Anti-independence activists shame Safeway into removing Alberta flag
Anti-independence activists and supporters of former Progressive Conservative minister Thomas Lukaszuk’s petition are bragging after shaming a Medicine Hat Safeway into taking down the Alberta flag.
Anti-independence activists and supporters of former Progressive Conservative minister Thomas Lukaszuk’s petition are bragging after shaming a Medicine Hat Safeway into taking down the Alberta flag.
A member of the Forever Canadian Facebook group, Shawn Copland, took credit for pressuring “upper management at Safeway” into lowering Alberta’s provincial flag in a public post.
The group describes itself as supporters of the petition spearheaded by Lukaszuk. Lukaszuk is a member of the group, but did not comment or interact with the post publicly.
True North reached out to Lukaszuk, asking him whether he supports businesses removing Alberta flags or whether the flag is considered a separatist symbol, but received no reply.
“It appears that after relating my concerns to Safeway’s Western Canada regional office, they have taken the decision to enforce their policy to ensure that their stores not appear to politicize Alberta’s flag,” wrote Copland.
He later posted a photo of the store with the flag removed.
Despite suggesting the flag was politicized, the pictures show it was just hanging there, as any flag would.
“My original belief that there is a policy that discourages the display of the Alberta flag inside or outside of stores seems to have been accurate,” the anti-independence activist wrote. “Kudos to Safeway, Sobeys and Empire Company for taking a stance in turbulent times for Canada and the province.”
The flag’s removal was met with mixed reactions. While many celebrated it, with some even questioning the display of the Alberta flag and drawing parallels to their own rejection of the Canadian flag due to the Freedom Convoy, others defended its presence.
“I’m not clear on the issue. It’s our provincial flag, it’s not the APP party flag. We’re fighting to ensure we remain Albertans in Canada. Proud Albertans shouldn’t be dissuaded from saying so. Corporations or any other business should be treated the same,” Eric de Jong said.
Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen also defended flying the Alberta flag.
“Sad some people are triggered just by seeing an Alberta flag. Businesses should be proud of our province and fly the flag far and wide!”
However, many people commenting on the original Facebook post celebrated the Alberta flag being taken down in an Alberta store, with one even calling for Sobeys to be next.
Despite Thomas Lukaszuk being a member of the group, he had not liked the post as of Friday morning.
Lukaszuk recently submitted a petition for Alberta to remain within Canada. However, due to his timing blunder, his petition falls under the old rules, requiring him to collect 293,976 signatures in 90 days. Comparatively, the Alberta Prosperity Project’s petition will fall under the new threshold of around 177,000 signatures in 120 days.
Jeffrey Rath, General Counsel for the Alberta Prosperity Project, previously stated that the question “is not a proper referendum question to be used on a constitutional issue.” He added that “to the extent that the question seeks nothing more than to preserve the status quo, it is not a suitable question for determination through a citizens’ initiative referendum.”
Elections Alberta confirmed to True North that the required number of signatures for such a referendum is 10 per cent of provincial electors, based on the post-election day list of electors.
According to Elections Alberta’s website, legislative or policy proposals require support from 10 per cent of electors, while constitutional referendum proposals must meet a higher threshold — 20 per cent, or 587,952 signatures. This has led to the widely cited target of 600,000 signatures.
Therefore, Elections Alberta considers Lukaszuk’s question a legislative or policy proposal, not a constitutional referendum.
Well, if Safeway isn't willing to fly Alberta's flag, I guess Albertans aren't welcome in their stores.
Well, they must be ashamed of Alberta if a store in the province can’t fly an Alberta flag. Until recently the Canadian flag was a symbol of good things like freedom but these same idiots hated it when people protested for that freedom to be returned to us. They are so brainwashed they go the way the wind blows. Now it is good to fly the Maple Leaf to show they’re patriotic because they hate Trump and the Alberta flag is bad. The Canada today that the Liberals have ruined is not the Canada I knew. Sorry the truth hurts. Alberta has always stood up for its citizens but I can’t say the same thing about Canada’s government
. Our freedoms and way of life have been literally trampled on by an authoritarian government put in power by low-information voters who have no clue what the ramifications are. By the time they realize they are living under the strict control of a Soviet-style regime it will be too late. It is death of this country by a thousand cuts. I will never forget the sight of Trudeau’s horses trampling Canadians in Ottawa who were fighting for freedom from a belligerent and authoritarian government. How can any thinking person support this?