Canadian Content

[james_davis_nicoll]

[Poll #1384649]

Comments

[lpetrazickis.livejournal.com]

Sure. I haven't seen any actual polls, but Northern Ontarians seem to be amenable to this, becoming a provincial capital would be good for Thunder Bay, and it might make the Ontario NDP more urban-focused.

[carloshasanax.livejournal.com]

I think Northern Ontario would make an excellent 51st state.

[martinl-00.livejournal.com]

Doesn't stripping off NO violate the "Every non-bluenoser Canadian province shall contain more howling wilderness than inhabited land" rule?

One of the major differences between the USA and Canada is in the USA, they are nostalgic for the "closed off by the spread of civilization[1]" wild frontier that "defined their nation," while in Canada the wild frontier is usually less than half a day's drive from whatever part of civilization you are currently in and yet virtually no one actually wants to live there. Visiting to camp/fish/hunt is acceptable, as are temp jobs with high salaries in resource extraction.

Now making NO a separate territory would leave the convenient frontier, but you'd have to cross a provincial border, and they'd probably want to inspect for rats or something.


[1] They tend to ignore Alaska, perhaps because it is cold, or not contiguous, or too near Russian ICBM silos.

[dubiousprospects.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

All the provinces should be abolished.

Replace provincial government service-delivery functions with either city government service delivery (which do most of the function delivery now anyway) or regional government service delivery.

Environment, business, and health regulation/expectations get harmonized. (Education, too, but education suffers greatly from a fixed notion of school and the existence of public funding for religious education, both of which should be changed, but possibly not at this time.)

Cities (which have a population and economic activity definition; one wants to ensure a real, import-replacing city, but also that it can't get too large without being split for representation regions) get 3 elected senators. Regions get 2 elected senators; regions have a population + area definition. Stuff that can't be a region is administered by the Crown. The appointed senate goes away.

And yes, it would be a tough sell. But if one is going to open the constitutional Pandora's Box, one might as well get some work done.

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

You mean there's something even further north than just regular boring old Ontario? How much north do you guys have up there? Are you stockpiling?

[papersky.livejournal.com]

How about if Toronto, and Montreal, became city-provinces. The rest of Quebec would have enough people and unity to be a province, and the rest of Ontario could be two, the Golden Horseshoe, and Northern Ontario.

[seawasp]

Yes, and it should either become its own country, or join the United States.

Why? Because it's much more amusing that way.

[silly-dan.livejournal.com]

Wasn't there some group who wanted the NW section of the province to split off and join Manitoba? Or did I imagine that?

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

A few years ago, I thought I saw a proposal for Quebec to split from Canada and join the US. Yeah, cause the US is going to be so sympathetic to Quebec's language concerns.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

So black flies can vote?

[quicktongue.livejournal.com]

Yes, it should join up with Texas from your previous secede from the union post, and be called We-Have-You-Surrounded!

:)

[jamiam.livejournal.com]

Glue it to Quebec.

[oldsma.livejournal.com]

I don't live in Canada, Ontario, Northern Ontario, or any US state that borders them, so I don't have an opinion.

MAO

[daev.livejournal.com]

"Northern Ontario is eighty billion kilometers long. There are 13 people who live there, all of whom are named 'Frank'. Even the girl. (She's very popular.)" -- The Arrogant Worms

[realinterrobang.livejournal.com]

Sure, northern Ontario could be its own territory, if it'd help alleviate some of the really nasty service-delivery problems and logistical issues surrounding too much space with too few people in it.

I'm personally more in favour of turning Toronto into its own city-province, albeit not exactly with the same clout as the rest of the provinces, because Toronto already swings too much weight as it is. That would essentially cut Toronto loose from the rest of Ontario and let non-Torontonians of all stripes have more of a say about what goes on in the province. I love you guys, but contrary to popular (Torontonian) belief, you're not the centre of the universe (nor do you outnumber the rest of us, even if we spot you the entire GTA).

[oh6.livejournal.com]

The northern territories should be extended to include all of the sparsely-occupied parts of the provinces. I guess this is pretty close to making a new territory.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

I was going to suggest a three-way division into Northern Ontario, Southern Ontario and Toronto, but I see others have been there before me.

I live in Toronto.

[spikebrennan.livejournal.com]

Yes, and it should annex Turks & Caicos, then split itself into five states, all called "Texas".

[secritcrush.livejournal.com]

Alaska II, I'm, just saying.

Northward Ho! in 3... 2... 1...

[http://users.livejournal.com/krin_o_o_/]

I am glad to see the master plan is progressing...

Once N.O. is created and the Canadians have all been relocated there, the US can finalize it's annexation of S.O. and Quebec to make room for the Americans that are driven north by global warming and the Reconquista of the southwest.