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rfmcdonaldIt's a well-known fact that other large nations have their irredentist claims. Looking to the east across the ocean from Canada, France might have wanted the Rhine frontier, Germany Grossdeutschland, Russia a Eurasian commonwealth. Looking west across the ocean, Chinese might still long for all of the territories run under the Qing, Indonesia's attempted subversion of Malaysia occurred only a few decades ago, and I wonder if some Japanese might want Karafuto as much as they want the Kurils. Even here on this continent, a century and a half ago the position of some of the United States' citizens on the Oregon boundary dispute was "54-40 or fight!", and let's not forget the States' occasional interest in Canada and successes in Mexico. But Canada have irredentist claims? Ha.
Or so you think.
The Turks and Caicos are a British-run archipelago located immediately to the south of the Bahamas. Sharing in that island nation's history of slavery, stagnation, and eventual tourism-driven prosperity, the Turks and Caicos seem to have been unaccountably detached from the Bahamas at some point. This created an opportunity for Canadian politicians, who seem to have capitalized on Canadians' desire to have their nation by an expansionist one. Far less contentious than ill-thought plans to establish new provinces in mainland Canada, detaching some metropoles from their hinterlands and leaving other hinterlands on their own, the idea of acquiring at least some of Britain's Caribbean territories has been currently for most of the 20th century, since Prime Minister Robert Borden's 1917 proposal. This attention has lasted to the present, as the CBC observed in 2004.
As Wikipedia notes, however, there are problems with the proposal, most originating in Canada despite the general perception that taking in the Turks and Caicos would be a good thing.
Right now, massive corruption that forced out the territory's Prime Minister almost certainly is distracting the territory's people from the idea of merger with Canada. Seceding from Britain, instead, seems to be the current hot issue.
A Canadian annexation of the Turks and Caicos, despite what members of both parties think, probably won't happen. A pity, that; a Canadian Caribbean territory would be cool.
Or so you think.
The Turks and Caicos are a British-run archipelago located immediately to the south of the Bahamas. Sharing in that island nation's history of slavery, stagnation, and eventual tourism-driven prosperity, the Turks and Caicos seem to have been unaccountably detached from the Bahamas at some point. This created an opportunity for Canadian politicians, who seem to have capitalized on Canadians' desire to have their nation by an expansionist one. Far less contentious than ill-thought plans to establish new provinces in mainland Canada, detaching some metropoles from their hinterlands and leaving other hinterlands on their own, the idea of acquiring at least some of Britain's Caribbean territories has been currently for most of the 20th century, since Prime Minister Robert Borden's 1917 proposal. This attention has lasted to the present, as the CBC observed in 2004.
In 1974, NDP MP Max Saltsman tried to use a private member's bill to persuade the government to consider annexing the islands. He reasoned that there should be a warm-weather destination for Canadians to spend money on Canadian soil.
Unfortunately for sun-loving Snowbirds, the proposal was rejected.
In 1988, members of the Turks and Caicos government resolved to approach the Canadian government about establishing a special relationship. But alas, the idea of annexing a warm-weather island took back seat to the debate over free trade with the United States (something some Canadians consider annexation of a different variety).
Peter Goldring hopes this time around it will be different. "I have been talking with a number of members of the (Turks and Caicos) government," he told CBC News Online. "And I have indications from a couple of them that this is an issue they want to pursue."
Goldring says annexation could be mutually beneficial: Canada can provide good health care, economic ties, defence, and a steady flow of winter-weary Snowbirds; Turks and Caicos would give Canada a warm, friendly 11th province - a southern destination where the Loonie could land without breaking a wing.
As Wikipedia notes, however, there are problems with the proposal, most originating in Canada despite the general perception that taking in the Turks and Caicos would be a good thing.
For the islands to join Canada as a full province would require amending the Canadian constitution, unlikely because it could provoke provinces to reopen debate on other aspects of Canada's constitution. On the other hand, small changes to the Constitution, such as renaming Newfoundland to Newfoundland and Labrador, have passed intact since 1949. The last new province, Newfoundland and Labrador, was brought into the country in 1949 by an act of the British Parliament. Joining as a territory would be easier, as territories can be created by an act of Parliament. In addition, its population of about 30,000 people is considered insufficient for provincial status. However, this attitude might change should the territories of Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut, with about 30,000 people each, ever become provinces.
In 2004, Conservative MP Peter Goldring visited Turks and Caicos to explore the possibility once more. He drafted a motion asking the Canadian Government to look into the issue, but his party declined, citing immigration, tourism, and economic issues.[citation needed] However, the Canadian government does not dismiss the possibility of a future union.
The province of Nova Scotia voted to invite Turks and Caicos to join the province in 2004, should the islands ever become part of Canada. This would bypass the problems with admitting Turks and Caicos as a separate province.
On March 2, 2009 the Ottawa Citizen ran an article on its online site reporting the interest of the Canadian government to open a deep-water port in the Caribbean that would open up "a new market for Canadian goods ... in the Caribbean and nearby Central and South America". "Suppose the port, unaffordable for Caribbean countries, boosted their standard of living and bolstered hemispheric security. Suppose the port doubled as a Canadian military operations base for countries wanting help to patrol their waters and to interdict the Caribbean's robust trade in smuggled arms, drugs and people."
In the 1990s support for integration into Canada as an "11th province" was at 90%, while in 2003 support for integration stood at around 60% in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Goldring, a Conservative MP from Edmonton, has championed the cause of integrating the Turks and Caicos Islands as a Canadian territory for security benefits as well as increasing Canada's influence in Central and Southern America in regards to anti-terrorism, trade and combating encroaching Chinese influence in several small Caribbean islands, such as St. Lucia.
Right now, massive corruption that forced out the territory's Prime Minister almost certainly is distracting the territory's people from the idea of merger with Canada. Seceding from Britain, instead, seems to be the current hot issue.
Premier Galmo Williams came to the United Nations Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism conference here with a simple message: Britain must withdraw its threat to suspend the constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), or better still, allow his people to determine their future in a referendum.
As he addressed the U.N. Special Committee, whose membership includes Bolivia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, and Venezuela, Williams recalled that in 1998, then British foreign secretary Robin Cook, in a statement to the Dependent Territories Association in London, had indicated that the democratically-elected governments of the Overseas Dependent Territories had the right to govern themselves and to be consulted by Britain on any constitutional changes affecting them.
"We submit that the UK Government have not consulted the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands on the proposed suspension of TCI’s Constitution," he said.
[. . .]
Earlier this year, Britain announced that it would suspend the territory’s constitution and impose direct rule for at least two years following the conclusion of a one-member ‘Commission of Inquiry’, which reported that it had found "clear signs" of corruption in the government.
[. . .]
Now, as he stood at the podium addressing the conference, Williams, who succeeded Misick as premier, insisted that the U.N. Decolonisation Committee should urge London to either hold the referendum or conduct a general poll to determine "the wishes of the people before the UK Government proceeds with suspension of TCI’s Constitution at May 31, 2009".
He said his government has refused to remain quiet on the decisions being debated and made in the British Parliament as they relate to the welfare of the TCI, insisting that citizens have shown that they can "govern themselves and have proven to be effective in doing so for many years without fear or favour in the process".
"Today, when we look at the development that has occurred in the Turks and Caicos Islands, it is questionable whether it would have occurred with members of the Her Majesty’s Government at the helm or its British appointed governor in the islands," Williams said. "We are the ones in the region who know our history, our dreams and aspirations. We are the ones who have dreams for our children and grandchildren."
A Canadian annexation of the Turks and Caicos, despite what members of both parties think, probably won't happen. A pity, that; a Canadian Caribbean territory would be cool.
