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The Galloping Geezer

The Galloping Geezer
~ Jack Downey Comments on Canadian Issues

Jack Downey ~ The Galloping Geezer
Photo by Julie Ann Biggs

'To Alienate or not to Alienate, that Is the Question.'

Western ~ Eastern Alienation

In the late 1800's, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) advertised throughout Europe and the USA for immigrants to "The Last Best West", as they called Western Canada, in exchange for free land. A tremendous influx of immigrants arrived from many countries to settle and develop this land. The immigrants were each give one quarter-section (1 section = 1 square mile or 640 acres) with development rules. They had to pay their fare from their homeland and buy all that was needed to break the land and establish their homes. It wasn't long before a farmer needed a minimum of a full section of land for a viable operation. Bank shareholders rubbed their hands with glee. The CPR and all Eastern systems were seen as villains.


The CPR got most of its money from the EASTERN citizen's taxes sent to Ottawa. They also got every alternate section of land along their right of way and, if a particular section was unsuited to their needs, they could chose any other good section anywhere on the frontier. The CPR then became the Transport System and the Landowner, who could make or break any settlement by passing it by with CPR steel rails. Our Canadian "Robber Barons", Donald Smith a.k.a. Lord Strathcona, Timothy Eaton, the English shareholders in The Hudson's Bay Company (one of which was the King), to name but a few, were right there for the Eastern taxpayers' Government dollar hand outs and the sweat off the Westener's brow. The CPR had Western Canada on the verge of bankruptcy. Eastern manufactured goods were not cheap and freight rates were very high. Farmers had to form Wheat Pools and Fruit Co-operatives to get fair prices for their products.

The East had almost all of the political power, so the government did very little to alleviate the strangle-hold on "The Last Best West". The fact that few Easterners knew any thing about the west and had their own troubles did not help. But help was on its way! World War I started a change, and World War II opened the floodgates to Easterners and Westerners understanding each other and this vast land. Military personnel and war workers being posted all across Canada did much to unite the country.

It is sad that the tradition of alienation between the East and West still persists. As the TV ad for The Globe and Mail says "Every one is entitled to an opinion, but is it informed?" I went to school in London ON and was taught songs like "Rule Britannia" and that England was my motherland. It makes me ill to this day to have been taught this type of hogwash. We owe nothing to any other Mother/Fatherland. Canada is our HOMELAND and I am mighty proud of it.

Professor Albert Einstein once said, "To admit you're ignorant is the first sign of intelligence." We all are ignorant to some degree. The Easterner vacations in Disney World in Florida. The Westerner goes to Disney Land in California. No wonder we are ignorant about our Canada! How many in the West have seen the Cabot Trail and how many in the East have seen The Dewdney Trail. Again how many etc. The Outports of Nfld. and the Outports of BC, The Maritimes vs. the West, La Belle Province vs. Beautiful BC the Laurentions vs. Rocky Mtns., The Plains of Abraham vs. the Great Plains, Ontario's Holland Marsh vs. Manitoba and Saskatchewan's wheat belt, Food Basket to one third of the world. Canada beats Disney Land or World. No standing in line and everything is in Canadian dollars! Hands up all who have visit our House of Parliament. The Peace Tower with it's "Book of Remembrance" commemorating all who died for Canada that's you, and your children. Those commemorated were Eastern and Western young men and women who gave us a land to make better, not to divide up into grubby little states that could not survive on their own economically.

Alienation is easy. If you are a Francophone, you can blame the Anglophones. If you're an Anglophone, you can blame the Francophones. Blacks can blame Whites and vice versa. Esquimaux the Cree. All the First Nations people can blame all the rest of us. Personally, I like to blame every one equally from the group I call the "Know Nots." These are the ones who know all the words to "The Star Spangled Banner" and a bit of the first line of "O Canada" and Know Not more. They're the same ones who Know Not our history and Know Not what a great land we live in and yet say that we, who love our WHOLE country, are to blame for their alienation. But the Know Nots still wallow in Canada's largess and do not feel alienated when they cash government cheques, use our health care, drive on our excellent roads, or are allowed to live in peace and in general prosperity as long as they are prepared to work.

The strange people to our south who know almost as little about Canada as our home grown Know Nots have a saying that makes no democratic sense: "America, love it or leave it."

Here's a Canadian saying that makes much more democratic sense: "Canada, if you want it changed, e-mail your MP stand up and be counted" Give him/her your ideas for CANADA there are no crystal balls in Ottawa, in fact few balls of any kind, unless you give your MP some. That puts the ball in your court, throw it to your MP. Member of Parliamnet List

The expression "Somebody should do something about it" calls out for you to be a "SOMEBODY" the ones that do nothing are "NOBODIES." Because they do nothing for Canada.

Signed; the Galloping Geezer

Jack C. Downey CD
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