Elbows were definitely up as hundreds of Albertans came out to support the launch of the Forever Canadian office in northwest Edmonton in a cross-partisan showing of support for staying part of Canada.
Following a morning pro-Canada parade in St. Albert, the Unity Bus stopped at the just-opened Forever Canadian office at 16815 117 Avenue. While the industrial park road is wide enough for semi-trucks to pass each other, the street was packed with dedicated Canadians from wall to wall, who overwhelmed the new office and the rally was required to move outside for speeches.
“This shows you how passionate Albertans are about being Canadian,” said Forever Canadian founder and former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk. “It has nothing to do with where we live, but who we are.
“Voter turnout will be key. As we know, separatists now have a list of electors they are using. We’re asking all supporters to sign up so we can be in touch with them. As long as we’re all rowing in the same direction, we can bring out all our supporters. We may have different opinions and ideologies, but at the end of the day we are all fighting to make Alberta and Canada a strong place.”
Lukaszuk said the next six months would be critical for Albertans wanting to stay Canadian and encouraged supporters to sign up at the Forever Canadian website to stay informed on the campaign as the Oct. 19 referendum Premier Danielle Smith called on Thursday night.
A section of a very long line of Albertans who came out to pick up a Forever Canadian lawn sign on at the grand opening of the Forever Canadian campaign office on May 23.
Forever Canadian is one of several campaigns now underway to stand up for Canada. Several members of the Alberta NDP caucus, which has launched its own door-to-door For Alberta, For Canada campaign, were on hand to show their support for Lukaszuk’s work.
NDP deputy leader Rakhi Pancholi said the two campaigns will complement each other and encouraged Albertans to sign up to “as many campaigns as they can” to keep up to date on the real battle of Alberta.
“I think we should all work together as much as possible,” she said. “Many of the people here are supporters of our party but there’s also supporters of other parties and that’s a wonderful thing. We should all be going out there together and fighting for Canada.”
She added it was “appalling” the government was focusing on referendums when so much of the public service in need of funding.
“I have three schools that have gone to a lottery because there are kids doing chemistry labs in the hallways,” said Pancholi. “This not a fiscally responsible government. They have their own pet projects and they’re using taxpayer dollars to pay for it.”
While no members of the United Conservative Party were present, conservatives who identify as Canadians were out in droves to show their support as well. Several former members of the now-defunct Progressive Conservative party were on hand to show their support for the effort.
Progressive Tory candidate Bonnie Critchley said being Canadian means far more than being a conservative, liberal or social democrat.
“I spent 22-plus years serving this country,” she said. “I have been all over this country and the world. Alberta is home, Canada is home — and they are one in the same.
“I will stand side by side with the NDP and anybody else and support Mr. Lukazsuk. This is non-partisan, this is home. This is our country. We need to do this together.”
Supporters of Canada let out a cheer as they gather in northwest Edmonton to support the Forever Canadian campaign and its sister movements on May 23.
Lukazsuk noted this is the first fully bilingual campaign.
Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta chairperson Nathalie Lachance said the right to speak the French language was guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and French-Canadian Albertans were ready to stand up for their 270 years of history in the area.
“Francophone rights are enshrined in federal law,” she said. “That protection for us is crucial for the survival of our community and for it to continue to thrive and be as diversified as it is today.”
Even if the separatist movement sputters out, the damage of their ambitions is already showing, said Edmonton-Centre Liberal MP Eleanor Olszewski.
She said she’s spoken to a number of businesses who are concerned about the long-term investment prospects for the province as separatists whittle away business confidence in the future of the Alberta Advantage.
“As the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development I’ve heard from business leaders how harmful this is to investment in this province,” she said. “I just can’t say how important it is for each and every voice that’s here to continue to stand up for our province and our country.”
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