Maybe Wexit could make Canada stronger
Grade 9 students in the Collective Voice program at Aden Bowman Collegiate share their lives and opinions through columns. Selected columns run on Mondays in The Saskatoon Starphoenix.
While only a pipe dream a couple months ago, the notion that parts of Western Canada could separate from the rest of the country is picking up steam. But is it an idea that makes sense to teens like me, or is it just another fad, like fidget spinners and eating Tide Pods?
According to the federal government’s Western Economic Diversification website, Western Canada was the fastest growing economic region in Canada in 2017. In 2018, it contributed 37 per cent of the country’s exports, a large amount compared to its share of the national population.
Since roughly 2009, western Canadian provinces have mainly contributed more to the federal equalization formula than they have taken out, while more populated eastern Canadian provinces have taken out more than they have contributed. In all, Western Canada does a lot for our country economically, which could be why the idea of western separation has come into the light recently.
According to an opinion piece by Eric Andrew-gee published in the Globe and Mail, a survey found that 44 per cent of respondents in British Columbia, 56 per cent in Alberta, 53 per cent in Saskatchewan, and 35 per cent in Manitoba strongly or somewhat agree that “Western Canada gets so few benefits that it may as well go it on its own.” Wexit is obviously more of a hot topic in Alberta and Saskatchewan, but not as popular in Manitoba or British Columbia.
The fact that the two main supporting provinces are landlocked could be a problem. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and some parts of British Columbia are also covered by treaty land. On top of all that, the action would take years to complete, and we could have different federal and provincial governments with different ideas about western separation. In addition, it would likely cost a lot of money for the provinces to separate.
I first learned about western separation, or wexit, during this year’s federal election. This was the first year that I paid more attention to the federal election, given that I will be voting in a few years. However, I never would have thought that a Canadian election could give rise to a movement such as Wexit.
Among the people I’ve talked to, opinions and knowledge of western separation are mixed. Some people don’t care, others do, and some were totally unaware of this.
As for people closer to my age, I was surprised to see how many people were following the election. Many people posted about it on social media.
Before this, I didn’t know that so many young people cared so much about things like the election. But part of me wonders whether they understood the issue or if they were saying things just to go along with the crowd.
As a young person, I find the whole idea of separating from Canada kind of scary. In Canada we have so many great things like publicly funded health care and national parks, but those things didn’t come overnight. The creation of Canada was not easy and it took generations to become the country it is today. To separate and create an entirely different nation would be very hard. What the whole thing would look like is really unknown, which can be somewhat frightening.
While leaving Canada may not be in anyone’s best interests, the idea itself could make a stronger Canada, one that considers the interests of all of the country, not just some parts.
Some things the government has done lately, rightly or wrongly, appear to be causing some parts of the country to feel unheard and neglected. The fact that the idea of separation is gaining some steam may cause other parts of the country to pay attention to the West and to try to find a way to work with the West in a way that recognizes and balances the interests of everyone.