Thomas Lukaszuk is feeling reasonably optimistic.

For the last three months, the former deputy premier of Alberta has been on a mission to keep the province from splitting from Canada with his “Forever Canadian” campaign.

He and roughly 6,500 volunteers have been door knocking and setting up shop everywhere from airports, dog parks and parades to driveways, farmers markets and zoos — all with the goal of collecting 294,000 signatures on a petition by a deadline on Tuesday.

The petition asks: “Do you agree that Alberta should remain within Canada?”

He started his campaign as a counter to separatists wanting a referendum on Alberta independence.

Those involved with Lukaszuk’s petition are still tallying up signatures. Earlier this month, he said they had gathered 230,000.

“At this poin

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