Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said her government would appeal a court ruling on Wednesday that struck down the approval of an independence petition that could have forced a separation vote in the province.
In two decisions posted on Wednesday, Justice Sheila Leonard ruled that Alberta’s chief electoral officer Gordon McClure wrongfully approved the petition given an earlier ruling that found the separation question would violate First Nations’ treaty rights. She also found that the Crown had failed in its duty to consult with applicants Piikani Nation, Siksika Nation, Blood Tribe and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation.
