Petition seeking removal of U.S. ambassador passes 123,000 signatures

A federal petition calling for U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra to be declared persona non grata had more than 123,000 validated signatures as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Parliament of Canada website.

Calgary resident Leanne Walker launched the petition July 21, with Green Party MP Elizabeth May as sponsor. The petition says Hoekstra has made statements that undermine Canada-U.S. relations, including his description of the 2025 federal election as an anti-American campaign.

It also cites his response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated references to Canada as a 51st state, and raises allegations about links to a Michigan voter-identification app used by Alberta separatist group Centurion Project. The petition further questions meetings it says took place between the Alberta Prosperity Project and U.S. State Department officials. Hoekstra has said he did not know about those meetings.

The petition closes Nov. 18. Parliamentary rules require a government written response within 45 days after an eligible petition is presented, but that process does not itself remove an ambassador. Walker said she hopes the petition sends a message, rather than expecting it to result in Hoekstra’s removal.