January 10, 2005
ALL THEY WANTED AT FORT SUMTER WAS FOR SOMEONE TO FEEL THEIR PAIN
Maple Leaf will fly again, Williams says (Simon Tuck, Globe and Mail, January 10th, 2005)
Premier Danny Williams says the Maple Leaf will return to provincial buildings in Newfoundland and Labrador some time soon, but he won't say when.Mr. Williams, who ordered the removal of Canadian flags from provincial buildings in late December to protest against what he says is Ottawa's failure to keep its word on oil royalties, said the flag will be returned in "the near future" after it has been determined that the rest of Canada received the message.
"You know, when we feel that the Canadian people recognize the issue, have accepted the statement of protest that we're making, they will go up, and that will be in the near future," he said in an interview yesterday on CTV's Question Period. "This is not an intention to keep the Maple Leaf down in Newfoundland and Labrador forever."
We know you were hoping for Alberta, but would you be interested in a rugged island famous for fish and jokes? Bit of a fixer-upper.
Not if they are going to treat the nation of which they are a part of in such a cavalier manner.
What makes you think they will treat their second sugar daddy with more respect than their first?
Posted by: Andrew X at January 10, 2005 8:02 AMThis is not an intention to keep the Maple Leaf down in Newfoundland and Labrador forever.
One is left to wonder whether the road to paradise is truly paved with unintentions.
And while the good people of Quebec are likely wondering how in tarnation they were scooped by Newfies, I think the deeper meaning of this crisis is that the government ought to step in and solve that hockey strike ASAP, as clearly, some people have way too much time on their hands.
Posted by: Barry Meislin at January 10, 2005 9:00 AMOnce their panicky politocs realize how poor their socialized medecine has made them, they'll sell any province for $500-1000 billion U.S. Bush's last year in office should be devoted to buying up as much of Canada as possible.
Posted by: JimGooding at January 10, 2005 9:05 AMNewfoundland and Labrador would be a perfect addition to the states. It has about 600,000 people in an area the size of Alaska, and for the most part has much better weather than Alaska. It also has Gander Air Base. Finally, I doubt that the Canucks have put down the Molsons and quit whining long enough to explore the place and see what it has in terms of mineral wealth.
Posted by: Bart at January 10, 2005 12:13 PMBesides Prince Edward Island, is there any province that wants to stay? At some point one of them has to prove that these aren't empty threats.
While skipping channels last night, I saw a report this on the CBC last night. (After the movie with Leslie Nielsen about curling.) In it's own special way, Canadian politics is a great entertainment value, almost as good as here in the Banana Republic of Washington. You don't normally see pink used in flags, either.
And let's not forget that they only joined Canada in 1949. Prior to that they were, for all practical purposes, independent until the gov't declared bankruptcy in the 20's and put itself in receivership under the UK gov't.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at January 10, 2005 1:05 PMRaoul:
"Besides Prince Edward Island, is there any province that wants to stay"
Sure, all of them, but it is bad form to admit it for anyone outside of Ontario. A very funny (separatist)comedian in the seventies used to bring the house down in Montreal (separatist) clubs with a monolgue by an unsophisticated type that went something like this:
"The English! What is the matter with them? They are always asking us "What does Quebec want?" If they would just shut up and listen they would see it is very clear what we want. We want a free and independant Quebec within a strong and united Canada!
Posted by: Peter B at January 10, 2005 1:36 PMBuy Canada? why buy? We will take what we want when we want it. Who is going to stop us?
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at January 10, 2005 1:51 PMYou make Canadian Provinces sound like college dropouts who live in their parents basement, expecting Mom and Dad to do the laundry and cooking and not ask for rent money while at the same time not asking any questions about those people who drop by at 02:00 and the funny smells they leave behind, or how does Junior manage to afford all his toys .