Western Alienation

Western Alienation In Canadian History

Western alienation • The western provinces have not always been happy partners in confederation • We are often at odds with central Canada • This rivalry comes from economic, political and social sources

In the beginning there was MacDonald’s National Policy... • It was intended to be a nationalistic policy which would broaden the base of the Canadian economy and restore the confidence of Canadians in the development of their country. • The tariff on most foreign manufactured goods was increased, affording substantial protection to Canadian manufacturers. Equally important to the manufacturers were the reduced customs duties on the necessary raw materials and semi-processed products, which lowered their costs of production • Over time the National Policy took on a broader meaning in Conservative Party rhetoric, which tended to equate the National Policy with its larger development policies: the Canadian Pacific Railway (1880s); western settlement (the Dominion Lands Act of 1872 and immigration policy)

Railroad • Land in the Northwest was given to the Canadian government so the federal government could settle it as they saw fit • Through the sale of this land they could finance a railway • Because of this policy MB, SK, and AB did not control resources on public lands until 1930 • However ON, QB, NS, NB, and later BC kept control of their resources from the start • To resolve this issue the federal government paid the provinces a subsidy which the provinces felt was not enough • Resentment arises

CPR monopoly • Premier Norquay in Manitoba applied to the federal government for charter railways to be set up in Manitoba • But the MacDonald government disallowed them because they were not in the interests of Canada as a whole • The west saw this as favouritism of federal needs over provincial ones • After this a strong provincial rights movement rose up and MacDonald backed off using veto for a while and negotiated with the CPR to give up its monopoly in return for $15 million.

Why was the CPR monopoly a problem? • The CPR issued high freight rates for moving grain • Because Manitoba's economy was agriculture based they had issue with this • However when new railroads were built they didn’t bring lower rates, they negotiated to split profits with the CPR and keep freight rates up. • Eventually the Crows Nest Pass rate agreement resolved this issue and lowered rates.

Post WWII Economics • After WWII, instead of relying on farming, the western provinces exploited oil, natural gas, potash, and uranium. • AB and SK developed policies to keep profits within the province, which conflicted with federal policies (SK placed a royalty tax on potash exports which the supreme court ruled was beyond provincial jurisdiction. AB did the same with oil exports) • This is a conflict arising from the division of powers. The provinces controlled production of resources, but the federal government regulated interprovincial trade, foreign exports and power to impose export taxes.

Trudeau and the National Energy Program (1980) • Under Trudeau the NEP was developed to balance the interests of consumers in Central Canada with oil producers in the west. • The goal was Canadianizing the industry and encouraging economic self sufficiency • The NEP was announced at the same time as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms on a broader platform of strengthening Canadian unity • AB thought the federal government was attempting to take over their resources • Americans supported AB because their profits would be diminished

Politics and alienation • In the late 1800’s there were four waves of immigration populating the West • ON farmers • British working class immigrants • Americans • Europeans

Political alienation • Each wave brought its own set of political values • ON farmers moved west and settled mainly in MB and voted liberal or conservative. • British immigrants brought labour party ideals mostly found in SK. SK is the first province to elect a socialist government • AB had more American attitude with emphasis on individual and distrust of the government • European non English speaking immigrants spread support across all parties.

Political alienation • All had different political views yet were unified by geography. • The west was distinct from Central Canada and the Core didn’t always listen to the West

Western political alienation • Political dissentions began from the very first day when Canada gains control of Rupert’s Land (the west) • MacDonald ignored the settlers and Métis living there and appointed Central Canadians with Central Canadian interests in mind to control the area • This led to the Louis Riel rebellion which forced the government to make concessions and establish the province of MB.

Western political alienation • By the 1900’s opposing the east was a habit for westerners because the party system was not responsive to western needs. • The west thought they had some hope in Trudeau because he did so much to unify Canada, but he still favoured federal policies over provincial ones • Slowly as economic power shifted west, the west became more assertive in protecting their interests • A separatist surge even rose up in AB, but it was not as strong as in QB.

Trudeau enacts the Official Languages Act • The West, through immigration, was more multicultural than anywhere else in Canada • New immigrants didn’t understand the bicultural society Canada had • Anti French and Catholic sentiments • Quebec was seen as part of Central Canada that has been exploiting the West • Official Language Act renewed anti-Quebec feelings • It was passed by a majority vote, but 70% of westerners were against it • Bilingualism was seen as useless and Quebec the “spoiled child” of the family

Reform Party • The Reform Party of Canada was a Western-based political party that grew out of a coalition of discontented Western interest groups. • The coalition began in 1986 as an attempt to voice Western concerns at the national level. In May 1987, however, the Reform Association of Canada voted to support a broadly based party to voice Western economic and constitutional concerns. • The party was officially founded in Winnipeg in the fall of 1987

Canadian Alliance to Conservative Party • The Canadian Alliance Party was formed from the remnants of the Reform Party in 2000 in an attempt to merge conservative opposition to the Liberal party. • It’s leader, one of the former founders of the Reform Party, was Steven Harper from Calgary. • Eventually a merger with the Progressive Conservative Party was brokered and in 2002 they merged to form the Conservative Party of Canada

Western Alienation