Western separatism

Western separatism is the ideology that advances the concept that the Western provinces of Canada -- Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba -- should secede. This position is rooted in the perceived difference by some Westerners in culture and economy in relation to the rest of Canada. Most popular in AlbertaFact|date=January 2008 and least so in British Columbia,Fact|date=January 2008 it is widely regarded as being a fringe ideology and an extreme manifestation of Western alienation which is more commonly expressed in desires for a reformed Canadian federalism rather than an independence movement.

History

Western separatism has a history almost as old, if not older, than Western alienation. What encompasses part of southern Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan was at one time an unorganized territory of the United States, attained in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. These areas constitute part of the Missouri Watershed rather than the Hudson Bay Watershed, although the Americans never effectively occupied this land. This land has the distinction of being the only piece of contiguous American territory ceded by the United States, with the exception of minor border disputes with Mexico. Parts of Ruperts Land in Minnesota and North Dakota were ceded to the United States by Canada, however. The Northwest Rebellion of 1885 can be seen as a western separatist movement, since Metis leader Louis Riel declared the existence of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan and took up arms against Canada.Fact|date=September 2008

Then as now, a desire for outright separation from Canada remains a fringe movement in the West (only a small proportion of even the Metis population of the West supported Riel openly). Several political parties such as the Western Canada Concept [ [http://www.westcan.org] .] and Western Independence Party [ [http://www.wipsk.com/] .] have fielded candidates in federal and provincial elections since the 1980s but with negligible success.Fact|date=September 2008

Reform movements for giving the West a more equitable voice in the Canadian federation, such as the defunct Progressive Party of Canada, Reform Party of Canada, and Canadian Alliance, have enjoyed much more popularity with Westerners.Fact|date=September 2008

Political leanings

In recent decades Western Separatism has been regarded primarily as a phenomenon of the political right. The reasons for this are complex, but may lie largely in the fact that Western Separatists are generally likely to regard the federal government as too liberal, centralist, and intrusive in its outlook, and to desire a more linguistically unitary (not bilingual) state, laissez-faire in their economic outlook (being opposed to Equalization Payments and other wealth redistribution measures as well as for freer trade with America), and anti-gun control. [ [http://www.westcan.org/westcan/culture.htm] .]

ee also

*Alberta separatism
*Northwest Rebellion
*Politics of Alberta
*Politics of British Columbia
*Politics of Manitoba
*Politics of Saskatchewan
*Secessionist movements of Canada
*Separation Party of Alberta
*Western alienation
*Western Block Party
*Western Canada Concept
*Western Canada Independence Party
*Western Independence Party

References

External links

* [http://www.albertarepublicans.org/flag.htm Western Separatist Flag adopted at the founding convention of the Western Canada Independence Party]