What is important to Atlantic Canada?
- Thread starter Jay
- Start date
I lived in Digby, NS for 4 years - I would think that eastern Canada concerns are just the same as every where else in Canada - jobs, medical, education. Life is no different than anywhere else, just a few big cities so life may be just a little slower than in...say Toronto, Montreal....Some of the friendlist people in Canada live down there and also some of Canada's most beautiful country.....Cape Breton, Peggy's Cove and the Annapolis Valley....
(sorry to the other provinces - I only lived in NS)
(sorry to the other provinces - I only lived in NS)
The people in the Atlantic Provinces must have invented politeness. It's surprising to me how they can live so close to Quebec 
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If you asked right now, probably the big issue would be....same sex marriage. (It's the same all over).
Making sure we all have a decent medical system. Ensuring that we all have access to trade, both nationally and internationally. Opportunities for the future. Obviously not all Atlantic Canadians are lazy welfare bums; most of Alberta runs on people from the East Coast.
There are a lot of people who want to eliminate the gun registry.
Newfoundland and Nova Scotia wanted a "fair" deal on offshore oil revenues. Apparently, the way the system works is that Alberta's oil revenues are not considered income when calculating their contribution to the equalization system; so NS and NF insisted it work both ways. Personally, I think it should be counted for everyone, but that's me. However, the Ontario media makes this all play out as some sort of welfare scam on the part of NF and NS, and Danny Williams' histrionics don't help.
Making sure we all have a decent medical system. Ensuring that we all have access to trade, both nationally and internationally. Opportunities for the future. Obviously not all Atlantic Canadians are lazy welfare bums; most of Alberta runs on people from the East Coast.
There are a lot of people who want to eliminate the gun registry.
Newfoundland and Nova Scotia wanted a "fair" deal on offshore oil revenues. Apparently, the way the system works is that Alberta's oil revenues are not considered income when calculating their contribution to the equalization system; so NS and NF insisted it work both ways. Personally, I think it should be counted for everyone, but that's me. However, the Ontario media makes this all play out as some sort of welfare scam on the part of NF and NS, and Danny Williams' histrionics don't help.
Maritimers are afriad of change. they expect everything to remain how it's always been, and they expect to be subsidesed for long term economic shifts.
Also, I think people just like complaining. I remember a lot of whining when they wanted to close the coal mines in cape bretton. And tehn a few weeks ago I heard complaining that they were going to open a new coal mine, and they didn't want it because it'd be bad for the environment.
Also, I think people just like complaining. I remember a lot of whining when they wanted to close the coal mines in cape bretton. And tehn a few weeks ago I heard complaining that they were going to open a new coal mine, and they didn't want it because it'd be bad for the environment.
The real sad thing about the East Coast is that it was the heartbeat of "Canada" pre-confederation. After confederation Sir John A. invoked ridiculous rail tarriffs to funnel East Coast wealth into central Canada.
This is well known with regards to the West because Westerners got pissed and raised a ruckus about it (and still do today), nobody seems to know why the Atlantic provinces are lagging behind in development.
The welfare thing stems a lot from how EI is viewed in the East and esp. Newfoundland. My father works for CP Rail with lots of Newfoundlanders and he said that to them, you leave Nfld, work till you can get your EI, then go back home and let someone else from the Island get a job to work.
There is a perception that EI is there to be used, not there as a last-resort safety net.
Then the rest of Canada connects the attitude towards EI with the underdevelopment of the Atlantic provinces, and we get the dumb explanation.
I would imagine the #1 concern of Easterners is generating economic activity and reversing the "culture of defeat". While Stephen Harper might get blasted for saying that out loud, not one Easterner I've talked to hasn't said that there IS a culture of defeat, and when I was in NB one of the guys I talked to was outrageously cynical about the prospects for the Sable Island project, even though the work I'd done with it suggested it was doing well and the next phase would begin soon.
This is well known with regards to the West because Westerners got pissed and raised a ruckus about it (and still do today), nobody seems to know why the Atlantic provinces are lagging behind in development.
The welfare thing stems a lot from how EI is viewed in the East and esp. Newfoundland. My father works for CP Rail with lots of Newfoundlanders and he said that to them, you leave Nfld, work till you can get your EI, then go back home and let someone else from the Island get a job to work.
There is a perception that EI is there to be used, not there as a last-resort safety net.
Then the rest of Canada connects the attitude towards EI with the underdevelopment of the Atlantic provinces, and we get the dumb explanation.
I would imagine the #1 concern of Easterners is generating economic activity and reversing the "culture of defeat". While Stephen Harper might get blasted for saying that out loud, not one Easterner I've talked to hasn't said that there IS a culture of defeat, and when I was in NB one of the guys I talked to was outrageously cynical about the prospects for the Sable Island project, even though the work I'd done with it suggested it was doing well and the next phase would begin soon.
Atlantic Canada really is not that different from elsewhere, but there is a real effort on the part of some politicians to make it seem that way.
Certainly, there is a different mindset here from what is out west; in Alberta, it seems to be very much an American style, "I'll get mine, you go FK yourself" attitude. People here aren't quite as self-centered. More of an "I'll get mine, if you help, you can have some too" attitude.
We have world class companies involved in telecommunications, tires, aerospace, foods, heavy equipment manufacturing, oil refining, mining, you name it. We have people who work their butts off. We have a University here that has 1-2,000 students from China here, there's a line up to get here.
Yes, there are people who work 2-3 months a year as fish packers, and then want EI for the rest of the year. They aren't the majority (and you know, the guys at GM always get EI when the annual shutdowns happen for model year changeovers.....). We have people with their hands out. But we have more people looking to go forward.
Certainly, there is a different mindset here from what is out west; in Alberta, it seems to be very much an American style, "I'll get mine, you go FK yourself" attitude. People here aren't quite as self-centered. More of an "I'll get mine, if you help, you can have some too" attitude.
We have world class companies involved in telecommunications, tires, aerospace, foods, heavy equipment manufacturing, oil refining, mining, you name it. We have people who work their butts off. We have a University here that has 1-2,000 students from China here, there's a line up to get here.
Yes, there are people who work 2-3 months a year as fish packers, and then want EI for the rest of the year. They aren't the majority (and you know, the guys at GM always get EI when the annual shutdowns happen for model year changeovers.....). We have people with their hands out. But we have more people looking to go forward.