Despite poor weather conditions, hundreds of Calgarians turned out to show their support for the Forever Canadian lawn sign pop-up event in northeast Calgary on Sunday afternoon. The event, held at the Renfrew Community Centre, saw people lining up down Radford Road to pick up their lawn signs.
Overwhelming Response
Petition organizer and former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk arrived in the Forever Canadian unity bus shortly after doors opened. Earlier in the day, he had attended a similar event in Red Deer. Although surprised by the number of people standing in the rain, Lukaszuk was not surprised by their passion.
“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. It is rare that we show healthy patriotism, and this is a showcasing of very healthy pride in our country.”
Political Context
The event comes amid ongoing debates about Alberta separatism. Although an Alberta court ruling prevented the pro-separatist petition from being verified, Premier Danielle Smith said she would take their word that they have 300,000 signatures. Lukaszuk noted that this puts Albertans through a difficult time, as the referendum question will be put to the public on Oct. 19.
“But you can see the response of Calgarians and the response of Albertans,” he said. “They want nothing to do with separatism. They want to show their pride in Canada, and they’re willing to stand out in the rain.”
Sign Distribution
More than 5,000 signs have already been handed out from initial events, and organizers cannot keep up with printing new ones. Southern Alberta sign coordinator Amy Shantz reported that 5,000 signs were delivered to Edmonton and 1,000 to Red Deer. In the Calgary area, 3,000 signs were delivered to a volunteer outside the city, with 2,700 arriving at the Renfrew Community Association for Sunday’s event.
Any leftover signs will be taken by a volunteer to Canmore and surrounding communities. Another shipment is expected within the next week to fulfill several thousand more orders.
Cross-Province Tour
For the next five-and-a-half months, Lukaszuk will travel to other communities as part of a cross-province tour in a 33-year-old repurposed bus, which he hopes to eventually donate to a museum. The Forever Canadian campaign has two main initiatives: reminding people to vote on referendum day and helping those interested in displaying lawn signs on their private property.
