Separatists in Alberta declared they now have enough signatures to trigger a vote on the province leaving Canada. 

The Stay Free Alberta group said Monday it formally submitted almost 302,000 signatures after needing 178,000 names to force the province to consider such a ballot measure. The question of separation could go on a province-wide ballot as early as October, as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said she would move forward if enough names are gathered and verified.   

"This day is historic in Alberta history," Mitch Sylvestre, the head of Stay Free Alberta, said Monday as he arrived at the Elections Alberta office in Edmonton leading a convoy of seven trucks to deliver the names. "It’s the first step to the next step — we’ve gotten by Round 3, and now we’re in the Stanley Cup final." 

Smith has said she personally does not support the oil-rich province leaving Canada, but she has accused previous federal Liberal governments of introducing legislation that hamstrings Alberta’s ability to produce and export oil, which she said has cost the province billions of dollars, and noted that she doesn’t want the federal government meddling in provincial issues, according to The Associated Press.

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More than 300 supporters gathered in Edmonton on Monday, waving the provincial flag and chanting "Alberta strong." 

A "yes" vote would not trigger independence automatically, as negotiations with the federal government would have to take place. 

Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, told the AP that despite the independence effort, liberal Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney "is indeed popular, even in Alberta."

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"The push for independence by some Albertans predates his prime ministership, and it’s related to economic, fiscal, and political grievances about the seemingly unfair treatment of Alberta by the federal government," Béland said. "These concerns increased during the Justin Trudeau years, but they have peaked and even declined since he left office." 

Béland added that some Indigenous groups that are already using the courts to prevent an independence referendum would use venues including the courts to stop independence from happening.

The petition for a referendum could face a hurdle this week as an Edmonton judge is expected to rule on a court challenge by Alberta First Nations, who say separation would violate treaty rights. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.