Future of Canada's Boundaries

[howl]

Why not combine Labrador and Ungava?

Also I think there is a clear distinction between Eastern Ontario (St.Lawrence) and Southwestern Ontario. I'd make everything east of Belleville part of a province with its capital either in Kingston or Ottawa, or perhaps include it with the Montreal area and make that the capital.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

What would the capital of Ungava be?

Might be better to make Newfoundland its own province and combine Ungava and Labrador together with a capital at Goose Bay or something.

edit: that crosspost with Howl.....

 

[gweed123]

Why not combine Labrador and Ungava?

Also I think there is a clear distinction between Eastern Ontario (St.Lawrence) and Southwestern Ontario. I'd make everything east of Belleville part of a province with its capital either in Kingston or Ottawa, or perhaps include it with the Montreal area and make that the capital.

I figured Newfoundland may object to that, but yes that would make sense to have everything on the mainland north of Quebec be the same territory. Would it all become Labrador though? Or would it be named Ungava?

And yes, a case could definitely be made between Eastern and Southern Ontario. I think they have more in common than they do different though. Far Eastern Ontario is a pretty even split between English and French though, so it would make sense that it be combined with the Montreal region, which is also relatively evenly split. Eastern Ontario minus the eastern townships and Ottawa, there really isn't much left in terms of population (Kingston, Belleville, and Trenton being the 3 big population centres). That's not much to build a Province around.

 

[BurlOak]

With the talk of Quebec separation in the news again,

Thankfully, the latest polls show that PQ support is slipping and we are looking at a Provincial Liberal majority.

It looks like the trend will continue that a separatist PQ government has never been elected to a majority, nor has there ever been a separation referendum, while the federal government was Conservative.

I decided to make a map of what I think Canada should look like in the event of such a thing:

Would Ungava be a territory and not a province - I do not think they have the population to be a province. There is a highway in Northern Ontario (652) going NE from Cochrane which could connect to Ungava.

The biggest change is, naturally, east of Ottawa.

Based on polls, it seems the PQ is actually to strong in Quebec City - If Quebec does separate, maybe Quebec City stays in Canada and Saguenay becomes the capital of the new Quebec.

Champlain was a pretty busy guy who got around a lot, so I do not see a problem with naming all parts of Quebec that stay in Canada as Champlain - hopefully it would thicker than shown - depending on how many want to stay in Canada.


Finally, even without any talk of separation or redrawing boundaries, can we please come up with a new name for Newfoundland and Labrador. The island is Newfoundland , the mainland is Labrador, so the province can be ??? - the province of Smallwood ???

 

[picard102]

Might as well make Ontario extend up to the Sault St.Marie, which is where I think most Northerner's see the divide.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I would want Canada to annex Goat Island

or Grand Island.

Both in the Niagara River.

If Russia annexed Crimea, why not Canada?

 

[gweed123]

Thankfully, the latest polls show that PQ support is slipping and we are looking at a Provincial Liberal majority.

It looks like the trend will continue that a separatist PQ government has never been elected to a majority, nor has there ever been a separation referendum, while the federal government was Conservative.

That's true. The polls have shifted since I started creating the map, haha.

Would Ungava be a territory and not a province - I do not think they have the population to be a province. There is a highway in Northern Ontario (652) going NE from Cochrane which could connect to Ungava.

Yes I would think it would technically be considered a Territory, much like Nunavut. Keewatin on the other hand would likely have enough people to be considered a Province, given cities like North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, Thunder Bay, and Sault St. Marie.

Based on polls, it seems the PQ is actually to strong in Quebec City - If Quebec does separate, maybe Quebec City stays in Canada and Saguenay becomes the capital of the new Quebec.

Champlain was a pretty busy guy who got around a lot, so I do not see a problem with naming all parts of Quebec that stay in Canada as Champlain - hopefully it would thicker than shown - depending on how many want to stay in Canada.

I'm assuming you mean weak in Quebec City. And yes, that surprised me. I figured Champlain would be an 'inoffensive' name for the western part of Quebec that stays with Canada, with Acadia comprising the eastern part, which is historically where people who identify themselves as Acadian live.

With this map I showed the minimum of what would need to stay with Canada or areas that would be very likely to stay (like Montreal and the Gatineau area). It could be very likely that areas outside of this 'minimum' zone choose to stay with Canada, so they would be added to either Champlain or Acadia. Quebec City is one. Gaspé is another. The Outaouais region between Montreal and Gatineau on the Quebec side may be another too.

Finally, even without any talk of separation or redrawing boundaries, can we please come up with a new name for Newfoundland and Labrador. The island is Newfoundland , the mainland is Labrador, so the province can be ??? - the province of Smallwood ???

I like the idea of merging it with Ungava, so that everything on the mainland north of Quebec would be a single territory.

 

[gweed123]

Might as well make Ontario extend up to the Sault St.Marie, which is where I think most Northerner's see the divide.

I have a friend who does news for a TV station in North Bay. I've watched the broadcast a few times when I've been up there visiting him, and I was quite surprised by the number of times the phrase "the North" was used when talking about issues facing North Bay, and all of Northern Ontario. And after speaking to people from North Bay as well, they definitely see themselves as "Northerners", and see themselves as distinct from the people in Southern Ontario (which to them is anywhere south of Parry Sound).

I would think there would be a lot of unhappy people in places like North Bay and Sudbury if the boundary for Keewatin was anywhere north of where they are.

I would want Canada to annex Goat Island

or Grand Island.

Both in the Niagara River.

If Russia annexed Crimea, why not Canada?

I think that any international annexation would have to originate on the US side of the border. Any annexation attempt initiated by Canada wouldn't be received too nicely. And I think the most likely candidate for annexation would be Vermont if it ever declared itself independent (which it does have an sovereignty movement). After that I would think the next two most likely areas would be parts of Washington State, and the northern part of Maine.

 

[picard102]

I would think there would be a lot of unhappy people in places like North Bay and Sudbury if the boundary for Keewatin was anywhere north of where they are.

North Bay's whole gimmick is acting as "the gateway to the North". Which is laughable to people West of Sault St.Marie. They might as well be Barrie.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I have a friend who does news for a TV station in North Bay. I've watched the broadcast a few times when I've been up there visiting him, and I was quite surprised by the number of times the phrase "the North" was used when talking about issues facing North Bay, and all of Northern Ontario. And after speaking to people from North Bay as well, they definitely see themselves as "Northerners", and see themselves as distinct from the people in Southern Ontario (which to them is anywhere south of Parry Sound).

I would think there would be a lot of unhappy people in places like North Bay and Sudbury if the boundary for Keewatin was anywhere north of where they are.



I think that any international annexation would have to originate on the US side of the border. Any annexation attempt initiated by Canada wouldn't be received too nicely. And I think the most likely candidate for annexation would be Vermont if it ever declared itself independent (which it does have an sovereignty movement). After that I would think the next two most likely areas would be parts of Washington State, and the northern part of Maine.

We, in the south, saw what happened when a Progressive Conservative MPP (member from 1981 to 2002) from Nipissing became the Ontario Premier, back in 1995. He got his revenge with his "Common Sense Revolution" on southern Ontario.

 

[BurlOak]

We, in the south, saw what happened when a Progressive Conservative MPP (member from 1981 to 2002) from Nipissing became the Ontario Premier, back in 1995. He got his revenge with his "Common Sense Revolution" on southern Ontario.

That guy from North Bay actually improved Ontario's economy and restored Ontario as the top province in Canada. I guess southern Ontario took great offence to this and is now very happy that Ontario has become a have-not province with unemployment rates well worse than the national average.

 

[gweed123]

North Bay's whole gimmick is acting as "the gateway to the North". Which is laughable to people West of Sault St.Marie. They might as well be Barrie.

I don't think it should evolve into an "I live further north than you do" pissing contest. The important thing to ask is do people in North Bay consider themselves as living in "North Bay, Keewatin" or in "North Bay, Ontario".

 

[picard102]

I don't think it should evolve into an "I live further north than you do" pissing contest. The important thing to ask is do people in North Bay consider themselves as living in "North Bay, Keewatin" or in "North Bay, Ontario".

Not sure many in Thunder Bay would agree to having more in common with North Bay, than Toronto.

 

[Long Island Mike]

I would want Canada to annex Goat Island

or Grand Island.

Both in the Niagara River.

If Russia annexed Crimea, why not Canada?

WKL: Interesting thoughts - that would leave most of Niagara Falls itself in Ontario...

I wonder what NY State and the counties of Niagara and Erie would think about that...

Grand Island,NY is part of Erie County and is officially known as the Town of Grand Island...
See: www.grand-island.ny.us for more information...The zoning map they have there is colorful and interesting...

LI MIKE

 

[Long Island Mike]

With the talk of Quebec separation in the news again, I decided to make a map of what I think Canada should look like in the event of such a thing:

The biggest change is, naturally, east of Ottawa. Ontario east of Ottawa and western Quebec (basically Montreal and the surrounding area and a strip of land heading eastward) would become a Province called Champlain. I chose this name because it's bilingual, and reflects the history of the area. That thin strip extends to parallel with the New Hampshire-Maine border.

East of there is Acadia, with is comprised of the same thin strip (primarily for access), as well as the southeastern part of Quebec, and northern New Brunswick, which is primarily french, and is where the majority of Acadians live. I chose this name because of the long history of those peoples in that area. I also chose it because there is a sizeable Acadian population in the Gaspé region, which in this map is still part of Quebec, but if given the chance to join a Province who's name they closely identify with, they may subsequently choose to remain part of Canada. The northern part of Maine is also substantially Acadians, so there's the potential there for annexation (slim chance, but still a chance none the less).

Making northern New Brunswick part of Acadia also plays into creating a United Maritimes. Right now, one of the biggest obstacles would be the french speaking population in northern NB, who would feel 'diluted' if part of a larger United Maritimes. However, with them having their own Province, that concern is alleviated.

GW: Your proposed map of Canada is very interesting noting the new provinces that would be created along with a sovereign independent Quebec...

I find the low-population proposed provinces of Keewatin and Ungava most interesting along with the Champlain "connecting land" to Acadia and the
United Maritimes...a National Capital District (similar to Canberra in Australia) would also make good sense for the Ottawa-Hull region...

In short I like this plan - in case Quebec does secede from Canada...LI MIKE