George McFly

A veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces stopped me in Red Deer and shared a perspective that I think a lot of people need to hear in full, not reduced to a slogan. He told me his father fought in World War II. He told me his sons served in Afghanistan. This is not somebody speaking casually about loyalty, sacrifice, or duty. This is somebody from a family that has given real service across generations. And his message was blunt: in his view, Canada is no longer being loyal to people like him, and nothing meaningful is going to change in Ottawa. That is why he believes Alberta independence is now the only way forward. Whether someone agrees with that conclusion or not, people should at least understand the depth behind it. For many soldiers, veterans, and military families, loyalty is not an abstract idea. It is tied to duty, sacrifice, service, loss, and trust. The basic belief is that if you give yourself to a country, that country should still reflect the values you served to protect. When people who spent their lives serving begin to feel alienated from the direction of the country, that is not a small thing. I think the concern here is bigger than party politics. It is about the feeling that the institutions of Canada are no longer listening, no longer correcting course, and no longer representing the people who built, defended, and sustained this country. For some veterans, the frustration is not just with one bad policy or one bad government. It is the belief that the system itself is no longer responsive. That is the nuance people miss. When a veteran says Alberta independence is the only way forward, he is not necessarily saying he stopped caring about the country overnight. He may be saying the opposite. He may be saying he cared so much, for so long, that it means something when he finally concludes the relationship is broken beyond repair. A lot of soldiers and veterans may have concerns about even entertaining that idea. They may value unity, continuity, tradition, and the memory of what they served under. They may worry that supporting Alberta independence feels like turning their back on their service, their oath, or the people they served beside. That is a real emotional and moral tension. But the other side of that tension is this: what if loyalty is not supposed to be one-way? What if there comes a point where citizens, including veterans, have the right to say that the political system has become unworthy of their continued trust? What if defending freedom sometimes means being honest about when a government or a national project has drifted too far from the people it claims to represent? That is why this moment mattered. This was not just a random political opinion shouted from the roadside. It was a serious statement from someone whose family has lived service, sacrifice, and national duty. And when people like that start saying Ottawa will not change, others should pay attention. You do not have to agree with him to recognize the weight of what he is saying. Watch this and listen to his words for yourself.

Asked about rising gas prices and tax relief… Mélanie Joly: “um… uh…” Blames global prices. Blames war. Mentions Donald Trump. But no answer.