CANADA-POLITICS-ALBERTA-SEPARATISTS

Separatist leader Mitch Sylvestre is seen during a rally in front of the Elections Alberta headquarters in Edmonton, Canada, on May 4, 2026, as they submit boxes of signatures in the hope of triggering an independence referendum. Alberta separatists submitted stacks of boxes to election officials on Monday, which they said contained the signatures of more than 300,000 supporters, enough names to force an independence referendum in Canada's oil-rich province. A boisterous crowd of several hundred waved the blue provincial flag on a bright, clear day, cheering as separatist leader Mitch Sylvestre delivered the petitions to Elections Alberta. (Photo by Henry MARKEN / AFP via Getty Images)