Alberta as a Country

[mikey_the_redneck]

Atleast I wouldn't have to keep flipping the box/papers around to find the english directions.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

I'm not insulting all Albertans -- far from it. Just the small minority who think most other regions of Canada are inferior and Alberta would be better off without them.

Of course in a population of (3 million?) people you are going to get that. I've meet more then my fair share of Newfoundlanders who think the same about their province.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

That's 100% true. It wouldn't be where it is today without the hard work of many Easterners, Westerners, people from all over. I interact with a delightful Jamaican fella at work, it wouldn't be where it is without his hard work.

It's also worth mentioning that when Klein was still in power, he stated to the press one time that Ottawa has billions invested in the Alberta oil industry. I don't have a link, but that was right from the horses mouth. That wouldn't change even if Alberta was independent.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

Ontario officially became a net deficit province in the equalization scheme of things this year. So technically, at the moment Alberta does support Ontario. However, this is the first time that has happened and I doubt it will last, so in reality it's not correct to state that.

I found it amusing though that Newfoundland became a "have" province at the same time that Ontario became a so-called "have not" province. Isn't that one of the signs of the apocalypse?

One year in the history of the country does not mean that "Alberta supports Ontario". In fact, there were several years before the oil boom that Alberta was a "have not" province and received payments from Ontario. I wonder if people in Ontario used to hang that over Alberta's head back in the day, like how some in Alberta like to do now over other provinces?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I wonder if people in Ontario used to hang that over Alberta's head back in the day, like how some in Alberta like to do now over other provinces?

I'd be shocked if that didn't happen with some people. Tt's not like a bit of arrogance is something Albertans invented in the last 5 years. Hell, Cheese starts a thread when Toronto has a sunny day!

[looooob]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

One year in the history of the country does not mean that "Alberta supports Ontario". In fact, there were several years before the oil boom that Alberta was a "have not" province and received payments from Ontario. I wonder if people in Ontario used to hang that over Alberta's head back in the day, like how some in Alberta like to do now over other provinces?

I think part of the problem (and I say this as a long time Albertan , but definitely a proud Canadian more) is that despite Alberta having 'paid into' equalization for quite a long time now, the province is a convenient bogeyman for several political parties with powerbases in the Centre (ie having the sitting prime minister refer to Alberta/Albertans as 'different' from the rest of Canada, running elections on threats of "Alberta style" healthcare bogeymans when in fact there are probably many more private hospitals/clinics in places like Quebec, BC etc)

there are some Albertans that don't do this provinces reputation any favours to be sure, but I can see where some of the attitude comes from (even if I don't share it myself )

[North East Goon]

Originally Posted by troutman

When would it end?

Northern Alberta doesn't understand us - let's seperate and form the independent nation of Southern Alberta.

The rural S. Albertan's don't understand us - let's form the independent City State of Calgary.

NE Calgary really does not "fit in" - etc . . . .

I will be the head Monarch for the Republic of NE Calgary!

[WhiteTom]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

I will be the head Monarch for the Republic of NE Calgary!

Can I be the Duke of Monterey Park?

[North East Goon]

Originally Posted by WhiteTom

Can I be the Duke of Monterey Park?

That depends, do you hate the rest of Calgary - like I do?

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

One year in the history of the country does not mean that "Alberta supports Ontario". In fact, there were several years before the oil boom that Alberta was a "have not" province and received payments from Ontario. I wonder if people in Ontario used to hang that over Alberta's head back in the day, like how some in Alberta like to do now over other provinces?

Umm ... ya, that's what I said.

"However, this is the first time that has happened and I doubt it will last, so in reality it's not correct to state that."

As for Alberta receiving equalization payments, yes, it certainly did. But if my memory serves correct they haven't since the 1950s or 1960s. Certainly Alberta received a lot of federal aid during the 1930s, but that wasn't part of the equalization program, which only started in 1957. Maybe they received equalization payments during the 1980s, but I don't recall that being the case and I couldn't find anything online to verify that.

[chris_yk]

Originally Posted by moon

Their leeching doesn't bother me that much. It is their woe is me attitude and stupid left wing, Liberal Party supporting attitudes that I don't like.

Plus the North is like a cute little brother that you can't help but love no matter how many times they come back to you asking for another loan.


How could I get rid of them?

If Ottawa would give us in the NWT control over our own damn natural resources like diamonds and other minerals and in the future oil and gas we'd be a hell of a lot less of a "leech" on the rest of the country.. christ..

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

I remember back in the 'West wants in' days being told by easterners that AB ought to remember it's place, that it is essentially a colony built by Ontario. Though I don't think we've technically benefitted from equalization in many years - if any.

AB has basically been milked by the rest of the country for as long as we've had anything to milk. It's the great canadian way. We're probably screwed in 50 years when our fisheries and ship building are dead (oil and gas) and there's no new alberta for us to live off, but c'est la vie. Maybe BC's greenies will have it right and they will step up

The one who ought to want to seperate is Ontario. By their sheer size they'll always be on the hook, and no one else is big enough to support them.

I used to get more worked up over this stuff. Now I understand this is always the way no matter where you go. If you have wealth, others feel entitiled to it and will get some of it. At least in canada the whole process is pretty safe and civil.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

I will be the head Monarch for the Republic of NE Calgary!

That's the last thing the world needs is another Banana Republic run by a brutal dictator!

[WhiteTom]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

That depends, do you hate the rest of Calgary - like I do?

Well, yeah!

I probably wouldn't hate them if everyone would stop referring to it as the ghetto, but that is a topic for another time.

[blankall]

It's in the Canadian constitution that provinces should have control over resources within their borders. Maybe separation isn't the answer and we just need a government that actually follows the constitution.

[brownie]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

That's 100% true. It wouldn't be where it is today without the hard work of many Easterners, Westerners, people from all over. I interact with a delightful Jamaican fella at work, it wouldn't be where it is without his hard work.

Just shut up about how much you miss home and how much you hate Alberta. The Oilsands wouldn't be where they are without their hardwork, but that house, toys, and food in the fridge wouldn't be there either without Alberta.

I never once dissed Alberta.....well maybe Edmonton. I've lived here for 9 yrs and of course I miss the east coast but If I did move I know I'd miss Cgy as well.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by brownie

I never once dissed Alberta.....well maybe Edmonton. I've lived here for 9 yrs and of course I miss the east coast but If I did move I know I'd miss Cgy as well.

Sorry, that was worded very poorly on my part. I wasn't singling you out at all.

[North East Goon]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

That's the last thing the world needs is another Banana Republic run by a brutal dictator!

We are so going to overtake the SE communites of Forest Lawn, Penbrooke, Dover etc... We must overtake what is rightfully ours, by all means necessary - not sure if their will be any opposition though?

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by looooob

I think part of the problem (and I say this as a long time Albertan , but definitely a proud Canadian more) is that despite Alberta having 'paid into' equalization for quite a long time now, the province is a convenient bogeyman for several political parties with powerbases in the Centre (ie having the sitting prime minister refer to Alberta/Albertans as 'different' from the rest of Canada, running elections on threats of "Alberta style" healthcare bogeymans when in fact there are probably many more private hospitals/clinics in places like Quebec, BC etc)

there are some Albertans that don't do this provinces reputation any favours to be sure, but I can see where some of the attitude comes from (even if I don't share it myself )

Yup, but one of the main reasons for that is that Alberta always supports the same parties federally, and always elects majority provincial governments. For the conservatives traditionally, there was never a need to do much for Alberta, because they'd vote conservative anyway. The reform movement changed this slightly, but not a lot. For the liberals and NDP, there's never much point in catering to Albertans, because the right-wing powerbase is so established. So if you're going to cast a province as a bogeyman, chose the province that won't support you no matter what you do. I think this is starting to shift, as recent success by the Liberals in Calgary at a provincial level will start to catch the attention of federal parties (not the current liberals, who I think are more than happy to continue to cast Alberta as a villain).

Quebec, on the other hand, has three parties that can legitimately take control in both provincial and federal elections. So these parties all work hard to win votes in Quebec, and as a result, Quebec benefits from more attention than any other province.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

That's the last thing the world needs is another Banana Republic run by a brutal dictator!

A Banana Republic in the NE? Keep dreaming... how about another Randy River location, instead.