Separatist supporters gather during a rally in front of the Elections Alberta headquarters in Edmonton, Canada, on Monday.HENRY MARKEN/AFP/Getty Images
The RCMP has informed the Alberta government that there is no evidence the province’s separatist movement has been subject to foreign interference, according to the minister who oversees policing.
Mike Ellis, Alberta’s Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Services, on Wednesday attributed this information to the RCMP’s deputy commissioner, noting the update landed before the government learned about an alleged privacy breach involving the personal information of 2.9 million Albertans.
“I can tell you, from the deputy commissioner of the RCMP, there is no credible information that has been received that suggests that the Alberta separatist movement has been subject to foreign interference,” Mr. Ellis told the legislature.
Separatists want Premier Danielle Smith to include a question about secession on the province’s Oct. 19 referendum ballot.
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The Official Opposition argued Wednesday the alleged misuse of data − combined with foreign actors trying to undermine Canada’s interests by targeting Alberta’s separation campaign, as described in a new report − makes the potential referendum vulnerable to interference.
Elections Alberta last week alleged the Centurion Project, run by political organizer and separatist proponent David Parker, had unauthorized access to Alberta’s list of electors. Approved Centurion volunteers could access residents’ names and addresses by searching an online tool. However, the root database powering the app was not secure and contained even more personal information.
The Globe and Mail’s analysis found the root database also contained middle names and elector identification numbers, along with phone numbers for more than two million entries. Elections Alberta alleged Centurion’s tool depended on a list of electors the agency provided to the Republican Party of Alberta, which seeks independence from the rest of Canada.
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Political parties are legally allowed access to the provincial voter list, but third-party outfits such as Centurion are not.
Elections Alberta and the RCMP last week separately confirmed they are investigating the alleged breach.
Mr. Ellis said Wednesday it is up to the Mounties to track potential foreign interference.
“The RCMP has the primary responsibility for investigation into criminal foreign interference activities in Canada, and seeing as the RCMP are already thoroughly looking into this matter, we expect that we will consider this as part of their investigation,” Mr. Ellis said.
Alberta’s potential secession vote is being targeted by covert influence campaigns run by countries such as Russia and China in hopes of fostering discontent in the province, according to a study produced by experts from the Global Centre for Democratic Resilience; the Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Data, and Conflict at the University of Regina; and DisinfoWatch.
Online content mills are also churning out AI-generated YouTube videos peppered with falsehoods and divisive narratives, the study says. Further, U.S. President Donald Trump and his allies are openly encouraging Albertans who want to split from the rest of Canada.
Arthur Green, Mr. Ellis’s spokesman, did not acknowledge questions about when the RCMP deputy commissioner provided the government with the information about separatists and foreign interference, how the update was communicated, whether the minister is satisfied with the RCMP’s assessment, or why neither the Mounties nor Alberta disseminated the information publicly.
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Fraser Logan, a spokesman for the RCMP in Alberta, did not provide answers to similar questions by deadline. Deputy Commissioner Trevor Daroux is the RCMP’s Commanding Officer in Alberta.
Alberta’s separatists on Monday submitted a petition with roughly 301,000 signatures in support of a referendum on independence. Ms. Smith, earlier this year, scheduled a vote on immigration questions for the fall, but has yet to commit to adding independence to the ballot. Some First Nations have argued such a vote would violate their treaty rights, prompting a judge to temporarily block Elections Alberta from verifying the petition’s signatures. Justice Shaina Leonard’s final ruling is expected soon.
The governing United Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party on Wednesday sparred over who shoulders the blame for allowing sensitive private data to be available online for over a month.
A supporter of the Alberta separatist movement holds a flag during a rally near the Elections Alberta headquarters in Edmonton on Monday.HENRY MARKEN/AFP/Getty Images
The Premier, during Question Period, accused NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi of acting unethically and putting MLAs at risk because he did not inform the legislature when he learned of the potential data breach on April 17.
Mr. Nenshi said the NDP reported the potential breach to the RCMP that day, and noted at least one UCP staff member participated in a Centurion training session on April 16. Centurion displayed former premier Jason Kenney’s address in that video, according to the NDP. Former NDP premier Rachel Notley’s address was also displayed in a training video.
An independent journalist in Calgary alerted Elections Alberta to a potential violation at the end of March. In a letter dated April 10, Elections Alberta said it did not have “reasonable grounds” to launch an investigation.
Facing a firestorm of criticism, the agency noted the government, in 2025, increased the threshold investigators must clear prior to launching a probe. The UCP insisted the agency could investigate the alleged violation, pointing to the same provision in the Election Act that the agency said left it hamstrung.
The Centurion Project and the Republican Party of Alberta separately said they would co-operate with any investigations.