Alberta Separatist Defies City Order to Remove Pro-Independence Billboard
An Alberta separatist is escalating his campaign for provincial independence after refusing to take down a large billboard in the southern town of Taber, despite a formal demand from the city to remove it.
Cory Morgan, who funded the three-meter-tall, six-meter-wide electronic billboard, says the sign remains displayed on city property even after Taber officials sent a letter to the billboard’s private operator earlier this month requiring its removal by Saturday.
The billboard features the Alberta coat of arms and the message: “Send Ottawa a message! Vote Alberta.” Morgan says he paid approximately $1,100 to keep the sign running through the end of the month.
Morgan Adds More Signs in Defiance
Rather than backing down, Morgan says he has since paid for two additional smaller signs around Taber, with a third going up on Sunday. He frames his resistance as a matter of principle, arguing that a third-party political advertiser’s voice should not be suppressed by government.
“This is a problematic precedent,” Morgan said in a telephone interview on Sunday. “I have nothing against Taber itself. There are fantastic people there. It’s a nice area… It’s just their city government that I’m having a bit of trouble with at the moment.”
He added that municipal governments should focus on local services rather than controlling political speech. “They should stick to potholes, pick up trash and catch dogs. It’s not their job to tell people what they can or can’t see on a legal billboard.”
Taber Cites Community Concerns
The city of Taber, located 265 kilometers southeast of Calgary with a population of about 10,000, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday. However, city manager Derrin Thibault sent a letter to the billboard operator on June 3, obtained by The Canadian Press, demanding the sign be removed by the weekend.
“The City has received multiple concerns regarding political content currently displayed on the digital sign,” Thibault wrote. “The continued display of the advertising in question constitutes harassment and is contrary to the permitted use of the Licensed Area.”
In a June 3 social media post, the city stated that the billboard’s message does not represent or speak for the city or the broader community.
Signs Tied to October Referendum on Alberta Independence
Morgan said the billboard campaign is connected to a referendum vote on October 19, which will ask Albertans whether the province should remain in Canada or begin the process of holding a second, binding referendum on leaving the country.
He said he chose Taber simply because billboard space was available at the right price. Morgan noted that the sign attracted both strong support and strong opposition, and that the attention helped him raise additional funds to expand the campaign ahead of the referendum.
“I understand that people may be upset on both sides,” he said. “But I hope other cities don’t make it as difficult for me as Taber did. It’s just going to make things worse. So maybe you just stick with your local mandates and we’ll get on with this four-month campaign.”
Separation Debate Continues Across Alberta
The independence debate in Alberta is expected to continue throughout the summer. Premier Danielle Smith faced criticism for holding the referendum in the first place, but has said she was compelled to do so because hundreds of thousands of Albertans participated in petition campaigns and deserved to have their say.
Critics, including the opposition NDP, accuse Smith of playing a double game — enabling the referendum to appease separatist hard-liners within her party while simultaneously lobbying to remain in Canada to maintain support among centrist voters.
Polls indicate that a large majority of Albertans oppose separation from Canada.
