Life In Northern Canada (Part Deux)

[nos4a2no9]

Hi everyone!

I promised ages ago to write a follow-up post to my first workshop piece on Life In Northern Canada. sageness and a few other folks had specific questions they wanted me to address, hence the sequel. If you're looking for more general topics about northern Canada, such as landscape and geography, weather, the role of the RCMP, shopping and

Comments

[hurry_sundown]

Excellent (if somewhat depressing) piece, Nos. I suppose some might take a perverse comfort in knowing that the US is not alone in its effed-up state of racial affairs. I was a bit surprised at the East-West power divide. Although the biggest players in the US are also in the east (NYC, WDC), California exerts a fair amount of influence as well - no one could ever describe them as marginalized.

[nos4a2no9]

Heh, yes the population distribution in the US prevents the kind of concentrated Toronto/Ottawa/Montreal imbalance we get here. There has to be a total media blackout during national election day because once Ontario and Quebec have voted, that's the ball game. Statistically the way people in the north and west vote doesn't matter, aside from the local ridings races.

[spuffyduds]

That's fascinating stuff. I had never even heard of the Metis.

[nos4a2no9]

Wow, really? That's good to know - I wasn't sure how much detail to include in case people were bored. The Red River Rebellion is sort of the closest Canada ever came to civil war, and so it's something we learn about as school children but I'd wondered if people outside of Canada were aware of the unique position of the Métis in English-speaking Canada.

[llassah]

This is fascinating- do you think that there is also perhaps a certain level of complacency on the race issue because of things like the underground railroad into canada and things? The mythology of Canada acting as refuge?

This is wonderful food for thought, will be back with more questions later, no doubt *g*

[nos4a2no9]

Yay! I'm glad you thought it was interesting. And yes, definitely, the idea of Canada as a land of freedom, a "white space" on the map, the mythology it occupies as a country without history (and therefore a country free of the stains of racism and genocide) because we don't have the national narrative of slavery and civil war like the United States.

I hope you'll have more questions!

[meresy]

Awesome post.

[nos4a2no9]

Thank you kindly! I hope I didn't misrepresent anything - I'm never sure what other *Canadians* think of my take on this stuff.

[meresy]

I think you're pretty spot on. The state of native affairs in this country is terrible, everywhere. There wasn't a blockade at Caledonia for nothing. And what I leanred last Canada Day about the Saugeen land claims alone blows my mind. It sucked so hard when that money deal with the Liberals fell through after the election. /o\

The vision of Canada as a multicultural happyplace is definitely a fixture in this part of the country. Of course it's the MORE open-minded (if naive) people who cling to that around here -- they're the ones who see the growing immigrant population as a good thing

[vienna_waits]

Wow, great post! Thank you for providing all of that meaty info.

What is this "bitchinpary" you speak of? OK, I'll stop making fun of your typos now. ;-)

Hope to have my flashfic done by end of weekend...
*puts nose back to grindstone*

[vienna_waits]

*blinks* Hey, did you just edit and fix your typo, or did I read it wrong to begin with? One of life's great mysteries, I suppose...

[nos4a2no9]

Hee! I did see it just before you put up your comment. Now don't you feel like a fool for mocking me? :-)

Hope to have my flashfic done by end of weekend...

Yay! That's awesome! I'd wondered how it was going, and I'm glad you'll be finished well before the challenge deadline. Go you!