Peter Downing

{{Short description|Canadian politician and Albertan separatist}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Peter Downing

| image =

| caption =

| office = CEO, founder of the Alberta USA foundation

| president =

| term_start = August 2020

| term_end =

| predecessor =

| office1 = Leader of Wexit Canada

| order1 =

| president1 =

| term_start1 = January 10, 2020

| term_end1 = June 23, 2020

| predecessor1 = Party founded

| successor1 = Jay Hill

| party = Maverick
Christian Heritage

| birth_name =

| birth_date = Circa 1975

| birth_place = Newmarket, Ontario

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education =

| allegiance = Canada

| branch = Canadian Mounted Police

| rank = Officer

}}

Peter Downing is an Albertan separatist and the former leader of Wexit Canada, now known as the Maverick Party.{{Cite web|last=Dryden|first=Joel|date=January 11, 2020|title=Wexit party granted eligibility for next federal election|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/wexit-peter-downing-western-separatism-elections-canada-1.5423793|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=CBC}} Downing founded Wexit Canada in the aftermath of Justin Trudeau's re-election in the 2019 Canadian federal election. Downing is also a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, serving from 2006 to 2015. He received a conditional discharge for uttering threats against his ex-wife in 2009.{{Cite news|last=Dawson|first=Tyler|date=August 25, 2019|title=Is a Wexit in Alberta's future?|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/is-a-wexit-in-albertas-future|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=National Post}} Downing stepped aside as leader of Wexit Canada in June after recruiting interim leader and former Conservative Member of Parliament Jay Hill.{{Cite web|last=Rieger|first=Sarah|date=June 23, 2020|title=Jay Hill, former House leader under Harper, named interim head of separatist party Wexit Canada|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/jay-hill-wexit-1.5624717|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=CBC}}

Downing was previously a candidate for the Christian Heritage Party of Canada in the 2015 Canadian federal election.{{Cite web|last=Zhou|first=Steven|date=October 30, 2019|title=#Wexit Founders Are Far-Right Conspiracy Theorists|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/wexit-founders-are-far-right-conspiracy-theorists/|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=Vice}} Downing created two organizations, Alberta Fights Back and Saskatchewan Fights Back, both of which served as vehicles for his separatist activism.{{Cite web|last=Sahlmueller|first=Elisabeth|date=|title=Issues with the Prairie Freedom Movement|url=http://www.carillonregina.com/issues-with-the-prairie-freedom-movement/|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=The Carillion}} Through this work he became affiliated with the Prairie Freedom Movement, later becoming their spokesperson.{{Cite web|last=Bateman|first=Brady|date=March 4, 2019|title=Separatist billboards draw attention in Saskatchewan|url=https://battlefordsnow.com/2019/03/04/separatist-billboards-draw-attention-in-saskatchewan/|access-date=July 1, 2020|website=Battlefords Now}}

In August 2020, Downing launched the Alberta USA Foundation, along with high visibility billboards in Edmonton and Ottawa, bearing the image of US President Donald Trump, asking the question, "Should Alberta Join the USA?"{{cite web | url=https://www.narcity.com/news/ca/ab/edmonton/peter-downing-says-he-wants-alberta-to-join-the-us-due-to-better-healthcare-taxes | title=Wexit's Founder Explained Why He Thinks Alberta Has to Ditch Canada & Join the U.S. | date=September 4, 2020 }}