Quote:
Originally Posted by mykalberta
Other provinces aside, how is it petty in regards to Quebec. As someone who has no real desire to leave Alberta it would be great to get the Quebec perspective from a seasoned traveller such as yourself.
Other provinces we all get, Quebec is the only one.
|
I lived in Montreal for a year, but I didn't really pay attention much to the social programs and the equalization payments. My main complaint about Quebec was that it is hard to get a job as even a gas-pumper without being functionally bilingual. My French was never good enough. Also, they have strange laws about how many employees can be on a shift at the grocery store on Sundays - the lines would take almost an hour to get through.
Quebecors have different priorities, like social programs, but they have a cultural history of first, the Catholic Church providing those services and now the Provincial Government. I get the distaste for it from Albertans who feel like they are bank-rolling these programs.
I think it is funny, I've lived in BC, Alberta, and Quebec (and now Ohio and DC), but I only ever heard griping about equalization when in Alberta. I get the annoyance, but when comparing it to how states with senior ranking senators can rake in Federal dollars, let's just say I think Albertans complain a tad bit much for their scenario.
Living in DC, the big complaint is paying income tax but not having representation in Congress. I definitely feel that this is annoying, and there is about as much complaining about it as transfer payments in Alberta. But, you know what, at the end of the day, every state, every province, when federated, is going to have some local gripes, founded or not. To make an identity out of bitching about it, as Albertans have, takes it a step further. Although young, I was in Alberta when NEP was in full swing, in the lean years, and there was reason to complain, but I really think the whole "western-revolt" thing that came up from the Reform Party changed the rest of the country's view of Alberta. Alberta began to look like that guy that won the lottery, forgot that he was on welfare before, and then told everyone to quit being such freeloaders and moochers.
We all get dumped on, and we all get things that sometimes we don't deserve, take it in stride, and realize, there but for the grace of god.
Also, Toronto isn't out to get you either. Took me a while to learn that lesson, and realize that wait, there are perfectly reasonable business reasons why marketers and media cater to an area of the country that has over a third of the country's population in 100 mile radius.