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“It’s just not a topic you talk about,” she said.

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She said the separatists are louder, but she’s not sure if that’s really an indication of a strong swell of support or just the fact they’ve been bolder in the rural areas about communicating their message.

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Cecilia Girard said she feels that a lot of people  — outside of seniors — are passing the buck.

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“I’m not sure what the mood is,” she said. “I know the seniors aren’t happy with the separatists. I am not sure what the others think, because they all seem kind of ‘blah, blah, blah.’ They want to leave this to other people.

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“But I’ve been talking about it, hoping to get people to speak up. We need to do something. Nobody is going to do that for us.”

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Thomas Lukaszuk meets former Alberta cabinet minister George VanderBurg at the Forever Canadian stop in Whitecourt, on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Steven Sandor/Postmedia Photo by Steven Sandor /Postmedia

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Daniel Toner, who also picked up a sign from the Whitecourt table, said the separatist side is more vocal, but there aren’t any drag-’em-out fights over the issue.

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“There’s really no arguments, everybody’s accepting each other’s opinion so far,” said Toner. “But everyone’s sort of set in their ways. There’s not a lot of debate. But for myself, my grandparents chose the country, I’m part of the country, this is my country.”

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Lukaszuk said he understands that, when the federalist and separatist sides aren’t visible, the debate quiets down. He understands how divisive this is for Alberta. He said a friend told him that a Mother’s Day dinner with family in Vegreville was absolutely ruined by a fierce family conflict on whether or not Alberta should go on its own.

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“That’s a Mother’s Day they’re never going to forget,” he said.

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Also visiting the Forever Canadian event in Whitecourt was former provincial cabinet minister George VanderBurg. But Lukaszuk noted that no current Conservative MP or United Conservative Party MLA has attended a Forever Canadian rally.

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On Canada Day, Lukaszuk will be in Calgary for the opening of Forever Canadian’s office there, then to Red Deer for the launch of Red Hart Brewing’s pro-federalist beer.

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Lukaszuk came to Canada with his family from Poland when he was 12. He remembers Soviet tanks being parked close to his home. And, he’s represented Canada on trade missions to Poland, where he was regularly questioned where his loyalties were. Yes, he’s proud of his heritage, but he said he chooses Canada over and over.

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“You know, when a man marries a woman, he still loves his mom, but at the end of the day, he is in a union with his wife,” said Lukaszuk. “And he will make decisions where his wife becomes a priority, but he doesn’t stop loving his mom. And to me, it’s never been a conflict, you know. I’m proud of my heritage, but I’m Canadian, and my allegiance is undivided, and I hope that others find it that way, too.”

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