{"id":17856,"date":"2025-02-21T22:34:02","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T22:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/21\/alberta-separatist-behind-divisive-lets-join-the-usa-billboard\/"},"modified":"2025-02-21T22:34:02","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T22:34:02","slug":"alberta-separatist-behind-divisive-lets-join-the-usa-billboard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/21\/alberta-separatist-behind-divisive-lets-join-the-usa-billboard\/","title":{"rendered":"Alberta separatist behind divisive \u2018Let\u2019s join the USA!\u2019 billboard"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Highway 2 is the main arterial road connecting north and south Alberta, but now along its shoulder stands a billboard that is dividing Albertans.<\/p>\n

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The advertisement encourages Albertans to let Premier Danielle Smith know they want to become the 51st state of America.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cTell Danielle! Let\u2019s join the USA!\u201d the billboard says alongside a photo of the Alberta premier posing with U.S. President Donald Trump at his golf resort in Florida last month.<\/p>\n

The sign across the highway from the town of Bowden in central Alberta has the Town\u2019s office fielding calls, including some serious threats of violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe town phones and the email went off the charts,\u201d said Robb Stuart, who grew up in Bowden and has been the mayor for the past 14 years.<\/p>\n

He said the community has nothing to do with the sign along the QEII, but is now bearing the brunt of the anger being directed towards it.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s on private property and it is just a disaster that the Town of Bowden is getting the flack for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mayor said those complaining are mostly angry about the unpatriotic message and his community agrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis does not reflect who we are,\u201d Stuart said, adding the town founded in 1904 is very proud to be Canadian.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe community is not happy about it in any way, shape or form, and it does not reflect our preferences.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The billboard was paid for by an Alberta-based group called \u201cAmerica Fund<\/a>,\u201d founded by members of the 2019-2020 Wexit Alberta separatist movement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It is being hosted on a billboard owned by Calgary-based company Spot Ads, whose website says it\u2019s been dedicated to supporting small and medium-sized businesses since 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was surprised because I looked at, Spot Ads, who owns it, and one of their key things is \u2018Proudly and fiercely Canadian.\u2019 So they sold advertisement \u2014 but kind of a contradiction of there,\u201d Stuart said.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tA billboard in Bowden calling on Alberta to join the United States was paid for by a group called America Fund, which was founded by members of the former Wexit separatist movement.\t\t\t\t<\/span>
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Spot Ads said it stands for free speech and freedom of expression as protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.<\/p>\n

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A memo posted to its website, and also shared in a statement to Global News, said Spot Ads understands Canadians may not always agree on sensitive issues but the company respects diverse perspectives. The company said it accepts ads from anyone as long as the message doesn\u2019t violate the Charter.<\/p>\n

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Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cAs part of Canada\u2019s media landscape. Spot Ads does not take a stance on political or other divisive matters,\u201d the website message concluded.<\/p>\n

Global News reached out to Spot Ads and was told before putting up the billboard, the company sought assurances from the buyer that the funding for the ad came from private individual supporters in Alberta, not unions or corporate support, or foreign donors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is important as it relates to Canadians participating in the liberty of freedom of speech,\u201d Spot Ad said in its statement.<\/p>\n

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