or she finds separation useful as leverage against the feds. It could be any one or two of these reasons, or all three.

She has paid little attention to the Forever Canadian petition, leaving little doubt where her sentiments lie. Nonetheless, staying on side with the extremists isn’t easy. At the recent UCP annual convention, she crowed about her successful negotiation with Mark Carney that produced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that, she insisted, was a big victory for Alberta. After all, it included support for a new bitumen pipeline, the holy grail of oil industry champions.

The separatists in the crowd did not share her elation. In fact she was roundly booed and her MOU labelled a sellout. Sitting down with the feds, especially Liberal feds, is just not on for these guys.

So we can expect no help from Smith and her government in remaining forever Canadian. As the separatists ramp up the campaign for their petition, we can expect a well-funded effort with any help from Smith et al. most likely going to the wrong side.

Thomas Lukaszuk and his people recognize this and intend therefore to continue their efforts. According to their website: “The petition was only the first step. Today, that network continues as the Forever Canadian Movement, a permanent force for unity. We will not stop at a single victory. We will challenge divisive narratives, promote a positive vision for our future, and ensure Alberta remains secure within a strong and united Canada.”

If you want more information about the movement, or would like to join, they can be found at https://www.forever-canadian.ca/.