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Originally Posted by esquire
We need to get our act together and climb up the standings, or we'll miss the population playoffs!
I am much more concerned with quality of life and overall prosperity. If growing our population will improve those things, then let's pump up the numbers. But I'm not really convinced that's the case.
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Haha, it does seem like a race!,
maybe to the bottom, as far as our environment is concerned anyway.
I wonder if people in China and India ponder about having a 40 million population like Canada. Being higher up in the population rankings may not be what it's cracked up to be. My husband is from the UK but, so far, when asked if he's ready for us to go back to London, he's like "not while we can live in country like this!."
Quote:
Originally Posted by wave46
I wonder if increasing population would even really help in that manner, all other things being equal. Canada of 20-30 million from 1960s-1990s had far more distinctiveness and interest in itself.
In a certain sense, I don't think population unto itself matters. The United States of 200 million in the late 1960s went to the moon. 130 million people later, it just went back to low-Earth orbit from being on the ground. The spirit and outlook of the people within the country are what seems to matter.
Hardly anyone would call small-population Ireland (<5 million) as not distinctive. Even though it shares a history and link with the UK, its population doesn't get lost in gazing towards it for obvious reasons. The Kiwis don't get lost in gazing towards Australia. They seem contented to share bits, but define themselves independently.
I would like us to aspire to the same. Our elite doesn't really share that view though.
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The elites, the American wannabes in Toronto that snub CFL but crave approval from the NBA, or anything south of the border for that matter. British Coulmbian's that ponder strong ties/Independence with Cascadia but mock their neighbouring province next door. The Quebeqois that would rather leave Canada, even the people in Newfoundland that think they could be a sovereign colony of British Commonwealth without hands held out waiting on the assistance of a more stable larger nation. I think Canada even at a larger population won't change these issues.
More people in Canada will mostly just mean over populated largest 6... or 9 largest cities in the country but not offer much to smaller populated areas. There's a huge rural - urban, region to region divide in the country, as can be seen in any federal election this century. Adding more people to the mix isn't really going to change this country's systemic problems. More federal power internationally and to unit provinces but less pitting industry against industry or people against people, Stronger provincial autonomy would help with this.
We have a strong nation but there's too much conflict from within.