University of Alberta political science professor of the federalist Lead Not Leave campaign, Jared Wesley, has a harsh description for Albertans who believe the federation is broken but no longer believe it can be repaired: quitters.

"When someone tells you something is broken, but they refuse to help fix it, they're not some kind of genius or hero. They are a quitter," Wesley wrote on X. "Martyrs like that have no place defining the future of a province as great as Alberta."

It's an insult. It's no argument.

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Albertans have spent generations trying to "fix" Confederation from within. Western alienation did not suddenly appear with the current independence movement. Alberta entered Confederation in 1905 without control over its own natural resources, a power it did not obtain until 1930.

When someone tells you something is broken but they refuse to help fix it, they're not some kind of genius or hero.

They are a quitter.

Martyrs like that have no place defining the future of a province as great as Alberta.

— Jared Wesley (@DrJaredWesley) August 16, 2026

Since then, western reform movements have repeatedly sought greater influence within Canada, from Social Credit to the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance. Alberta has also pushed constitutional reform, Senate reform, changes to equalization and greater provincial autonomy.

Whatever one's view of independence, describing people who conclude those efforts have failed as "quitters" skips over the history that produced the movement in the first place.

Nor is pursuing independence synonymous with refusing to do the work. Creating a new country would require negotiations over assets and liabilities, trade, borders, pensions, Indigenous treaty rights, currency and countless other issues.

That isn't quitting. It would be an enormous political undertaking.

After 120 years in Confederation, Albertans can reasonably disagree over whether their future is best served by continuing to reform Canada or building something outside it.

But those prepared to undertake the difficult work of creating a new country aren't "quitters."

The more fitting historical description would be pioneers.