After John Ibbittson’s “MANTARIO” article in The Globe last week [see above] the Ottawa Citizen published an account which covers much of the same ground, particularly from the point of view of small northern towns which are suffering economically.

{Excerpts from Ottawa Citizen}

“Separation still on minds of northerners unhappy with Ontario family”

Angela Pacienza, canada.com

Published: Saturday, October 21, 2006

LONGLAC, Ont. -- It's an idea that's been percolating for more than a century: allow northwestern Ontario to go its own way and form a new province, or join one with which advocates say it has a lot in common: Manitoba.

The prospect of splitting up Canada's biggest province may seem unlikely, even far-fetched. But the lingering resentment that fuels the idea never seems to go away -- and these days, it's the persistent closures of pulp and paper mills that are fanning the flames of separatism.”

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“Three ideas are generally floated among northerners: join forces with Manitoba to establish "Mantario," break off to become Canada's 11th province or create a regional government that would control the area's resources.

Travelling through parts of the north, it's not difficult to see why the seeds of separation continue to grow -- northern Ontario's culture and economy don't appear to have much in common with the south.

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The differences are especially noticeable in the northwestern part of the province, where residents have come to rely on Manitoba's medical specialists, their shopping malls, their universities and even the airport in Winnipeg. Ontario towns like Fort Frances, Kenora, Sioux Lookout and Sandy Lake even share a time zone with Manitoba.

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The separation fire is stoked every time southern politicians pass laws that make no sense the north, such as the cancellation of the spring bear hunt in the late 1990s. Or, worse yet, when the legislature scrambles to fix a southern problem but take ages to make up their minds on a northern one, such as electricity rates.

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Kenora Mayor David Canfield said he would welcome such a scheme. "People really feel that we're the forgotten northland."

Earlier this year he joined the Central Canada Public Policy Research Trust, a small group of regional leaders investigating the possibility of a split with Ontario.

The group thought it stood a chance, given Nunavut's separation from the Northwest Territories in 1999, the first major change to Canada's map since the incorporation of Newfoundland in 1949.

There was even public support for the plan, with several polls showing high approval ratings in both Ontario and Manitoba.

But no matter how much support the idea of moving the border or regional government receives, there's zero chance Ontario would give up the north, Di Matteo said.

"Despite its general indifference to the north, Ontario is not going to surrender 60 per cent of its land mass," he said.

"It would send a signal that all provincial borders can be changed and that would not sit well with the other provinces." 

 … Excerpts by Russ Merredew