Hundreds queue in rain for Forever Canadian lawn signs

Hundreds of Calgarians lined up in pouring rain Sunday afternoon outside Renfrew Community Centre to pick up Forever Canadian lawn signs — a show of support for a campaign opposing Alberta separation ahead of the October referendum.

The turnout caught organizers off guard, with people queuing down Radford Road as soon as doors opened. Former Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk, who is leading the cross-province movement, arrived in a unity bus and expressed surprise at the numbers despite acknowledging the public's passion on the issue.

"It's just a way of showing our pride in our country, and that's great," Lukaszuk said. "Not Calgarians only, but all Albertans are frustrated with the fact that we even have to go through this process. So now they want to come out."

More than 5,000 signs have already been distributed from the first few events, with the group unable to keep up with printing demand. Lukaszuk said the response demonstrates that Albertans "want nothing to do with separatism" and are "willing to stand out in the rain" to show their commitment to staying in Canada.

The campaign will continue across the province over the next five and a half months leading up to the referendum. The Forever Canadian movement is positioning itself as the federalist counterweight to the separatist petition drive that prompted the October vote.