Western Canada: The tussle between the East and the West is palpable and a never-ending drama. The federal government in Canada has always failed to recognize the demands of the Wild West. Moreover, the signs of this tug-of-war between the Feds and the prairies show no sign of abating. But wait, here’s an update: the Western realm has, at last, come together, resolute to take tangible action against this manoeuvre, even if it comes at the cost of seceding from the rest of the country.
In our yesterday’s report, we talked about why Alberta might consider seceding from Canada. For the unaware, the federal Justice minister David Lametti, recently said that he was “looking at” rescinding the Natural Resources Transfer Agreements (NRTA) between the federal government and the prairie provinces.
The NRTA gave administrative and management authority over land and natural resources to Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba in the 1930s. Rescinding the agreement would amount to the seizure of Western Canada natural resources. The intent of the federal government to launch a direct assault on Western Canada natural resources has irked the nerves of the prairies and especially the conservatives who see it as an attack on their region.
In a bid to counter the federal assaults, the prairie provinces are joining hands. Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on collaborative economic corridor projects to spur economic growth in Western Canada.
The deal was announced on the 11th of April morning from Edmonton by the transportation ministers of the three provinces.
Devin Dreeshen, minister of Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors, said the news “takes existing agreements to the next level.”
“This is looking specifically, again, at economic corridors and to try to harmonize the regulations and to make sure that if a project has a scope outside of a province, and it goes across the country, that we actually can have the regulatory process set up,” he said.
“This advances further agreements, but it’s very specific for an economic corridor to make sure that we can have these big nation building projects built again in Canada, which we haven’t seen for quite some time,” he continued.
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According to Jeremy Cockrill, minister of roads for Saskatchewan, the agreement binds the provinces to facilitate the movement of people and products, come up with shared solutions and enhance the highway and rail networks throughout our jurisdictions.
“We will encourage our federal partners to play their part in supporting infrastructure and protecting the supply chains in this country,” he said.
Clearly, the West is done with the liberals and is determined to fight against these policies and make their voices heard, but the battle is an uphill one.
Lametti’s recent comment drew flak from the prairie provinces. And I guess the Feds went too far this time fanning the flames of secession. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe have condemned Lametti’s comment and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Trudeau. Dr Jordan Peterson, a prominent media personality, also commented on the recent controversy over the Natural Resources agreement, advising Alberta to separate from Canada if necessary. Dr. Peterson has told Premier Smith to “Reject. Rebel. Separate if necessary” in response to Lametti’s comments.
Read More: It’s Official! Alberta could soon leave Canada
The idea of secession was just talked about back in 2004, but if the federals keep on turning a deaf ear toward the calls of the prairies, it might soon turn into a reality. Canada’s worst nightmare may soon become a reality. Imagine the most prosperous rim of the country severing ties and ending its official connection with Canada altogether. It’s looking bleak for Canada. Right? Before things get out of hand, the Liberals need to step back and hear the voices of the prairies before the situation spirals out of control.
