Dear Premier Wall,

Westerners have long noted that you are the shining light of the West. We have seen your concern and active participation at advancing the West’s interests within Canada. And no one disputes your love of Western Canada.

Brad, if I may call you by first name, it’s time. Canada celebrated its 150th birthday by vicious attacks on the West and actively sought to prevent our products from reaching world markets. We are led by a foreign controlled Prime Minister that only cares for personal promotion, identity politics and lawless open borders. His government has imposed requirements on our energy industry specifically designed to prevent the success of the principle industry in the West that has enabled us to fund exorbitant social programs in eastern Canada. Programs we do not have.

American billionaires and Saudi sheiks have invested millions in meddling in our politics in order to keep our oil in the ground and a puppet of their choosing in control. Quebec politicians scoff at the potential in the West citing “environmental concerns” while dumping 8.5 billion litres of raw sewage in the St Lawrence River. Emboldened by the money they get and the lack of fight from the West, one can only be sure that it will get worse before it ever gets better, if at all. Even our so-called Conservative politicians are in line to kowtow to the east in hopes that they are permitted to govern. We both know that once in, the liberal media assisted by eastern elites and foreign interests, will do everything in their power to make the governance as short and useless as possible. In short nothing will change.

I’m sure nothing I’ve said so far is new to you. I know that you are leaving politics but the West needs you. The West needs a proud and energetic leader to come forth and lead us out of the disaster that confederation has been. You know that the West has succeeded not because of Confederation but in spite of it.

Join us. Lead us to a bright future as a free and independent West. It’s time.

Best regards,

Western Canada

 

Addendum:

I did get a reply to my letter from the Premier, see below.

Peter LeTouenxuw

Here it is. Please read and discuss. Independence isn’t a negative thing, in fact it is the best way to go for Western Canada. And best of all, you can make it happen!

My gift to you.

A Better Way

Today Canada celebrated its 150th birthday. And of course the celebrations were best in Ottawa. Out west, it gives us reason to pause and take stock of our place in this country that is taking the road to a society that values immigrants that may or may not be here legally and hold cultures radically different to what has grown in Canada over the past 150 years.

I, for one, am ever more convinced that this country is becoming more and more a failed experiment where citizens have to be told why they are proud and the penalties for not complying with the governmental dictates of what makes a “good” Canadian.

Often, I am asked, “Why separate? Why is the west so upset?”

Well, at our 150th Canada Day here are 50 reasons for the West to be amicably parting ways. Not in any particular order although it might appear to be…

 

1. Pierre Elliot Trudeau
2. N.E.P.
3. Justin Trudeau
4. Low political representation
5. Politicians pandering to the east
6. Equalization
7. Taxation without adequate representation
8. Undue attention to Quebec at the West’s expense
9. Isolated from the seat of power in Ottawa
10. Geographic difficulties for travel
11. Forced Multiculturalism
12. Official languages
13. Gun Registry and excessive control
14. Protection of the guilty over the victim
15. M-103
16. C-6
17. Triple E Senate / Senate reform
18. Creeping Shariah
19. Socialism
20. Open hostility to Alberta Oil
21. Lack of support in emergencies
22. Clarity Act
23. Westerners treated as hicks and knuckle draggers
24. Canadian Constitution favours Quebec
25. Uncontrolled immigration from Islamic countries
26. Quiet Western majority want it
27. Tired of eastern platitudes
28. Western trade policies dictated by the east
29. No property rights
30. Separation of executive powers to end Prime Ministerial dictatorship
31. Desire for an Elected and accountable Judiciary
32. Equality and treatment of all people
33. Lack of recall legislation
34. Term limits
35. Carbon Tax cash grab
36. Concern for our children
37. Biased media
38. Outside interference in internal affairs
39. Ideological split between east and west
40. Votes west of Manitoba Ontario border meaningless
41. Blockading our products from international markets
42. Medical controlled by Ottawa
43. Controlling our destiny
44. Islamic terrorism
45. Court action against veterans
46. Political correctness
47. Interprovincial trade barriers
48. Leftist infiltration of Universities
49. Using the police to enforce cultural destruction
50. The CBC

Hopefully there isn’t any significant repetition, I do try to be accurate.

Think about it, and Happy Canada Day.

How to define victory in the struggle for independence is very difficult at the best of times. I get asked directly and see online comments such as, “There’s no point in trying for separation since it will never happen.”

Never?

Any ardent separatist understands that it really is a matter of the conditions being just so, and the possibility is that may not happen in the near future until those conditions are met. But we have to look at other examples for inspiration and there is one very close to us…Quebec.

Every Westerner complains that Quebec enjoys favoured status in Confederation without understanding exactly why that is. The Federal government has always dealt with Quebec from a position of fear. Even as far back as the American Revolution, the British Government granted “les Habitant” special rights and entrenched their language in British North America if they would not side with the Americans in the American Revolution. Quebec separatists changed the name of Dorchester Blvd in Montreal to Rene Levesque Boulevard thinking they were striking a blow to the English. But they did so wrongly for it was Sir Guy Carleton, First Baron Dorchester, who saved French Canada from assimilation by the United States. Quebecers would today speak a version of French more like the Cajuns in Louisiana than the French we hear today.

So the trend goes very far back. Agitations by Quebec separatists in recent times have netted gains that mark it far above the rest of Canada. If Justin Trudeau considers Quebecers above other Canadians, he has a point. Where else in Canada can a province create legislation that effectively makes a population sub-group second class citizens and imposes fines and possible jail terms for displaying a sign in anything other than French? It’s as if Canadian law stops at the Quebec border.

All of this has been won by being the perpetual squeaky wheel. Consider what might be gained if Ottawa seriously considered Western independence a very real possibility? What concessions would be made? How would things change?

The elites that govern us in Ottawa know full well that if they regularly give out tokens of their “appreciation” for the West, Westerners will blindly follow and smile as the riches of our lands are controlled by eastern elites for the benefit of everyone but us. It’s the old shell game. The trickster lets you win once so there is hope you’ll win again. But we all know how that works. If a referendum on independence were held in the West and we lost by .5% what would be the outcome?

There are different ways to win. And only by looking at the long term can we expect to gain the level of autonomy we all desire.

Keep up the fight, never surrender…ever!

Once upon a time, there was a fellow who, tired of watching the West get steamrollered by the liberal east, decided to support the idea of an independent West. A place where families raised their kids with little interference by big government, where the West could make its own decisions without having the approval of eastern elites and a media that sees Westerners as troublesome hicks unworthy of any serious consideration. A place where rule of law could be of benefit to all and where all participated equally in the direction of the country.

So, how to start?

Well, this fellow looked around and noticed that social media was the place to be insofar as popularizing and promoting independence, so he created a page on Facebook modelled on a group in Alberta. It soared to over one thousand members and really opened discussion on what we could do. Then he gave up control of his page to a bigger organization, becoming a moderator.

All this seemed to be going well! The fellow made contacts with other like minded people and even had meetings to discuss how to get started with a formal political party. He created a blog, much like this one, which would give him an opportunity to air his thoughts and get the feedback he’d need to refine things.

However, some dark forces began to move in. The fellow had to repeatedly remind people that the movement was to work towards independence, not to air views on the immigration of particular people and views that could be used against us. The page was also becoming more negative all the time, with focus on why we couldn’t and not on how we can.

So he left the group.

I suppose you know already that I am the “fellow” in the story. The movement is at risk. The cause is attracting the type of people that dwell on anti-Islam and hard right or hard left ideas instead of organizing and promoting. When the leadership asks for help they are reduced to pleading. The 10-90 rule is applying to the movement, 10 percent (or less) of the people are actually serious, with 90 percent enjoying the ride.

This is a mystery to me and is very much a topic for a future blog entry. There is no fire. Why? A foreign leader said a naughty word over ten years ago and everyone loses their minds, thousands march in Vancouver. Yet we cannot do anything in our province without kowtowing to a government 3000 miles away, who treats us like children and everyone’s ok with that? People have legitimate fears over unbridled and largely unvetted Islamic immigration and are unwilling to involve themselves in doing anything about it other than post a nasty meme on Facebook.  Maybe the naysayers are right, we’ve failed before we started.

Time to think things over. The first question; is this real?

On my blog I try to stay as factual as possible, tossing in some history to serve as the context for what might otherwise be not much better than dry toast.

So in this instalment, let’s get a bit more visceral. Let’s talk about what one feels when one looks at independence from Canada.

First, the usual canard that we are miffed and whine about separation because we lost Stephen Harper and the Conservatives.

This is tossed about as validation from the east as to why Westerners are upset. “Oh, they just PO’d because they lost the election.”

Let me tell you something that may come as a shock. Harper and the Conservatives were liberals. In fact, the Conservatives have doubled down at being liberals. One just has to take five minutes to look at the positions of the Conservative Leadership hopefuls and the Ontario PC leadership’s policies to see where we’re at. The status quo is strong and healthy, Canada will continue to go in one direction and one direction only, the difference between left and right in Canada is not much more than the speed at which we go into decline.

Harper was elected in 2006 only as a result of the Sponsorship Scandal. That’s it, voila! And from the moment he took power to his defeat in 2015, the Canadian left, through the media and arguably society as a whole, applied pressure to make sure he headed in the desired direction. In short, his was a caretaker government until the Liberals could be brought back to power. If a scandal wasn’t brewing, the media created one. It was incessant. The next generation of Conservatives know that to be electable they must be Liberals. So what does this mean to secessionists? It means that the status quo cannot and will not be changed…ever.

“The West wants in” never had a chance. It was simply an illusion. And then, the second instalment of Trudeauism…

Eastern Canada has given him a huge majority and he is still popular with high media support despite having wasted 30 billion, lying to Canadians, helping to bring Canada into the Caliphate and now taking steps to make “Islamophobia” a prosecutable offence. This can only mean one thing, Eastern Canada actually WANTS this. His reaction to Alberta fires and Western unemployment, his lukewarm support for pipelines, his commitments to foreign countries and the UN speaks volumes of a man who knows what side his bread is buttered and it isn’t the western side.

So fine, have at it. But the West has had enough; we’ve been milked by eastern Canada and the Laurentian Elites for over 100 years. Now they tax us without fair representation and go out of their way to kill our resource industries in an effort to make Saudis and Americans rich. Ottawa allows foreign groups to protest and sabotage our efforts with impunity.  Westerners have endured this for over a century and when we dared complain we were (and still are) treated as traitors, bumpkins void of original thought, red necks, deniers, and more visceral contempt.

How dare you complain!! Send money and shut up! We in the east, in Ottawa, in the Liberal Party, will tell you what to think and feel and we have the votes, the seats, the media and chosen immigrants on our side so zip it West, your kind is not wanted. We’re far too sophisticated and…elite. And as a sideline, Westerners are treated to Ottawa’s largess towards Quebec. Quebec coughs and Ottawa gives them a case of Kleenex. The West burns and we’re told we could have it worse.

How does that make us feel? Do you have access to 7 dollar a day child care? What are we to think?

I’ll tell you what it makes me think. The Polite Separatist wonders why there aren’t legions clamouring to be free of the demands of Eastern Canada. It really is a no brainer. Put yourself in this situation. You are living in a big house with your whole family. You are expected to provide for everyone else, money, daycare, transportation and heating fuel, food, and much else. You receive relatively nothing in return. You can show up at family meetings but your vote is worthless in decision making and you’ll never have an opportunity to run things. Every time you comment you are told to be quiet and get to work providing.

Would you stay?

The West has been brainwashed into thinking Canada is one big happy family. But closer examination tells a very different story. We have a choice; we’ve always had a choice. We can stay in the game with the hopes that someday the east will come to think of us as equals in confederation as we have hoped for better than a century. We can break free and build a country of our own where we make the rules, we decide the future, we govern ourselves, we develop our culture and traditions, where we keep the fruits of our labours and create our own destiny for ourselves and our descendants.

There is, of course, the third choice. This is where we just shut up and live our lives content with whatever scraps we are allowed to keep and let others make our future.

So, how do you feel?

It is New Year’s Eve as I write this and as in every last day of the year, it is a time of introspection and wonder at what lies ahead. Secession-minded people have had a good year in 2016. Our greatest allies, Justin Trudeau federally and Rachel Notley provincially, have made it nearly impossible to see a bright future for families in the West. Unemployment is rising, the deficit, both federal and provincial, is rising to levels unheard of since the last time a Trudeau was at the helm. Even in British Columbia, uncertainty looms.

We are approaching a provincial election and the overriding question is who to choose? The BC Liberals have been in power so long that it feels like BC is theirs to do with as they wish.  Christy Clark has tried to be all things to everyone in search of votes but her biggest ace in the hole is the NDP. People in BC have experienced NDP governments before that have nearly bankrupted the province and have had a taste of what the NDP stands for when Adrian Dix stated his party’s views and policies for BC. Voters flocked to the safety of the BC Liberals!

But, where to next? The BC election is slated for Tuesday, May 9, 2017. BC voters, a fickle lot if there ever was one, may just rethink their aversion to the NDP and vote them into power. Why? Because there is no choice. No options.

British Columbia is a strange place. It can be forward thinking and regressive at the same time. There are many who would accept imposing misery on their neighbours and their children to prevent any harm to trees, rocks, birds and crustaceans, even if the means to do so kills much of the wildlife they claim to love. They are mixed in with those that see our resources as a means to provide for families and build a robust economy. Where is the middle?

Any successful independence movement must be able to address the concerns of both. I would suggest an approach where use of resources is combined with intelligent delivery of these resources. Too often we see conflict because either end wants it their way or no way. Most of the time the eco front wins out because they are much better organized, funded and supported. They can get their message out in a way that demonizes any other view. We do not want to be caught in the crosshairs.

So how can we get out a message that appeals to both sides? We have the numbers, I am convinced of this. But many potential supporters are simply unaware of the independence cause and are unwilling to “come out” lest they be set upon. We need a face.

We need a leader who can present our cause in an articulate, thoughtful way. One who can negotiate the pitfalls that come when dealing with a piranha laden media. One who can be at home with a crowd or a single person. We need a Leader. If we have a Leader, the rest will come. Funding, support, media, all of it. We need a modern day Moses who can lead us to the promised land.

Where are you Moses?

I have been inspired.

Being from a Quebec background, I naturally speak French. However I have lived out west for some 40 years now and although my roots are strong, I am now firmly a Westerner.

I’ve been introduced to the “Projet Liberté-Nation”, a concept developed over 5 years by Quebec Lawyer, Mr. Guy Bertrand. In this concept, he carefully lays out his plan for the Quebec of the future, the Quebec of 2030 and beyond.

Now before you completely zone out because it’s a post about Quebec, let me give you some points to consider. First, the Independence movement in Quebec has been ongoing and evolving for some 50 years. They have a wealth of experience and have learned much. We would do well to keep our friends close. Second, we have a common goal, independence. What benefits them will also benefit us.

Mr. Bertrand proposes independence, yes, but his approach is what is refreshing and inspiring. As it stands now, both federally and provincially, power is a top-down affair with the regions being told from above what they can and cannot do.

Usually, the carrot on a string method is used to motivate; either play ball or you don’t get the carrot. We in the West have been following the carrot for about 100 years now, perhaps it’s time we reviewed this?

There has been much speculation about how an independent West would be like. Albertans are solidly leading the charge, followed by Saskatchewan and Manitoba. British Columbia is lagging behind for many reasons, with Vancouver / Victoria being the main areas of resistance to independence. But why does a future independent West have to be based on a provincial model? How is the status quo working out?

For an independence to be successful, Mr. Bertrand states, it must be reborn. Hence his calling for the “République fédérale du Québec”. What?  A FEDERAL republic?

Consider if you will, a Federal Republic of Western Canada. Since we would all share the same hopes and dreams of our new country, gone would be the old monikers of how the provinces are named now. Instead, a new country would be delineated and named by region. For example, The Caribou, Peace River, Okanagan, Foothills, Fraser Valley, etc. Each region would be self-governing and would have representatives in a centrally located capital. There are precedents that can be used as examples such as Switzerland’s 26 Cantons (regions).

In this way, since authority to govern flows from below, the government must follow the will of the people, all of the people.

I would submit that the idea has merit, particularly the concept that if we are to form a new country based on our values and hopes for the future, the old system must come down so we can start on a level playing field.

I’m charged up about this and will endeavor to translate and interpret Mr. Bertrand’s ideas for the future. Granted, not all of them will apply but the basic concepts are sound. Watch for more on this in future posts.

In the meantime, think about this, discuss it and let the concept occupy you, dear reader, until next time.

So, what do you want?

As I look over the various Facebook pages that provide an online home for independence-minded people I am struck by several things and I thought I’d share them with you, the reader. This is by no means an authoritative judgment, just personal observations, nothing more.

First, a bit about Facebook. The social media phenomenon is probably best exemplified by Facebook to the point where it can determine the outcome of events in real-time. We see it all the time, public gatherings, events, conferences and even in organizing riots. The power of Facebook should never be underestimated. Any politician that does so, does it at his own risk.

But it is, after all, social media. The same site that gives us videos of cuddly critters and makes us laugh, cry or angry tends to be a breeding ground for every false hope story and exaggerated claim that can be brought to bear against us.

With all the positive aspects of social media, it’s sometimes too easy to forget the negative aspects. I was once at a coffee shop and noticed a table of six millennials enjoying their drinks. All of them were hunched over their smart phones with fingers flying over the screens. Not a word was spoken, none made eye contact. I watched them for quite some time as did many other patrons. Not one even looked up or even acknowledged the presence of other people surrounding them. Crazy, eh?

As we head towards independence, heavy use of social media is a must. But as we organize and plan it becomes obvious that most social media users are oblivious to the real world. We see movements with thousands of so called members but when it comes time to meet, for real, organizers are lucky to see more than ten. Such is life in our new social media world. Politicians do not see “Likes” as people, to make an impression one has to step out of their comfort zone and be seen.

If you want to be in the forefront, be in the forefront.

Just a quick word to let readers know that I am in the middle of a move, in fact, we lose our internet here in a few days. The movers are in on Monday, the 28th, and I hope to be up and running in early December.

Please stay tuned, there’s much to talk about.