Lawyer launches 'Alberta's Done Waiting' independence campaign

A pro-separatist constitutional lawyer launched a new independence campaign Thursday, joining other groups pushing Alberta toward separation ahead of a fall referendum.

Keith Wilson, based in St. Albert, made his pitch at a news conference at Hotel Arts in Calgary to a room of 23 people. His co-chair, Tanya Clemens, a southern Alberta farmer and former math and science teacher, said their campaign, "Alberta's Done Waiting," registered as a third-party advertiser to maximize spending limits.

"We could all come together underneath one banner, and all fight as one unit going forward for independence and advocate for that, but then that limits us at a $607,000 spending limit," Clemens said. By operating separately from other separatist groups, each organization can hit that limit independently without violating Alberta's Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.

Wilson argued the electoral and constitutional structure of Canada means "Alberta never gets a voice," since decisions are determined by voters in Quebec and Ontario. He pointed to federal policies—anti-pipeline laws, tanker bans, equalization transfers—as reasons Albertans should support independence.

Clemens, who said she was once a federalist, began supporting separation after learning about federal restrictions. "We've had the anti-pipelines, the tanker bans, increased taxation, more of our money going in equalization and not coming back to Alberta," she said.

Wilson argued an independent Alberta could "unleash our economy" without federal restrictions, citing examples like the UAE, which he said delivers superior public services with no income tax despite smaller oil reserves. However, the comparison overlooks that Alberta's oil is primarily bitumen, requiring billions in investment to extract safely, unlike the UAE's conventional crude.