Alberta Separation Petition Faces Legal Hurdles

0:00It's April 9th. This is Calgary News Today. Local news powered by AI. Alberta's push for a separation referendum is hitting roadblocks in court, where first nations are fighting a petition that just reached the one. 177,732 signatures needed for a possible fall boat on leaving Canada. Three groups, Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, Athabasca Chippewaian First Nation, and the Blackfoot Confederacy are arguing it violates their treaty rights. Getting changes to the province's initiative law and the chief electoral officer's approval. Earlier this week, Justice Shayna Leonard heard from lawyers on day three of the hearings. A previous ruling last year by Justice Colin Feesby said Alberta couldn't separate through a citizen initiative so the government tweaked the law to. Drop constitutional checks, letting the petition move forward. Separatist lawyer Jeffrey Rath, representing petitioner Mitch Sylvester, fired back hard, calling the challenges premature and the nation's claims of.

1:00Harm overblown, like racism from online comments being imaginary. He even slammed a chief social media post as racist and compared Feesby's decision to an angry email while insisting the whole thing is just voters, talking to lawmakers, not touching treaties at all. Meanwhile, Alberta's government lawyer Neil Dobson echoed that, saying, no real harm comes from signature gathering yet any treaty issues would come. Way later in talks on money, citizenship and debts, if separation ever happens. The judge plans to reserve her decision soon, hopefully before May 2nd, when signatures wrap up, keeping everyone watching as this independence. Drama heats up.