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Colby Cosh: Alberta separatists admit their petition is symbolic

To defuse First Nations objections, separatists are claiming that the government isn't required to act on their independence petition

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Scenes from the Alberta separatist struggle dep’t: last week the Edmonton Journal’s mighty Jonny Wakefield captured an interesting scene from the courtroom battle over a citizen petition to make Alberta “an independent state.” Two individual First Nations and the Blackfoot Confederacy (representing three more bands) are suing to block the petition launched by Bonnyville sporting-goods vendor Mitch Sylvestre, which would be deemed “successful” if the separatists behind it can get it signed by 177,732 Albertans. The separatists have until May 2 to submit the petition for certification, but representatives have said they’ve already passed the threshold (which represents 10 per cent of the votes cast at the most recent Alberta general election).

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