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Eric · 02-04-2007, 22:19

It's difficult adding to this discurssion as an expat. And I do not mind being told to mind my own business in cases such as the one being discussed here ... but here goes.
In Canada we have ten provinces, three semi-independent territories, and a large first nations population. In a country as large as this - 2nd largest in the world in area - there are immense regional differences. Quebec is a francphone province, Newfoundland is poor, Alberta is rolling in oil dollars, and British Columbia is, well, different. The prairies have an economy based on agriculture. The major cities, particularly Toronto, have large immigrant populations etc., etc. The Provinces control education, own the mineral rights, operate the health care system, have their own parliaments, raise their own taxes, and police themselves. The feds transfer the national wealth. The poorer provinces receive transefer payment to help them out and the richer provinces help - not without complaint - to fund this. With a little bickering and separtist noises from Quebec we all seem to get along. I get the sense, though maybe I'm wrong, that the UK seems to be moving towards a federal system.
It's not an easy way to govern a country, and the gripes I read here, I hear in the Canadian media everyday. But it does work. Often areas such as Quebec are happy with a recognition of their cultural differences, their uniqueness in the cultural mosaic. In England, there is a difference between north and south, rich and poor, upper class and lower class, Ossy and the rest of the country. I believe that tolerance, respecting differnce, a wish to form unity out of diversity, while recognizing the strength that this diversity brings, will in the long run strengthen the nation.
The third largest party in our house of commons is the Bloc Qubecois, a party which has separation from Canada as one of its major phhilosophical underpinnings. Rather than a weakness of our system, many Canadians see it as a strength.
With devolution, I don't think that the UK will become the disunited Kingdom. I don't think too many people in the world think of Canada as a disunited country of squabling provinces and antagonistic ethnic groups.

02-04-2007, 22:19	#10
Eric God Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada Posts: 9,290 Liked: 2347 times Rep Power: 58527	Re: Free drugs. It's difficult adding to this discurssion as an expat. And I do not mind being told to mind my own business in cases such as the one being discussed here ... but here goes. In Canada we have ten provinces, three semi-independent territories, and a large first nations population. In a country as large as this - 2nd largest in the world in area - there are immense regional differences. Quebec is a francphone province, Newfoundland is poor, Alberta is rolling in oil dollars, and British Columbia is, well, different. The prairies have an economy based on agriculture. The major cities, particularly Toronto, have large immigrant populations etc., etc. The Provinces control education, own the mineral rights, operate the health care system, have their own parliaments, raise their own taxes, and police themselves. The feds transfer the national wealth. The poorer provinces receive transefer payment to help them out and the richer provinces help - not without complaint - to fund this. With a little bickering and separtist noises from Quebec we all seem to get along. I get the sense, though maybe I'm wrong, that the UK seems to be moving towards a federal system. It's not an easy way to govern a country, and the gripes I read here, I hear in the Canadian media everyday. But it does work. Often areas such as Quebec are happy with a recognition of their cultural differences, their uniqueness in the cultural mosaic. In England, there is a difference between north and south, rich and poor, upper class and lower class, Ossy and the rest of the country. I believe that tolerance, respecting differnce, a wish to form unity out of diversity, while recognizing the strength that this diversity brings, will in the long run strengthen the nation. The third largest party in our house of commons is the Bloc Qubecois, a party which has separation from Canada as one of its major phhilosophical underpinnings. Rather than a weakness of our system, many Canadians see it as a strength. With devolution, I don't think that the UK will become the disunited Kingdom. I don't think too many people in the world think of Canada as a disunited country of squabling provinces and antagonistic ethnic groups.