Should the western provinces seperate from the rest of the country?

[folcar]

Who Cares about western seperation. I'm still waiting for Ontario's seperatist movement to pick up speed, LOL! This country would be far better suited to run as a confederacy, with the federal government handling international affairs, defence and the supreme court. Give every province equal representation and let the provinces handle there own affairs whether it's health care, infrastructure, etc, etc.

 

[hermanntrude]

Who Cares about western seperation. I'm still waiting for Ontario's seperatist movement to pick up speed, LOL! This country would be far better suited to run as a confederacy, with the federal government handling international affairs, defence and the supreme court. Give every province equal representation and let the provinces handle there own affairs whether it's health care, infrastructure, etc, etc.

why would it be better? Are you just seeing the grass on the other side as being greener?

 

[folcar]

why would it be better? Are you just seeing the grass on the other side as being greener?

The largest and most consistant complaint nation wide is that every body is not getting there fair share back out of what they put in, this is the primary argument of Western and Quebec seperatists. Under such a confederation each province would be responsible unto itself with the federal government completely out of provincial affairs, with one exception. In the event any province is found to be violating the constitutional rights of it's citizens than the feds and the supreme court could and should intervene.

 

[tamarin]

Time for one of the kids to go it on his own. Once one leaves that'll smarten the rest up.

 

[folcar]

Time for one of the kids to go it on his own. Once one leaves that'll smarten the rest up.

It's surprising it hasn't taken place yet, there have certainly been no shortage of mvements and political groups striving for it. I would be surprised if this country stayed together for another 50 years, as the first 100 have been ripe with dissent and distinct lack of solidarity. Heck i still love this country though, even as messed up as it is ;-)

 

[hermanntrude]

breakups of large countries are usually a sign of instability and i suspect usually end up with most of the previous member states in a worse situation. Why not try to unify the provinces and territories and help make the whole a better place rather than smash it up into tiny peices?

 

[folcar]

Why not try to unify the provinces and territories and help make the whole a better place rather than smash it up into tiny peices?

Agreed, i think to do so would be one heck of an uphill climb. And would end with a new constitution, and more clearly defined roles for the federal and provincial governments. I already believe if this country is to survive this is currently neccessary, but it remains to be seen if the country has the stomach for it.

 

[hermanntrude]

Agreed, i think to do so would be one heck of an uphill climb. And would end with a new constitution, and more clearly defined roles for the federal and provincial governments. I already believe if this country is to survive this is currently neccessary, but it remains to be seen if the country has the stomach for it.

better an uphill climb than a downhill slide, which is how I imagine any separation to be.

 

[snfu73]

better an uphill climb than a downhill slide, which is how I imagine any separation to be.

Excellent point...I completely agree.

 

[Trex]

You do realize that part of the reason that alberta's oil industry has been able to develop the way it has is because of federal government investment. There is talk of a nuclear power plant being built in the oilsands area....you realize that the government of canada...and therefore all canadians will be building that, no? You do realize that Ralph has made it so that a good majority of the money generated by oil in alberta goes out of the country...we should be getting far higher returns on each barrel of oil that goes out. If the west is going to seperate I assume you mean saskatchewan and manitoba will be going to. Well, alberta better start coughing up some money for them, because they ain't exactly rich provinces....and alberta does not have a good track record of working too well with anyone.

Well I thought I would take a stab at refuting this post. This post and the following massive cut and paste posts following it which quote the Pembina Institute among others present a fairly left wing view. I could do a massive cut and paste response quoting Oilweek, Alberta Report, Journal of Petroleum Engeneering etc etc but I will spare us all that.
Instead I will just give my opinions flawed as they undoubtebly are.

I do not believe there has been much, if any, Federal govt investment in Alberta's hydrocarbon industry.
I remember the NEP when the Fed's sucked billions out of Alberta. It destroyed the industry, which shut down overnight and laid off tens of thousands. I remember people walking away from their mortguages because they no longer had jobs.
I remember the Feds creating Petro-Canada which ended up proving once again that politicians are poor at business.
And I remember the Fed's funding a lot of the drilling up in the high Arctic which benefited some of the northern communities.
But as far as Alberta,its industries and the federal government are concerned its been a take not a give situation.
Just because a government lowers taxs on a paticular business sector does not mean they are subsidizing or giving it money....it simply means they are taking less of that businesses earned profits away from it.

A nuclear reactor in Fort MacMurray probably would be a viable idea. Certainly better than burning up all our natural gas to run the tarsands.
Why however would you assume that industry (which is going to foot the bill for this reactor) would pick a Canadian reactor. Granted the Feds have pumped billions into Candu and the Ontario/Quebec nuclear generating business. But why would Alberta want that? Wouldn't we shop around? Whats wrong with American reactors? Japanese? French? British?

As to Ralph sending the oil/money out of the country.
Well its a free and open market.Anybody who wants to buy the stuff can. you can, I can, the Americans can. Should we stop foreign sales of our resources? No nickel or minerals allowed out of the country? No wood products? Wheat and cereal crops? Does it all have to stay here for Canadian consumption?
Wont work.
Some of the money flows south because the businesses are american owned.
We could ban that I suppose.
But then wouldnt we have to boot out Ford, GM, Dodge, G.E. and such from eastern Canada?

A level pool table is what some of us in the west want.
Treating all peoples and provinces the same may be naive but its an attractive idea to some.

 

[china]

tamarin ,
The Indians say the land was given by God to them. I say let's give it back.

Yeap , and move to....................China

 

[nicca]

writing an essay help

what are pros and cons of quebec leaving canada

 

[talloola]

The maritimes would be very isolated, but I guess here in B.C., we are isolated too, suits me fine, feels like we are different anyway, have 'our' own identity, our own little country, that's good.
But Quebec being 'gone' would create border issues between maritimes, always having to go through
quebec, or, would they even care, maybe no problem at all.
And how about the St. Lawrence Seaway, such an important part of Canada.
And, just how would separation come about, in reality. I have never heard anyone explain that part.
What if Quebec decided to separate and the Canadian Government said NO. What then. A war?
Just replying to last post, guess this is off topic, oh well, I'll post it anyway.

 

[china]

talloola ,
The maritimes would be very isolated,____________________________________________

From what I have read ,somewhere , the maritimes had better standard of living BEFORE joining the rest of the country .In my humble opinion this country of Canada is just to big to be "governed"
by some incompetent individuals .Why not split on a friendly basis ,and co-operate with each other.It would make all of us a winner.After all Quebec can take care of its self ,the West can
market its minerals agricultural products the way they want to market it,maritimes have the fisheries and the offshore oil and Ontario ,well ,they can blow their horn all they want.

 

[talloola]

talloola ,
The maritimes would be very isolated,____________________________________________

From what I have read ,somewhere , the maritimes had better standard of living BEFORE joining the rest of the country .In my humble opinion this country of Canada is just to big to be "governed"
by some incompetent individuals .Why not split on a friendly basis ,and co-operate with each other.It would make all of us a winner.After all Quebec can take care of its self ,the West can
market its minerals agricultural products the way they want to market it,maritimes have the fisheries and the offshore oil and Ontario ,well ,they can blow their horn all they want.

Sounds good to me, when should we start, and what should I wear, and do I need a weapon?
If we could have our Beautiful British Columbia to ourselves, we would have something so special,
and the rest of the country would never know what they are missing, those rocky mountains are
a perfect border.

 

[china]

I have only pressed once the above post .Don't know why so many copies of the same post ,please forgive me , China .

 

[china]

talloola
Sounds good to me, when should we start, and what should I wear, and do I need a weapon?

Do we need a weapons ? My dear friend, the greatest weapon is a sober dream of the people and their unshaken will to turn that dream into a reality .

___You can wear what you want , as long as you wear something .

 

[talloola]

talloola
Sounds good to me, when should we start, and what should I wear, and do I need a weapon?

Do we need a weapons ? My dear friend, the greatest weapon is a sober dream of the people and their unshaken will to turn that dream into a reality .

___You can wear what you want , as long as you wear something .

OK, I will clothe respectfully, and I'll bring our Beautiful B.C. Flag, a smile, and a sober dream,
very easy, and exciting.

 

[china]

talloola
a smile, and a sober dream,
very easy, and exciting.________________________________________________________

all great things start with a dream and an action .

 

[folcar]

From what I have read ,somewhere , the maritimes had better standard of living BEFORE joining the rest of the country .In my humble opinion this country of Canada is just to big to be "governed"

I would argue that the country is not too big to be governed, but it is more a result of government especially the Feds getting involved in too many areas where they don't have the constitutional rights to be involved in the first place. And the Provinces not having the control over there own affairs and finances in a manor that eliminate the favouritism that played out currently.