Originally Posted by swimmer_spe
It is a simple question, but not easily answered.
If for a moment we move past pipelines, and just talk about the Federal government presence in Western Canada, do we see the same as place like Ontario and Quebec, and even the Maritimes?
To answer this we need to look at some interesting examples.
Transportation
Highways:
We learned in 2016 that a failure of a single bridge cuts off everyone west of Thunder Bay from the east. This alone shows that ensuring the goods from all provinces have a safe way across our land is not a priority. Just imagine if that bridge collapsed and was unsafe to cross for a year.
By 2025 you can drive on a divided highway from Ottawa to Toronto, Quebec City, Fredericton and Halifax. The missing link; the A-85 is a small part that needs to be done.
You can drive Between Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg on divided highways. Victoria? Nope. Even Victoria to Vancouver, ignoring the ferry crossing in some parts are still 2 lane highways. Vancouver east? Much of that is also 2 lanes.
Air travel:
Can you fly from all capitals to our Nation's Capital on a direct flight? No.
Victoria is not served. Regina and the Territory capitals are seasonal, along with St John's Of course, there are connecting flights, but when it comes to nation building, going from a capital to another capital is important.
Fun fact, you can get to all provincial capitals from Toronto.... But not to the territories.
Train
Via Rail is a Federal government agency. Our tax dollars do go to it.
So, lets have some fun... Today, could you hop a train from the capital of your province to Ottawa? Well, if you live in Ontario or Quebec, absolutely. NS and NB, weellll, not Fredericton. There are not even tracks there. Halifax is good, but not every day.
Going west Winnipeg and Edmonton are the only western provinces that have anything, but it is 2-3 times a week. The one in Victoria is shut down. Regina doesn't have any passenger service, even though, they do have a major railway going through that.
Government offices
Correct me if I am wrong, but most of the government offices for things, like Taxation and VAC and others are located somewhere in Ontario and Quebec.
Military
Halifax's navy has more ships than Victoria.
There are more Army Bases in Eastern Canada than Western Canada.
The Administration for the Air Force is in Ontario.
I am from Ontario, lived in Nova Scotia and British Columbia, and am back in Ontario. Till I left, I never understood what they meant. Now that I am back, I understand it.
Building a pipeline really won't change things.
We need to start building our nation before it splinters beyond repair.
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