Referendum petition bus cruises into Lethbridge
By Lethbridge Herald on October 18, 2025.
Thomas Lucaszuk is at the wheel of the Forever Canadian Unity Bus in this contributed photo. The bus will be in town today at Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden.Joe Manio
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Forever Canadian (FC) Unity Bus will be in Lethbridge today, leading into the final week of the Forever Canadian petition signature drive. Former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, who started the non-partisan petition to encourage Albertans to take a stand for the province’s place as a part of Canada, has been traveling with it..
With the Oct. 28 deadline approaching for collecting signatures on its petition opposing Alberta separating from the rest of Canada, thousands of canvassers in Lethbridge and across Alberta have been ratcheting up their efforts.
As of this week, the movement has gathered more than 250,000 of the 300,000 signatures required by Elections Canada for a referendum to proceed. The petition asks: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?”
Before hitting the road in the red and white schemed recreational vehicle, many told Lukaszuk that he would have a difficult time getting support in rural areas, to which he said everyone deserves a chance to participate in the petition.
“Some were telling me at the very beginning that we were not going to get any signatures in rural Alberta. Were they ever wrong. Our farmers and Albertans that live in rural Alberta are proud Canadians, and they’re showing it in numbers,” wrote Lukaszuk in a recent FC Facebook page update.
The petition is a response to the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), which earlier this year applied to hold a referendum on whether the province should leave Canada. That application is currently before the courts to determine whether it goes against the Constitution.
The Unity Bus will be at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden Bunka Centre parking lot (off Mayor Magrath Drive) from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
9-8
Awesome. Wife & I signed up a while ago but will drop by to thank Thomas for all his work running this petition. Hopefully we get a lot more signatures.
There’s a permanent location at 320 13 St N. Wednesday to Saturday 12-6 and Sundays 12-5
Wish Alberta to remain in Canada? Awesome – vote “no” when a referendum comes… but don’t be conned by former Redford Deputy Premier Lukaszuk that this petition has any real meaning.
It’s a gesture. Which is fine, I guess… but that’s all it is. Meanwhile Lukaszuk is just an opportunist looking to regain relevancy.
It would be nice if the Herald explained this to readers.
Haters do hating.
Haters. Lol.
Having a united Canada is what the UCP opposes. Danielle Smith is afraid to lie in the bed she made.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/separatist-alberta-republican-party-cries-foul-after-byelection-debate-is-cancelled/
I believe that the majority of Albertan’s want to remain in Canada, at least over 70%.
If it has taken him all this time to collect 250,000 signatures, with over 70% wanting to remain in Canada . . . I doubt the petition to leave Canada would get the required 178,000.
Most people are willing to answer questions in a survey, but when it comes to actually putting their name, physical address and signature on a petition . . . they are not as willing to commit!
And even if they got enough signatures for a referendum in the next election . . . they would never get enough people checking the box to leave Canadian conferation. Never would happen!
The highest number of people who took surveys several months ago when there was anger in Alberta against the feds was about 36% . . .on a survey!
Albertan’s are tired of been treated unfairly by the feds, and many want the same perks Quebec gets . . . why? . . . Because is by far a larger contributor the Canadian economy and the Canadian GDP than Quebec, yet Quebec is given the most benefits in Canada . . . or al least more benefits.
Ottawa has woke up to the concerns not been heard by Albertan’s . . . made many promises . . . but many of those promises appear to hold no value, because they remain idle . . . not acted on . . . another nudge-nudge, wink-wink!
Questions. Who is funding this? Who paid for the printing, Who paid for the gas in that tiny motor home. Who paid for the decaling. Who’s paying anybody.