Balkanized Canada: More Provinces

[durante]

Come to think of it, how many more First Nation reservations would be spun off as separate territories?

I'm thinking the area covered by Treaty 9 ("the Patricia District") would be either a separate indigenous territory, or part of Keewatin, rather than part of Superior

This brings us up to at least 9 territories or provinces with an indigenous majority. (Nunavut, Ungava, Jamesie, Keewatin, Manitoulin, Athabasca, Haida Gwaii, NWT, Greenland)

I suppose a territory for the Iroquois/Mohawk, maybe where Ontario, Quebec and New York meet OTL?

 

[durante]

Thanks to everyone for their input, I'm continuing to try to incorporate all the ideas I can into this. I really see no reason why not.

Question for anyone who cares to answer: what non-Prime Minister IOTL would you like to see as PM in an Alt-Canada?

 

[durante]

(changes from OTL text in parentheses)

"I expected to find a contest between a government and a people: I found (many) nations warring in the bosom of a single state.
I found a struggle, not of principles, but of races; and I perceived that it would be idle to attempt any amelioration of laws or institutions until we could first terminate the deadly animosity that now separates the inhabitants of (British North America).
A plan by which it is proposed to ensure the tranquil government of (British North America) must include in itself the means of putting an end to the agitation of national disputes in the legislature, by (separating), at once and forever, the national character(s) (which have developed in each) province.
I entertain no doubts as to the (philosophical) character which must be given to (British North America); it must be that of the of British Empire, that of the great race which must in the lapse of no long period of time, be predominant over the the whole of the North American Continent.
Without affecting change so rapidly or so roughly as to shock the feelings or trample the welfare of the existing generation, it must henceforth be the first and steady purpose of the British Government to establish an English (character) to its population, with English (courts and governance) in their provinces, and to trust (each) provincial government to none but a decidedly English legislature, (with allowance to each to decide the nature of its civil, linguistic and religious character, so as to diffuse such national character within the whole of a British one)"

Sir John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, Report on the Affairs of North America (1839)

Lord Durham was headstrong and short-lived as Governor-General, and his proposals were adopted slowly and generally abandoned quickly, but his short governance, and more so, the recommendations of his report, would have lasting impacts on the development on Canadian society. Although his failed almagamated colonies did not survive Confederation, the districts he created within them formed the basis for our current Provinces. Entitling these districts to their own language and religion helped ingrain the existing character of each, and although his intention was eventual assimilation, it laid the groundwork for the multicultural society we have today. In addition, his founding and investment in the Intercolonial Railway ensured that his descendants would be involved as financial investors in Canada for generations, and connected the the St Lawrence lowland to the upper Great Lakes, stimulating migration to the area and exploitation of its mining and timber resources.
And of course, although he did not live to see it, shortly after his death the first BNA colony received responsible government.

-Gzowski, Our Cultural Mosaic (1999)

 

[TimTurner]

Question for anyone who cares to answer: what non-Prime Minister IOTL would you like to see as PM in an Alt-Canada?

Perhaps William Shatner or something.

 

[durante]

Perhaps William Shatner or something.

I love it!

 

[Analytical Engine]

Question for anyone who cares to answer: what non-Prime Minister IOTL would you like to see as PM in an Alt-Canada?

Mike Myers.

 

[durante]

(Much of the text originally from Pier21.ca, "Multiculturalism in Canada")

In 1963, a Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism was appointed to examine the existing state of bilingualism and biculturalism in Canada, and to work towards developing an equal partnership between the predominant British and French elements within the country.
Montréal Constitutional Law professor Pierre Trudeau was hired to be its chair. He found, like Durham before him, many smaller but vibrant cultural groups throughout Canada, centered around ethnic churches and extensive "unofficial use" of "third languages" in schools and government, who expressed great concern that the emphasis on English-French bilingualism ignored the cultural contributions of the majority of the Canadian population who now belonged to other ethnic groups.
The commission addressed these concerns in their final report; recommending that minority groups be given greater recognition and support in preserving their cultures, (including Federal recognition of "third languages" adopted by provinces as official within their jurisdiction).
By the time of its publication in 1969, however, the Liberal government had been defeated, and the recommendations were adapted, alongside a new "colour-blind" points-based immigration system, and the Official Languages (Trilingualism) Act, 1969 into a new, multipartisan government policy of "multiculturalism".

After the trilingualism act, Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Lincoln Alexander unveiled the new immigration scheme and government policy in 1971 in an address to Parliament:
"No singular culture can define Canada, and we must accept the contention of other cultural communities that they, too, are essential elements in Canada. We accept the Commission's findings that Canada is not a bicultural nation. We are a Cultural Mosaic".

At long last, the governing policy of race and ethnicity in Canada had caught up to the reality. It marked the beginning of a new, more open era in Canadian society.

-Gzowski, Our Cultural Mosaic

 

[TimTurner]

Thanks to everyone for their input, I'm continuing to try to incorporate all the ideas I can into this. I really see no reason why not.

Question for anyone who cares to answer: what non-Prime Minister IOTL would you like to see as PM in an Alt-Canada?

Another name came to mind: Bill Davis, OTL Ontario Premier.

 

[durante]

I couldn't have been more than eight, that tender age when boys discover sport, when I first saw it -or recall seeing it - played.
It was in a large open field in the West End of Montréal. My family had taken the train down from Sorel, as we did every spring, to buy tools, seeds, cloth and other things that adults needed besides, to prepare for the upcoming planting season.
The sun was high, the weather was fine, and there - 22 of them, dressed in white, tossing and hitting and diving majestically and with such vigour; I didn't say anything at the time, but I was captivated - until the gentle tug of my mother's hand led me back to the train - and to home.
The train trip was one of my favourite childhood delights- as the train chugged along the Saint Laurent and I peered out at the long, strip-farm Seigneuries that filled the countryside. Eventually, my mind drifted from cricket.

One night, late that fall, my father burst through the door excitedly. Given the time of year, and the particular way that he grinned at my brothers and sisters and I, it could only mean one thing - the Eaton's Catalogue. It was time to choose our Christmas Present.
"Joseph!" My father cried to me. "You are now old enough. This year, you'll get real hockey equipment!"
I didnt think, I just blurted it out-
"I want a cricket bat!"
My father was dumbfounded. The Eaton Catalogue that he had been holding out dropped to his side with his arms.
"A cricket bat?" He thought for a second.
"This isnt Ontario. No one plays cricket here."
"They do in Montréal!" I couldnt stood myself.
He growled. "No French play cricket."
"Why not?"
He turned and called to my mother. She entered the room. He spoke quickly and quietly too her. She frowned, and glanced sideways at me. She nodded to my father.
"I'll call Father Papineau."
She didnt say anything to me, but after she grabbed the phone, she looked back to my father and agreed,
"French people dont play cricket."
Before I knew it, the Priest was at the dinner table, my mother hurriedly fixing him a bowl of choudière and a cup of tea.
He agreed with the others.
"Joseph-", he began and stopped. "French people don't play cricket."
"Why?" My parents were aghast.
Father Papineau looked back at them, and shrugged.

In the coming weeks, I made sure never to bring it up again. I knew it would only cause trouble. I would play hockey, like a Frenchmen is supposed to.
My parents said nothing as well, for a few weeks. Then my father began cracking jokes about it, things like "You could be the greatest cricketer in La Francophonie!". He thought this was hilarious.
I said nothing.
I suspected nothing when he bought a plank of willow from the hardware store; nor when he worked long hours at his lathe.
I suspected nothing, until Christmas morning. Under the tree, wrapped, in exactly the shape - of a cricket bat, with my name on it?!
I rushed down and ripped off the wrapping, incredulously. There it was, perfectly smooth, lovingly crafted.
"Thank you, papa!" I nearly cried as I jumped up to hug him.
He laughed. "You're welcome, Jos. It was cheaper to make than to buy hockey equipment, anyway!"

The next spring, we took the train again to Montréal. My father agreed to take me to watch a match. On this trip, I couldnt focus on the Seigneuries, for I could only think of the oval.
"Papa." I asked,
"Why isnt there an oval in Sorel?"
He shrugged.
"Because French people dont play cricket!"

Joseph-Napoléon Arsénault, "The Cricket Bat and other Stories", (1970)

 

[Aghasverov]

Another name came to mind: Bill Davis, OTL Ontario Premier.

Ha! Saw "Bill Davis" and my 1st thought was William B Davis aka CSM from the X-files... who IS Canadian

 

[durante]

Introduction

Canada is an incredibly large country which is home to a vast array of cultures from all over the world. Thus has been accelerated since the adoption of the official multiculturalism policy, but in many ways this just reinforced the existing diversity which had accumulated since first contact.
From the amazon jungle just above the equator to the arctic tundra at the north pole, from Hawaii to Newfoundland, Canada's diversity cannot be overstated.
The indigenous inhabitants of what was to become Canada were as diverse in culture as the climates they inhabited. The settlers from the west coast of France during their colonial era included a wide variety of regional dialects, in addition to Basques, Bretons, and others as well.
The European settlers evolved cultures which were reminiscent of the indigenous inhabitants they dwelt beside, giving rise to regional identifiers like "Canadien" or "Acadien".
The British conquest of New France, and ensuing loss of the American colonies, brought new settlers, soldiers, freedmen and former slaves. Scottish, Irish, English, and African, but also Prussian, Russian, and Polish.
All these new arrivals participated to some degree in the fur trade, where they encountered the hybrid Métis who came before them, creating a patchwork of ethnicities in the Upper West before even the arrival of the railway.
Chinese railway contractors and miners, Welsh language separatists, religious dissenters, Polynesian sailors, Indians, Slavs, Scandinavians and Jews, fleeing want, war, plight and persecution were all part of the fabric of Canadian society before the official adoption of a multicultural policy.

Chapter I: Structures of Government

...Canada is composed, at the highest tier, of six regions. These represent broad cultural and geographic areas with historical connections, and correspond generally with the pre-contact cultural zones.
The regions form the basis of Senate and Supreme Court apportionment, as well as corresponding to the Federal District Courts.

The six regions are: the West Indies, Atlantic, St Lawrence (or Saint-Laurent), Great Lakes, Prairies, and Pacific & Arctic, which is currently treated as one region but with population growth their is anticipation one day the North may be a region of it's own.
Each region is composed of several provinces and territories. Each region is allocated 60 Senators, apportioned between the provinces and territories of each region by the principal of degressive proportionality, with each province being guaranteed a minimum of 3 Senators and each territory (or Regional District, autonomous counties within provinces) guaranteed 1.
Each region is also represented by 2 Supreme Court Justices on the Supreme Court, no province or territory may have more than one justice.

The next tier of government is that of the provinces and territories...

...a special kind of county are the regional districts. In some circumstances, certain regions developed ethnic, linguistic or religious identities, but were not on their own large or populated enough to become provinces or territories. Under the multiculturalism policy, it became possible for counties to officially establish "third languages", and in so doing establish semi-autonomy in some areas from the provincial government. This is most common in Western Canada...

Gzowski, Our Cultural Mosaic

 

[riggerrob]

Dear Durante,
I always felt that federal emphasis on "First Nations" was a way to dilute French-Canadian attitudes about "Two Founding Cultures." Notice how "First Nations" got more say around the time of the (failed) Meech Lake Accords.
If you want to divide Canada along linguistic lines, start by dividing Newfyland among the older Celts on most of the island, versus the Irish immigrants who settled the east coast after the Great Potato Famine of 1948. There are also a few French-speakingout-ports. I am not sure if they talk like folks from Saint Pierre, or like the Acadians on the mainland.

If you sail along the North Shore of the Saint Lawrence/Southern Shore of Labrador/South-western shore of Quebec, those people speak with an accent that is a mellower version of Newfanese. Many teenagers from "the North Shore" were sent to Alexander Galt Regional High School in the Eastern Townships to complete their secondary education. Their accents merged with boring mainland English.
Nova Scotia had three or more distinct accents: Gaelic on Cape Breton Island, English on the mainland and French is spoken along the South-Western "Acadian Shore" between Halifax and Yarmouth.
Acadians towns remain along the coasts of Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and along the Southern and Eastern Coasts of New Brunswick. Central New Brunswick is mainly Loyalist English. Some Acadian accents are almost unintelligible to Quebecois. Northern New Brunswickers talk like the Quebecois immediately to the North.

Inhabitants ... er ... "Habitants" of the Saint Lawrence River Low Lands speak like Norman French from 300 years ago. Most of Quebec's farms, industry and population live along the South Shore of the Saint Lawrence River.
French accents be come more gutural as you climb into the Appalachian Mountains of the East Townships.
OTOH English "Townshippers" accents are a mellow mixture of New England, Queen's English, "Downhomers" (Inverness, Scotland) and Orangemen from Northern Ireland.

Speaking of English dialects, Torontonians have a flatter, blander, buzzing, mid-west accent.
An earlier poster made a good suggestion about settling escaped black slaves in Southern Ontario where the climate and soil are well suited to tobacco farming (e.g. Tilsonberg).

The Northern and Western parts of Ontario are geographically radically different from Southern Ontario, with hardly any farms outside the narrow "Clay Belt." Otherwise, Northern Ontario is good for little more than forestry and mining. While driving through Northern Ontario, I visited a few towns dominated by French-speaking miners where it was easier to buy gasoline and lunch with a Quebecois accent.
After the railway was built, distinctive German, Ukrainian, Icelandic, etc. communities grew in the Prairies.

If you want to draw new provincial boundaries across the Prairie Provinces, start with the tree line, with mostly natives living north of the line separating grasslands from boreal forest. The only "white" settlements" north of the grasslands tend to be mining towns.
Whether to split the north into distinctive "First Nations" provinces becomes a dilemma when you consider how few people live up there. Native fishing and hunting communities are too thinly spread to support railways and airports, so provincial and federal gov'ts must pay for airports, schools, hospitals, etc.

The Peace River District really should be governed by Edmonton because its farming and petroleum industries are closely related to southern and Central Alberta.

The West Coast is an odd mixture of isolated towns with almost half the population of B.C. living in the Fraser River Delta. Its agricultural and urban port economy is distinct from most of the rest of the province. There are no highways extending up the coast. The far-flung fishing and mining towns are only connected by boats and airplanes. Only three major shipping ports have rail links to the Prairies: Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Bella Coola.

Similarly, the West Coast of Vancouver Island has few fishing villages, linked by even fewer roads. Heavy rains and rocky terrain make it ridiculously expensive to build any more roads. OTOH the East Coast of Vancouver Island has the mildest climate in Canada with a dozen or more towns and some farming. The provincial capital: Victoria is its own distinctive economy.

 

[TimTurner]

How would House of Commons apportionment even work ITTL?

 

[Gust]

How would House of Commons apportionment even work ITTL?

If it's like OTL, then it'd be proportional to the province's population, except all provinces (except PEI with 4) would have at least 6 seats, and provinces which at least as many seats as it did in 1985.

 

[durante]

How would House of Commons apportionment even work ITTL?

It's not canon yet, I'm still working on it to make sure it works...but the Canadian "senate rule" (at least as many MPs as Senators) should apply, so 3 per province minimum, 1 per territory...
Right now the thought is 720 MPs (for roughly 70 million people); apportioned by population with the above minimums, again by degressive proportionality but with much greater emphasis on equal representation where possible. Regions dont come into play when apportioning MPs.

Maybe an MMP system, so an disproportionalities in ridings are mitigated against...

Again, I havent quite worked out the exact boundaries and statuses yet so it's hard to exactly say, but ultimately, the aim is to make it recognizably Canadian, and full of compromises.

 

[durante]

If it's like OTL, then it'd be proportional to the province's population, except all provinces (except PEI with 4) would have at least 6 seats, and provinces which at least as many seats as it did in 1985.

Correct! Except ITTL, all provinces are guaranteed a minimum of 3 Senators (and territories 1)

 

[durante]

Dear Durante,
I always felt that federal emphasis on "First Nations" was a way to dilute French-Canadian attitudes about "Two Founding Cultures." Notice how "First Nations" got more say around the time of the (failed) Meech Lake Accords.
If you want to divide Canada along linguistic lines, start by dividing Newfyland among the older Celts on most of the island, versus the Irish immigrants who settled the east coast after the Great Potato Famine of 1948. There are also a few French-speakingout-ports. I am not sure if they talk like folks from Saint Pierre, or like the Acadians on the mainland.

If you sail along the North Shore of the Saint Lawrence/Southern Shore of Labrador/South-western shore of Quebec, those people speak with an accent that is a mellower version of Newfanese. Many teenagers from "the North Shore" were sent to Alexander Galt Regional High School in the Eastern Townships to complete their secondary education. Their accents merged with boring mainland English.
Nova Scotia had three or more distinct accents: Gaelic on Cape Breton Island, English on the mainland and French is spoken along the South-Western "Acadian Shore" between Halifax and Yarmouth.
Acadians towns remain along the coasts of Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and along the Southern and Eastern Coasts of New Brunswick. Central New Brunswick is mainly Loyalist English. Some Acadian accents are almost unintelligible to Quebecois. Northern New Brunswickers talk like the Quebecois immediately to the North.

Inhabitants ... er ... "Habitants" of the Saint Lawrence River Low Lands speak like Norman French from 300 years ago. Most of Quebec's farms, industry and population live along the South Shore of the Saint Lawrence River.
French accents be come more gutural as you climb into the Appalachian Mountains of the East Townships.
OTOH English "Townshippers" accents are a mellow mixture of New England, Queen's English, "Downhomers" (Inverness, Scotland) and Orangemen from Northern Ireland.

Speaking of English dialects, Torontonians have a flatter, blander, buzzing, mid-west accent.
An earlier poster made a good suggestion about settling escaped black slaves in Southern Ontario where the climate and soil are well suited to tobacco farming (e.g. Tilsonberg).

The Northern and Western parts of Ontario are geographically radically different from Southern Ontario, with hardly any farms outside the narrow "Clay Belt." Otherwise, Northern Ontario is good for little more than forestry and mining. While driving through Northern Ontario, I visited a few towns dominated by French-speaking miners where it was easier to buy gasoline and lunch with a Quebecois accent.
After the railway was built, distinctive German, Ukrainian, Icelandic, etc. communities grew in the Prairies.

If you want to draw new provincial boundaries across the Prairie Provinces, start with the tree line, with mostly natives living north of the line separating grasslands from boreal forest. The only "white" settlements" north of the grasslands tend to be mining towns.
Whether to split the north into distinctive "First Nations" provinces becomes a dilemma when you consider how few people live up there. Native fishing and hunting communities are too thinly spread to support railways and airports, so provincial and federal gov'ts must pay for airports, schools, hospitals, etc.

The Peace River District really should be governed by Edmonton because its farming and petroleum industries are closely related to southern and Central Alberta.

The West Coast is an odd mixture of isolated towns with almost half the population of B.C. living in the Fraser River Delta. Its agricultural and urban port economy is distinct from most of the rest of the province. There are no highways extending up the coast. The far-flung fishing and mining towns are only connected by boats and airplanes. Only three major shipping ports have rail links to the Prairies: Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Bella Coola.

Similarly, the West Coast of Vancouver Island has few fishing villages, linked by even fewer roads. Heavy rains and rocky terrain make it ridiculously expensive to build any more roads. OTOH the East Coast of Vancouver Island has the mildest climate in Canada with a dozen or more towns and some farming. The provincial capital: Victoria is its own distinctive economy.

Thanks! Quite the tour of Canada! Very accurate AFAIK. You're right...the English speaking part of the Cote Nord will go to Labrador; Gaspesie and the les Madeleines to Acadie; Peace River IS governed from (Northern) Alberta. The BC coast is administered from Vancouver only as far as the highway, north of that from Juneau (we have Alaska).

 

[durante]

St Pierre, 1963

Damien Fleury pulled hard on his fishing nets. The catch was poor today, like it had been all year, and maybe for years now.
He slowly trod his way from the harbour to his home, the brisk sea air keeping him lively in spite of how tired he was.
When he arrived home, he could smell the warm broth of the seafood choudière his wife, Marie, was preparing.
After their pleasantries, she informed him he had received a letter from Paris. This wasnt uncommon, as, in addition to the a fishermen, he was the Prefect of the small French territory.
He opened disinterestedly what was surely to be some minor adjustment in the Metropole which didnt effect his tiny overseas commune.
Marie turned away as he sat down with the letter, until a sudden slap on the table caused her to spin round.
"What's the matter?" She asked.
He cleared his throat.
"For the unity of the French Nation it is imperative that all education and government business shall be conducted in French. All communes departments, whether in the Metropole or overseas, are instructed to take directions toward this end immediately, and end at once use of any regional languages for official purpose."
Her jaw dropped. "You mean..."
"De Gaulle wants us to stop teaching our children in Basque. And he wants me to enforce it."
"Oh no! The people will not stand! You must write back and explain!"
"There is no issue with this arrogant...de Gaulle..." He paused reflectively for a moment. He shook his head.
"What is to become of our way of life? Our simple colony. If only...Newfoundland, our neighbours, they suffered economically as much as we do, but they could count on a warm reception in Canada, where they were given generous rights their language, education...if only we could join Canada."
He jolted up from the table.
"Marie!"
"What, Damien?"
"I must go to St John's immediately."
"For what?"
"I need to talk to Joey Smallwood."
"Why?"
"Because, Marie. We are going to join Canada."

 

[durante]

As voted by Canadian viewers, 2001.
(Blurbs adapted from Wikipedia)

5. Roméo Dallaire, Montréal, (1946-Present) Humanitarian, author, retired Lt-General
Dallaire served as Force Commander of UNAMIR, the ill-fated UN peacekeeping force for Rwanda, from 1993-1994, and attempted to stop the genocide there. Served as a Canadian Senator where he was an advocate for veterans' welfare and mental health research; retired to focus on his humanitarian advocacy for child soldiers

4. Bob Marley, Jamaica (1945-1981)
singer, songwriter, musician
Pioneer of reggae music, increased visibility of West Indian music worldwide, becoming a global pop culture icon for over a decade. Became known as a Rastafari icon, infused music with his sense of spirituality. Global symbol of West Indian culture; advocate for legalization of marijuana

3. Nellie McClung, Toronto/Alberta (1873-1951)
author, activist, suffragette, politician
Part of the social and reform movement that was prevalent in western Canada at the turn of the century, through her hard work and advocacy, Alberta became the first province to give women the right to vote and to run for public office, in 1916.
She was a leader of the suffragist movement in Canada, and through her advocacy made important contributions to temperance, pacifism, enfranchisement of interned Canadians, acceptance of refugees, labour and power rights.

2. Norman Bethune, Toronto (1890-1959) and Tommy Douglas, Alberta (1904-1986)
Bethune was a thoracic surgeon who first rose to international prominence as a frontline surgeon in the Spanish Civil War and second Sino-Japanese War. He helped bring modern medicine to rural China, played an important role in the early establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and the PRC, and his observations on the Soviet healthcare system made him an early advocate for socialized healthcare.
Douglas was a Baptist minister and Social Gospel preacher who early in life developed a proclivity toward socialized medicine. He was a founding member of the CCF, and served over 40 years as a parliamentarian in Alberta and Federally, including over fifteen years as Alberta premier, where, as the first democratic socialist government in North America, he helped introduce Bethune's socialized medicine program, who served as his Health Minister.
Shortly after Bethune's death, Douglas became the federal leader of the rebrand Labour Party, and as opposition leader was instrumental in the Canada's adoption of the NHS, largely seen as a culmination of Dr Bethune's work.

1. Pierre Trudeau, Montréal (1919-2000) & Lincoln Alexander, Huron (1922-Present)
The most effective bi-partisan political team in Canadian history, their sometimes tense relationship contributed to national unity as they both endeavoured to break down old barriers and introduce the official policy of multiculturalism we have today.
Alexander worked as a lawyer in London and Toronto before entering politics; he would serve as Premier of Huron and Federal Minister of Labour before becoming PC leader in 1967.
Trudeau was a Constitutional Law professor when hired to chair the Royal Commission on Biculturalism. When it published its findings, in 1969, to now PM Alexander, he adapted and expanded the recommendations to include an official languages policy and color-blind immigration.
After defeating Alexander in the 1976 election, Trudeau worked to repatriate the constitution and enshrine the policy of multiculturalism.
Alexander would later, as Governor-General, appoint Trudeau to the Senate (upon recommendation of PM Paul Martin).

 

[CaptainShadow]

there

Fixed that for ya