http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/05/08/nfld_union030508 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030508.ucons0508/BNStory/National/ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20030507.UNFLDN/TPStory Lots of people are saying Newfoundland and Labrador should opt out of Canada all together. The fish don't concern me, there really aren't any left. What does concern me is control of our oil resources. 80% of the revenue from the many rigs off the Newfoundland coast goes to the federal government, and that is quite a bit of money. Newfoundland is an island with the same natural resources as Iceland, and yet our standard of living is so much less. With proper management, we could be much better off as a free and independent state. Canada is currently taking alot more than it is giving, and people are finally realizing this. There isn't enough support for an official seperation movement yet, however if Canada continues to screw us like this, that could change very quickly.
Lucien Bouchard to the white courtesy phone, plea... er, I mean... Lucien Bouchard au téléphone blanc de courtoisie, svp. Say, isn't there also a separatist movement in Saskatchewan. What are you guys drinking up there?
I saw a Yahoo profile of a man who wanted Newfoundland to be independent and he said "We're sick of Canada screwing us up". I'm not so sure. The issue of Provinces wanting to leave Canada has dogged the nation for ages. Maybee the Federal Government can ensure that all Provinces are represented in a fair manner.
One of the problems is that Newfoundland used to be a country. We only voted in to confederation in 1949, and many say that election was fixed. It was a 51-49 majority. It's hard to go from having complete control over all of your resources to having to surrender 80% of your revenue. Many Newfoundlanders feel as though we should get better treatment than other provinces, that was actually in the original deal - that Newfoundland would remain 'semi-independent'. But that deal was forgotten, and we foolishly sold all the hydroelectric power in Labrador to Québec for almost nothing, so the feelings of resentment grew and grew... They subsided recently, but the closure of the fishery has re-aroused those feelings. I think we have a legal right to do something, 'cause we were guarenteed some freedoms which have not been granted to us in recent times. It's possible we could legally declare our independence, but I'm not certain.
Like most people, I've never been to Newfoundland. Did you see "The Shipping News?" If so, what did you think of it.
It certainly wasn't the most accurate representation of Newfoundland life. It made Newfoundland out to be a very lonely, isolated, and perhaps even strange place. It's not that different from anywhere else, and the weather certainly isn't as bad as the film made it out to be! However, I have never lived in an outport, and life there is very different from living in St. John's. I would imagine that the outports do get somewhat lonely. Especially in the winter.
So would an independent Newfoundland be in NAFTA? Some US administration (Clinton? Bush 41?) threatened Quebec with a long process to get into NAFTA if they split off. Maybe Newfoundland should be independent. Any place with a time zone that is a half an hour off probably should be. But can you imagine that Newfoundland national team's first visit to Victoria Street? Can you say "Australia-American Samoa?"
I would think that the discussion over Quebec separatism would have shed some light on this. If I recall, some kind of process was envisioned as acceptable. On a related topic, I would think that if Quebec ever does leave Canada causing the country to be split in two, then the Atlantic provinces would be seriously "de-stabilized" - maybe Newfoundland resumes independance, maybe New Brunswick becomes the 51st state, etc.
...then the Canadiens are really going to be fucked for a nickname, no? And if Newfoundland goes, who are the rest of the the Canadians going to make jokes about?
Nah, they'll probably just change "Les Habitants" http://www.indefual.net/canada/jokes/rant-prov.html#newfoundland
Oh, come on. It is not a good reason to leave a nation just because you give billions to the federal government more than you get. I mean, California sends more than $60 billion to the rest of America every year and you don't see us seceding. Wait a minute..
"Canadien" used to refer to the French-speakers of North America. Remember that Canada started as Nouvelle-France...
Re: Re: Newfoundland independence? Funny, I don't personally know any Newfoundlanders that have moved to Alberta. I know of them, but no one I know personally has ever gone...