BILTIT
Active VIP Member
Yup, many of us know this but maybe those that dont will start to see the truth.
#wexit
- Thread starter FastFarmer
- Start date
retiredpop
Active VIP Member
Time to get this thread going again.
Copied from an article.
People outside of Alberta often question why we are so unhappy within confederation.
I have written the following to give everyone a comprehensive history of grievances. Please take the time to sit down, read this and gain awareness.
Alberta’s position as a Canadian province is a historical abberation. Originally it was part of an area northwest of Upper and Lower Canada called Rupert’s Land, a huge land mass that had been chartered to the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) by Britain’s King Charles in 1670. It was responsible for providing the furs that would be sold throughout Britain and Europe. However near the end of the 19th century the fur trade was coming to an end and the HBC wanted to sell the land. The United States was eager to purchase it at its market value of $40 Million, however Britain had fought and lost 2 wars with America (War of Independence and the War of 1812), and bitterness prevailed. Britain also viewed Americans as wealthy expansionists, due to their purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 (for $7.2 Million).
This British intransigence meant that in 1869 the HBC had to reluctantly sell Rupert’s Land to Canada for a mere $1.5 Million. After this transaction, Prime Minister John A. MacDonald was reported to say that there had been no explanation of the sale given to the people living in the territory, and that they had been handed over to Canada like a flock of sheep. He soon realized the people of the new territory would have no intention of being absorbed easily into the newly formed nation of Canada. (The southern portion of what was to become Alberta was home to many cattle ranchers from Texas.)
However, Alberta did become a province in 1905 but with limited representation in Canada’s House of Commons and Senate. Unfortunately, with its tiny population it didn’t warrant many MPs and the Canadian Senate at its inception was composed of appointed lifetime members. This initial status has persisted and is present even today.
Without adequate representation, early Alberta farmers suffered from Ottawa’s manufacturing tariffs on American farm equipment (35% in 1884), which were meant to encourage Central Canadian manufacturing by discouraging American imports. Because these tariffs essentially stopped American imports, the Alberta farmer had to buy expensive substitutes—with duties— from Central Canada.
Alberta farmers also suffered from a railway monopoly which saw high CPR rates that were, in 1883 50% higher than those of the Grand Trunk Railroad that served Central Canada. In addition, low Crow rates for transporting grain discouraged the creation of a processing industry within the province. Still other issues included a grain elevator monopoly, and having ownership of the province’s natural resources delayed until 1930.
But even with Alberta’s ownership of resources, the federal government has repeatedly legislated restrictions on our oil development in numerous ways. Initially, when Albertans first struck oil in 1947, the federal government turned its back on its development. It was Texas oilmen who came north, invested heavily and gave us the technology to progress forward. Then later, it was our own provincial government that invested in the science of developing the oil sands.
The response from our federal government to all this initiative was to create the National Energy Board to regulate the oil industry.
When the 1979 world oil crisis sent prices soaring, our federal parliament passed legislation to create the National Energy Program (1980–1985). Essentially it mandated that Alberta limit its sale of oil to other provinces at cut-rate prices to save manufacturing jobs in Ontario and Quebec. As a result, American oil companies fled Alberta and the province suffered an enormous, devastating, lengthy depression.
Now, the present Trudeau government has made public its ideologically driven decision to “phase out “ the oil sands to meet carbon emission targets. It has passed a law that prohibits tanker traffic off of Canada’s northwest coast, which has the deep ports required by today’s super tankers destined for Southeast Asia.
Ottawa has also made oil/gas development regulations so numerous and arduous that companies have stopped trying to get projects approved. As a result, Alberta is presently suffering another economic collapse, similar to the one in the 1980’s. Suicides are skyrocketing, people are walking away from their homes, marriages/families are fragmenting.
Yet even with our federal government’s obstruction severely crippling our major industry, Alberta is mandated to provide substantial “equalization” payments to Ottawa, money which it distributes to “needy” provinces, notably Quebec. It has been estimated that Alberta has given Ottawa close to $1 Trillion, while receiving just over half back in federal transfers.
Many attempts by Albertans to create a stronger stance in confederation through greater representation in the federal government— notably the 1990’s Reform Party promotion of a Triple E Senate (Elected, Equal and Effective), have all failed. There is no way to bring change to an intransigent Central Canada which refuses to give up its power/control over the rest of the country.
Therefore we believe that Alberta’s accumulation of historical and present grievances within Canada have made our position within it untenable. We also comprehend that every economic and political challenge we have had and will continue to have can be resolved by becoming an American state.
Copied from an article.
People outside of Alberta often question why we are so unhappy within confederation.
I have written the following to give everyone a comprehensive history of grievances. Please take the time to sit down, read this and gain awareness.
Alberta’s position as a Canadian province is a historical abberation. Originally it was part of an area northwest of Upper and Lower Canada called Rupert’s Land, a huge land mass that had been chartered to the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) by Britain’s King Charles in 1670. It was responsible for providing the furs that would be sold throughout Britain and Europe. However near the end of the 19th century the fur trade was coming to an end and the HBC wanted to sell the land. The United States was eager to purchase it at its market value of $40 Million, however Britain had fought and lost 2 wars with America (War of Independence and the War of 1812), and bitterness prevailed. Britain also viewed Americans as wealthy expansionists, due to their purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 (for $7.2 Million).
This British intransigence meant that in 1869 the HBC had to reluctantly sell Rupert’s Land to Canada for a mere $1.5 Million. After this transaction, Prime Minister John A. MacDonald was reported to say that there had been no explanation of the sale given to the people living in the territory, and that they had been handed over to Canada like a flock of sheep. He soon realized the people of the new territory would have no intention of being absorbed easily into the newly formed nation of Canada. (The southern portion of what was to become Alberta was home to many cattle ranchers from Texas.)
However, Alberta did become a province in 1905 but with limited representation in Canada’s House of Commons and Senate. Unfortunately, with its tiny population it didn’t warrant many MPs and the Canadian Senate at its inception was composed of appointed lifetime members. This initial status has persisted and is present even today.
Without adequate representation, early Alberta farmers suffered from Ottawa’s manufacturing tariffs on American farm equipment (35% in 1884), which were meant to encourage Central Canadian manufacturing by discouraging American imports. Because these tariffs essentially stopped American imports, the Alberta farmer had to buy expensive substitutes—with duties— from Central Canada.
Alberta farmers also suffered from a railway monopoly which saw high CPR rates that were, in 1883 50% higher than those of the Grand Trunk Railroad that served Central Canada. In addition, low Crow rates for transporting grain discouraged the creation of a processing industry within the province. Still other issues included a grain elevator monopoly, and having ownership of the province’s natural resources delayed until 1930.
But even with Alberta’s ownership of resources, the federal government has repeatedly legislated restrictions on our oil development in numerous ways. Initially, when Albertans first struck oil in 1947, the federal government turned its back on its development. It was Texas oilmen who came north, invested heavily and gave us the technology to progress forward. Then later, it was our own provincial government that invested in the science of developing the oil sands.
The response from our federal government to all this initiative was to create the National Energy Board to regulate the oil industry.
When the 1979 world oil crisis sent prices soaring, our federal parliament passed legislation to create the National Energy Program (1980–1985). Essentially it mandated that Alberta limit its sale of oil to other provinces at cut-rate prices to save manufacturing jobs in Ontario and Quebec. As a result, American oil companies fled Alberta and the province suffered an enormous, devastating, lengthy depression.
Now, the present Trudeau government has made public its ideologically driven decision to “phase out “ the oil sands to meet carbon emission targets. It has passed a law that prohibits tanker traffic off of Canada’s northwest coast, which has the deep ports required by today’s super tankers destined for Southeast Asia.
Ottawa has also made oil/gas development regulations so numerous and arduous that companies have stopped trying to get projects approved. As a result, Alberta is presently suffering another economic collapse, similar to the one in the 1980’s. Suicides are skyrocketing, people are walking away from their homes, marriages/families are fragmenting.
Yet even with our federal government’s obstruction severely crippling our major industry, Alberta is mandated to provide substantial “equalization” payments to Ottawa, money which it distributes to “needy” provinces, notably Quebec. It has been estimated that Alberta has given Ottawa close to $1 Trillion, while receiving just over half back in federal transfers.
Many attempts by Albertans to create a stronger stance in confederation through greater representation in the federal government— notably the 1990’s Reform Party promotion of a Triple E Senate (Elected, Equal and Effective), have all failed. There is no way to bring change to an intransigent Central Canada which refuses to give up its power/control over the rest of the country.
Therefore we believe that Alberta’s accumulation of historical and present grievances within Canada have made our position within it untenable. We also comprehend that every economic and political challenge we have had and will continue to have can be resolved by becoming an American state.
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