Strength of our Confederation

[jawapunk]

I am wondering what alot of Canadians think about the strength of our confederation, whether they feel that in recent years regionalism is starting to have more of an effect on politics, and whether they believe Canada will still contain all of its parts in the next 50-100 years?

The reason I state this is the make up of our country varies greatly from one coast to the other, and it seems that some provinces have a history or have recently had a very shaky relationship with the federal government. Such as Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and even Saskatchewan.

Along with this... do you think of yourselves along a National ideal or provincial first? I mean what does it necessarily mean to be Canadian? What ties us together, other than a common flag and national sport?

[B. Max]

The reason I state this is the make up of our country varies greatly from one coast to the other, and it seems that some provinces have a history or have recently had a very shaky relationship with the federal government. Such as Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and even Saskatchewan.

Along with this... do you think of yourselves along a National ideal or provincial first? I mean what does it necessarily mean to be Canadian? What ties us together, other than a common flag and national sport?

Funny you should mention it at this time.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...06?hub=Politics

[margrace]

Visiting in BC right now, funny although I hear lots of gripping, I also hear I am a Candian. I live in Ontario, same thing, I am a Canadian. The more we are critized as a country the more it draws us together. One very visable in the amount of homes now flying the Canadian Flag.

[jawapunk]

The absence of flags does not reflect a lack of patriotism...I am sure there as many people who are proud of Canada as not that do not fly a flag.

Perhaps if there was an alternative flag, one that denotes regionalism, like the Newfoundland Republican flag, we would have a fairer assessment. However even people who fly the Newfoundland flag do not necessarily want to separate but only also enjoy a sense of provincial/regional pride. Maybe it is different in Newfoundland though where we were a seperate entity from Canada for 450 years.

[margrace]

The absence of flags does not reflect a lack of patriotism...I am sure there as many people who are proud of Canada as not that do not fly a flag.

I never said it did.

[jawapunk]

I should have said that the flying a flag is also not necessarily a representative factor of the amount of patriotism or feeling of national unity within a given geographical area.