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Editorial: Western separation not an ideal

Let’s face it, we like being Canadians too much
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Every so often — at least with every federal election — the concept of Western separation comes up.

Considering the concentration of national political power in Ontario and Quebec, the idea of creating an Independent Republic of Western Canada is an attractive idea. But what would it really look like if B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Yukon and Northwest Territories pulled out of the Confederation?

To start with, our new independent republic wouldn’t be suffering from a lack of resources and food. Saskatchewan has plenty of arable land already producing grains and other crops. Alberta is the same, but also has beef and oil to contribute (So does Saskatchewan but canola oil doesn’t keep your car on the road).

B.C. has all of that, in smaller amounts, but we’ve also got forests and lots of minerals, as do the Territories. The Territories also give us someplace to flee to when climate change makes living farther south to uncomfortable.

All in all, that sounds pretty good, except for the lack of major manufacturing, which tends to be centred in the big eastern provinces. And, we’d be cut off from the Maritimes, and that would be a shame to lose that rich culture, not to mention the lobster.

In short, Canada works better as a whole, with all parts contributing to the Confederation than it does as a loosely-associated group of independent states.

Working together, which Canadians usually like to do, also gives us a larger voice on the world stage — when our quiet, reasonable voice can be heard above our southern neighbour’s more strident shouting, that is.

The new smaller countries that were once called Canada would also be more vulnerable to being swallowed up by a resource-hungry U.S. Don’t laugh, in the past there has even been a proposal down south that they offer each Canadian cash for their share in Canada, simply buying us out.

The problem of Western alienation is real, but threatening to separate isn’t going to work for the west like it has for Quebec. Their loyalty to all things Quebec makes that a very real possibility, even though it would make less sense for them than for the Western provinces.

What we really need instead of separatism is a bigger voice in Parliament, where the seats are weighted heavily in favour of Quebec and Ontario.

Then, maybe we would find the federal election wasn’t already decided when the news ban is released after polls close on voting day.

– Black Press