A petition demanding the removal of U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra from his post has garnered over 104,000 signatures, as of Thursday. Launched on Canada's parliamentary petitions portal, the initiative requires a government response within 45 days if it secures at least five signatures and a supporting Member of Parliament.
The petition, sponsored by Green Party MP Elizabeth May and initiated by Leanne Walker of Calgary, calls for Hoekstra's removal and urges the government to address his alleged conduct, which the petitioner claims is inconsistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Specifically, the petition accuses Hoekstra of normalizing rhetoric from the Trump administration that suggests annexing Canada as the "51st state." Hoekstra has previously shared posts referring to Canada in this manner and, when asked in June about the possibility, stated it was a "great discussion for the president and the prime minister to have."
Further allegations in the petition link Hoekstra to an American voter ID app reportedly used by the Alberta separatist movement to identify potential referendum supporters. Hoekstra has denied any knowledge of the app's use by separatists.
The petition, which opened for signatures on July 21 and remains open until November 18, has seen a significant surge in support this week, nearly tripling its signature count in less than two days. The petition's author told CBC News that the response has exceeded her expectations, though she acknowledges that expelling the ambassador is unlikely, expressing hope instead that the petition will serve as a message.