With lots of talk about Canadian sovereignty and taunting remarks from Donald Trump about Canada becoming the 51st state, a new poll finds a quarter of British Columbians consider themselves a resident of this province first — and a Canadian second.
The poll by Research Co. finds just under a third think the province would be better off as its own country. Though Mario Canseco, Research Co. president, says this isn’t the same as the disgruntled ‘Wexit’ secession movement in Alberta few years ago.
He says the sentiment is based more on British Columbians feeling like they can’t really relate to those in other parts of Canada.
“We’re getting close to two thirds of British Columbians looking at themselves very differently from what is happening elsewhere. It’s not necessarily the same thing that we saw during the Reform Party [of Alberta] days, where it’s a reaction to what Ottawa has dealt, but more about, ‘can we have our own ways of dealing with the rest of the world?’ And this is part of what is driving the discussions about sovereignty, this notion that if we can organize amongst ourselves and make the best out of a bad situation,” Canseco explained.
Canseco says three in five British Columbians feel they have more in common with people in Seattle or Portland than those in Toronto or Montreal.
“There’s also that sense of uniqueness from British Columbia, where, if we’re starting to ponder a future outside of Canada, we would certainly look into some sort of coalition with people in Washington state and in
Oregon,” he said.
He says younger people are more likely to think they might be better off in a sovereign B.C., likely because younger crowds are dealing with the housing and affordability crises in a way that those over 55 simply aren’t.
“There’s a tendency from the younger crowd, because of their desperation with the way things are going, that says, ‘Well, if this is going to get me closer to fulfilling my dreams, then I would be open to exploring it.’”