Separatist group ordered to pull down Alberta electoral list

RCI

Database posted online includes information of millions of Alberta voters.

The Latest

• A temporary injunction was granted today in Alberta Court of King’s Bench.
• The injunction seeks to pull down an accessible electoral list shared by an Alberta independence group.
• Elections Alberta told the court its investigation determined the list was provided to the Republican Party of Alberta.
• Database was hosted by the pro-independence group the Centurion Project.

What’s a phone book?

Wallis Snowdon (new window)

The Centurion Project is led by longtime political organizer David Parker.

Parker has not yet responded to a CBC News request for comment. However, he was posting on X on Thursday.

One post showed a picture of a white pages phone book with the caption: Look everyone! I found names and addresses in a nefarious document called a phone book! Call the cops!

In 2010, the Yellow Pages Group said residential phone directories — often referred to as the white pages — would only be available upon request in many major Canadian cities, including Edmonton and Calgary.

According to Centurion’s social media accounts, the party’s goal is to recruit, equip and mobilize a team of community leaders across the province of Alberta to take on the task of winning Alberta’s sovereignty.

The group, which has offices in Calgary, has upcoming Operation Secure Independence events throughout the province.

Centurion registered with Elections Alberta as a third-party advertiser on April 24. It is

among a number of pro-separatist groups that want Alberta to gain independence from the rest of Canada.

Republican Party leader says it’s ‘fully complying’

Wallis Snowdon (new window)

In an interview with The Canadian Press, the leader of the Republican Party said it hadn’t received official communication from Elections Alberta.

Cameron Davies said the party has issued a notice to the Centurion Project that any information the group may have allegedly received — if it came from the party — is not to be used.

We were proactive on that before the injunction today, and we’ll be fully complying with Elections Alberta, Davies told The Canadian Press.

Waiting to hear from Republican Party, Centurion Project

Wallis Snowdon (new window)

Because Thursday’s hearing in Edmonton was hurried onto the docket, representatives for the Centurion Project and the Republican Party were not in attendance.

The parties are expected to be served later today, court heard.

CBC News has sought comment from all the respondents. The Republican Party has not responded but officials with the Centurion Project have said they will release a formal statement later today.

The temporary injunction granted this morning orders the list to be removed from public access, and demands that Elections Alberta be given a full list of everyone who has registered to view it.

It also prohibits the Republican Party from sharing any voter list with unauthorized users.

This measure was introduced to ensure a fresh list cannot be obtained and shared with the public, said Elections Alberta lawyer Joseph Redman.

Breach has ‘terrifying’ ramifications, lawyer says

Janet French (new window)

I’m Janet French, a provincial affairs reporter here in Alberta.

With full names, addresses, phone numbers and electoral divisions of nearly three million Alberta voters becoming publicly searchable, lawyers and other participants in the justice system could be understandably nervous.

Shawn King, president of the Criminal Trial Lawyers’ Association in Alberta, calls it a terrifying security breach for lawyers, judges, police officers and sheriffs, as well as accused individuals, witnesses, victims and families who have been involved in criminal court cases.

King said he has had death threats yelled at him at the end of murder trials, when officers had to escort him back to a hotel room.

I don’t want a client, a dissatisfied client, or a witness or a complainant or a family member of someone who I’ve had to deal with at trial, knowing where I live, potentially coming to my home … [when] my wife and my children are there and I’m not there, or sitting outside stalking, he said.

King can’t remember a breach of this magnitude happening in Alberta before.