Canada General Discussion (2019-)

[WindowPhil]

Does Canada have a true equivalent to U.S "forgotten cities" cities like Des Moines, Iowa (Population 215,000), Boise, Idaho (Population 226,000) or Fargo, North Dakota (Population 121,000) tier ones?

These are insignificant on a national level, and not part of the national consciousness. But they're large conurbations with hundreds of thousands of people in them.

Something I noticed that Canadian cities seem to have much more of a national profile than American ones. Where a city like Saskatoon (Population 273,000) is well known across Canada and a part of the national consciousness. Which I assume is because the population of the country is smaller which leads to less "forgotten cities" so to speak. And thus the urban hierarchy is much more pinpointed and concentrated in centers of prestige. In contrast to the United States where each city has less prestige collectively and is less of a part of the national consciousness and feels more forgotten and inconsequential.

Or maybe I'm completely wrong. What's your perspective on my observation?

[WindowPhil]

Do you think Anglo-Canada should change its alcohol sale system?

The United States only has private liquor stores, while Quebec (and I'm sure much of the rest of the world) goes farther and allows it to be sold in Grocery Stores and at Gas Stations.

Would you support doing the America approach of privatizing liquor stores, or the Quebec approach of allowing it to be sold in any store?

[WindowPhil]

I've heard people say that "Pretty much all Canadians are atheist in practice. The only Christians in Canada are Lapsed Catholics or members of the United Church of Canada, a denomination that allows priests to be Atheists and isn't against Abortion, LGBT issues or anything progressive".

However, I looked into it and I discovered that there are in fact evangelicals in Canada.

10-15% of Canadians are evangelical christians, with the source elaborating that "Nearly all are strongly conservative on issues of reproduction and sexuality". With the further caveat that "their broader political views vary considerably" and going on about how very, very few are against the idea of imposing a theocracy, etc.

However, I think this part is important as well, Access to power also differs in the two countries. The Canadian parliamentary system concentrates power top-down in government and party leaders (giving them more power over the backbench). Whereas the more bottom-up American system gives greater openings for legislators to pursue independent agendas.

Another person did a study on conservative churches less than 100KM from each other (in Buffalo, NY and in Hamilton, ON). This was the conclusion:

To summarize, Americans evangelicals see everything as tied to national identity and a struggle for the nation’s soul. The "Us" who need to destroy the "Them", and if you aren't with them, you're part of the "them". Whereas the Canadian evangelicals saw themselves as already outside the national mainstream and as a “cultural minority within a multicultural nation.” and largely accepted that they were a minority and engaged society on that basis, rather than seeing a mighty struggle to reclaim the national soul against liberal perfidy and defeating "those people".

So in summary:

* Canada has half as many evangelicals per capita as America does (10-15% vs 25.4% in the United States).

* Stronger party discipline means that the establishment has greater power to "weed out the crazies".

* There's not really a bible belt in Canada where Evangelicals are heavily concentrated and that they can utilize for electoral influence. Rather they're less concentrated.

* Canadian Evangelicals have traditionally tended to view themselves as a religious minority put on earth to help people, whereas American Evangelicals have traditionally tended to view themselves as warriors who need to crush the evil poor, liberals, and secular left. (although I would say this is changing in the U.S as the message of the religious right is more about "Religious Freedom" and seeing themselves as a minority that deserves protection nowadays than "ban Harry Potter").


Is my analysis correct? Is culture a larger factor in this kind of thing than religious demographics are? And are some Canadian households the "crazy Christian type" that I thought didn't exist in Canada?

[WindowPhil]

Conservatives pitch fiscal reform to end 'mistreatment of Western Canadians' - Leader Erin O'Toole, in Calgary a day after PM, says Alberta would get $4B under plan


"The proposal would give Alberta $4 billion in rebates, according to the Conservatives, leaving $1 billion for the rest of the country."

The irony is probably lost on those fine folks who vote CPC because the damn Frenchies in Kwebeck and the lazy fishers in the maritimes steal their hard earned tax dollars through equalization

Probably suggests internals are horrible and actually at risk of losing seats in Alberta so trying to shore up that.  Fact Trudeau is in Alberta and seems quite confident suggests to me party internals show they are possibly on cusp of breakthrough there.

Trudeau's trying to make big moves in Alberta, that's for sure. He was in Calgary to announce a new LRT line with Nenshi, he discussed equalization with Kenney, and he just poached a Calgary City councillor to run for the Grits in Skyview (which suggests that the riding is in play, politicians don't just leave behind their office to run in an unwinnable race). Tories have good reason to be worried.

Could you see Trudeau being the longest serving PM in Canadian history?

[WindowPhil]

How would you rate the tenure of Chrystia Freeland if these were the accomplishments of her administration?

* Third longest serving PM in Canadian history (17 years and 5 majority governments).

* Established a 1,200 CA$ a month universal basic income for all Canadians.

* Legalized Prostitution throughout Canada, in a heavily regulated system with brothels similar to the one in Australia.

* Changed the national anthem line "God keep our land glorious and free" to "We keep our land glorious and free".

* Amended the Canada Health Act to include universal pharmacare, vision, dental, mental health, and gender transition treatment.

* Instrumental in the creation of the Canada Wireless Act, which further regulates the telecommunications industry. Establishes crown corporations similar to SaskTel across Canada. Breaks up Rogers, Bell and Telus and allows for wireless companies from other Commonwealth of Nations countries to operate in Canada to give consumers more options.

* Instrumental in the creation of the Canada Housing Act. Which is billed as "Universal Healthcare for Housing" and led to Canada having the lowest housing prices per capita in the G20.

* Instrumental in the creation of a High Speed Rail line between Windsor and Quebec City.

* Worked on an agreement with Quebec to change its status from the Province of Quebec to the Autonomous Nation of Quebec. Giving it further autonomy while recognizing it as both wholly Canadian and wholly distinct.

* Instrumental in the establishment of CANZUK, allowing Canadians to live and work freely in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. While allowing nationals of those nations to live and work freely in Canada with approval from the country as a whole and the province, territory or autonomous nation they intend to move to (thereby satisfying Quebec).

* Admits Turks and Caicos as the 10th province (remember Quebec is now an Autonomous nation and is not technically a province).
 
* Negotiated with the United States to give Puerto Rico the option to enter Canada as an autonomous nation. It votes to join, giving it a status that while similar to Quebec is more self contained. Allowing Puerto Rico to benefit from being part of Canada and Canada to benefit by having a larger economy of scale, cultural diversity and diplomatic foothold in Latin American organizations.

Would she be considered to be the greatest Canadian PM of all time if these were her accomplishments?

[WindowPhil]

Why doesn't every province have an educational public channel like TVO or British Colombia Knowledge Network?