Alberta Separation Movement Triples Overnight, Now Visible From Two Intersections
The pro-separation sign campaign in a small Alberta town has grown from one sign to three signs, a 200 per cent increase that organizers are calling a mandate and political scientists are calling a Tuesday.
The standoff, which pits a handful of residents against the laws of arithmetic, has reportedly drawn national attention, mostly from headline writers who needed something for the slow afternoon slot. One sign is reportedly nailed to a fence post. Another leans against a shed. The third, sources confirm, is taped to the inside of a truck window, which some neighbours have argued should only count as half a sign.
"We're building momentum," said no one quoted in the original article, because the original article was careful. The signs themselves decline to comment, though one is slightly faded and may be in favour of a 2019 municipal candidate instead.
Premier Danielle Smith has not endorsed the campaign but has also not driven past it without slowing down. Ottawa, for its part, continues to honour the Albertan tradition of taking every lawn sign extremely seriously until roughly the third paragraph.
The movement's next planned expansion, a fourth sign, is reportedly being held up by a dispute over whether Bristol board counts as a renewable resource. Organizers say they hope to be at five signs by Canada Day, at which point they will reassess whether to declare independence or simply ask the municipality for a parade permit.
The town's mayor, asked for comment, looked tired in three official languages.