The
      People’s
      Republic
      of
     
     
      Cape
      Breton?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Kent
      Bruyneel
     
     
      EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Note:
      “This
      past
      weekend”
     
     
      in
      copy
      refers
      to
      January
     
     
      29-30.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SYDNEY,
      NS
      _
      (CUP)-
     
     
      Decreasing
      financial
     
     
      support,
      and
      an
      increasing
     
     
      feeling
      of
      isolation,
      have
     
     
      left
      many
      on
      the
      island
      of
     
     
      Cape
      Breton
      feeling
      that
      a
     
     
      separation
      from
      Nova
     
     
      Scotia
      is
      in
      their
      best
     
     
      interest.
     
    

    
     
      “We're
      living
      in
      an
     
     
      area
      where
      our
      coal
      mines
     
     
      are
      closing,
      our
      heavy
      water
     
     
      plant
      is
      gone,
      our
      steel
      mills
     
     
      are
      going
      and
      nothing
      is
     
     
      being
      put
      in
      to
      replace
     
     
      those
      jobs,”
      said
      Regional
     
     
      Municipal
      Councilor
      Ron
     
     
      Burrows.
      “A
      lot
      more
     
     
      could
      and
      would
      happen
      if
     
     
      we
      had
      self-determination.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      transfer
      of
     
     
      money
      to
      the
      province
      of
     
     
      Nova
      Scotia
      from
      the
     
     
      federal
      government
      is
     
     
      affected
      by
      the
      increasing
     
     
      unemployment
      on
      the
     
     
      island
      of
      Cape
      Breton.
     
     
      Ottawa’s
      provincial
      transfer
     
     
      payment
      formula
      is
      tied
      to
     
     
      the
      level
      of
      unemployment
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      a
      province.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      Burrows,
     
     
      among
      others,
      believes
      Cape
     
     
      Breton
      is
      not
      seeing
      its
     
     
      equitable
      share
      of
      the
     
     
      money.
     
    

    
     
      “Our
      problems,
     
     
      our
      unemployment,
      is
     
     
      driving
      [Nova
      Scotia’s]
     
     
      transfer
      payments,”
      said
     
     
      Burrows.
      “And
      we
      [Cape
     
     
      Breton]
      are
      not
      seeing
      it.
      .
     
     
      ..
      We
      have
      no
      say
      in
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      financial
      affairs
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Provincial
      government.”
     
     
      Both
      students
      and
     
     
      faculty
      members
      at
      the
     
     
      University
      College
      of
      Cape
     
     
      Breton
      (UCCB)
      echo
     
     
      Burrows’
      thoughts.
      Jamie
     
     
      MacLean,
      a
      second-year
     
     
      Science
      student
      said:
      “The
     
     
      mainland
      gets
      most
      of
      the
     
     
      money,
      we
      see
      nothing
      in
     
     
      terms
      of
      more
      money,
     
     
      jobs,
      or
      more
     
     
      opportunities
      and
      you
     
     
      would
      think
      we
      should.”
     
     
      Dr.
      Bob
     
     
      Morgan,
      director
     
     
      of
      the
      Beaton
     
     
      Instituteat
      UCCB,
     
     
      an
      organization
     
     
      dedicated
      to
     
     
      archiving
      and
     
     
      preserving
      the
     
     
      history:
      of
      Cape
     
     
      concurs
     
     
      with
      _
      both
     
     
      MacLean
      and
     
     
      Burrows.
      Morgan
     
     
      feels
      the
      absence
      of
     
     
      a
      strong
      sense
      of
     
     
      Nova
      Scotian
      pride
     
     
      and
      a
      complete
      lack
      of
     
     
      interaction
      with
      the
     
     
      provincial
      government
      has
     
     
      led
      to
      a
      situation
      where
      the
     
     
      island
      feels
      much
      closer
      to
     
     
      the
      federal
      government.
     
     
      “The
      feeling
      is
      that
     
     
      the
      money
      being
      sent
      from
     
     
      Ottawa
      is
      being
      laundered
     
     
      in
      Halifax,
      and
      we
      are
     
     
      effectively
      getting
      the
     
     
      crumbs
      that
      are
      left
      over,”
     
     
      said
      Dr.
      Morgan.
     
     
      Morgan
      also
     
     
      explained
      the
      historical
     
     
      perspective,
      which
      has
      led
     
     
      Cape
      Bretoners
      to
      feel
      a
     
     
      sense
      of
      individual
      identity,
     
     
      overrides
      their
     
     
      commitment
      to
      the
     
     
      province.
      Cape
      Breton
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      not
      a
      part
      of
      Nova
      Scotia
     
    
   
   
    
     
      more
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Breton,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      until
      it
      was
      annexed
      in
     
     
      1820.
      Since
      then
      -
      especially
     
     
      in
      the
      1830s,
      1880s,
      1920s
     
     
      and
      throughout
      the
      1970's
     
     
      -
      Cape
      Breton
      has
      seen
      the
     
     
      occasional
      rise
      of
      separatist
     
     
      fervour.
      The
      current
     
     
      movement
      is
      buttressed
      by
     
     
      the
      fact
      that
      any
      future
     
     
      Quebec
      distinct
      society
     
     
      clause
      could
      be
      used
      in
     
     
      defining
      Cape
      Breton
      as
      its
     
    
   
   
    
     
      own
      distinct
      society.
     
     
      “Psychologically
     
     
      we
      are
      our
      own
     
    
   
   
    
     
      province,”
      said
      Dr.
      Morgan.
     
     
      “We
      have
      our
      own
      culture
     
     
      and
      our
      own
     
     
      manners.There
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Psychologically
     
     
      ee
      ea
     
     
      CT
      Tae
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      eT
      RUC
      EEL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      HH
      tC
     
    
   
   
    
     
      institute
      Director
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is,
      here,
      an
      overwhelming
     
     
      feeling
      of
      being
      different.”
     
    

    
     
      Dr.
      Richard
     
     
      MacKinnon,
      a
      folklorist
     
     
      and
      =
      professor
      at
     
     
      UCCB,
      explains
      how
      the
     
     
      level
      of
      complexity
      inside
     
     
      Cape
      Breton’s
      population
     
     
      makes
      for
      a
      society
      that
      has
     
     
      its
      own
      diversity,
      and
     
     
      its
      own
      mixed
      history
     
    
   
   
    
     
      which
      supercedes
      any
     
     
      idea
      ofa
      provincial
      identity.
     
     
      lca
      te
      OOF
     
    
   
   
    
     
      vernacular
      and
      it
      is
      very
     
     
      distinct.
      Even
      though
      we
     
     
      have
      several
      different
     
     
      nationalities
      and
      races
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      including
      a
      large
      Micmac
     
    
   
   
    
     
      population,
      a
      strong
      Gaelic
     
     
      culture
      and
      dozens
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      European
      communities
      -
      |
     
     
      we,
      together,
      in
      Cape
     
    
   
   
    
     
      have
      our
      own
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Breton,
     
     
      dialect,
      our
      own
      pattern
      of
     
     
      life
      and
      our
      own
      way
      of
     
     
      thinking,”
      Dr.
      MacKinnon
     
     
      said.
     
    

    
     
      The
      province’s
     
     
      declining
      financial
      welfare,
     
     
      witnessed
      by
      the
      closing
      of
     
     
      the
      DEVCO
      mines
      in
     
     
      Sydney,
      has
      further
      pushed
     
     
      many
      in
      the
      community
      to.
     
     
      believe
      that
      a
      solution
     
     
      which
      includes
      the
      help
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      provincial
      government
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      Halifax
      is
      no
      solution
      at.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      all.
     
    

    
     
      “It
      does
      not
      matter
     
     
      who
      is
      in
      power,
      for
     
     
      that
      power
      will
      always
      be
     
     
      in
      Halifax,
      and
      we
      will
     
     
      always
      be
      treated
      likea
      poor
     
     
      ninth
      cousin,”
      MacKinnon
     
     
      added.
     
    

    
     
      The
      legalities
      of
     
     
      separation
      are
      complex,
      but
     
     
      not
      impossible,
      explains
     
     
      Constitutional
      lawyer
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _and
      University
      of
      Ottawa
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Law
      Professor
      Joseph
     
     
      Magent.
     
    

    
     
      “Founding
      a
      new
     
     
      province
      is
      covered
      under
     
     
      Part
      5
      of
      the
      Constitution
     
     
      Act
      of
      1982,”
      Magent
      said.
     
     
      “It
      requires
      the
      participation
     
     
      of
      the
      Senate,
      the
      House
      of
     
     
      Commons
      and
      all
      of
      the
     
     
      provinces,
      including
      Nova
     
     
      Scotia.”
     
    

    
     
      Magnet
      further
     
     
      explains
      that
      the
      problem
     
     
      in
      creating
      a
      new
      province
     
     
      in
      Cape
      Breton
      is
      that
      ofall
     
     
      the
      provinces
      will
      still
      want
     
     
      to
      keep
      their
      balance
      of
     
     
      power.
      In
      the
      case
      of
      Nova
     
     
      Scotia,
      he
      adds,
      it
      is
     
    

    
     
      hard
      to
      imagine
      them
     
     
      handing
      over
      some
      of
      their
     
     
      national
      authority
      to
      Cape
     
     
      Breton.
     
    

    
     
      The
      student
     
     
      population
      in
      Cape
      Breton
     
     
      feels
      the
      weight
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      from
      Halifax
      in
      that
      they
      |
     
     
      are
      often
      unable
      to
      find
     
     
      work
      in
      their
      home
      city.
     
    

    
     
      “I
      suppose
      you
      call
     
     
      it
      the
      ‘brain
      drain’,
     
     
      [however],
      I
      know
      many
     
     
      UCCEB
      students,
      students
     
     
      of
      mine,
      who
      would
      have
     
     
      loved
      to
      stay
      here
      but
      were
     
     
      unable
      due
      to
      the
      lack
      of
     
     
      existing,
      or
      potential
     
     
      opportunities.
      It
      is
      sad
     
     
      because
      UCCB
      is
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      bright
      lights
      in
      what
      is
      a
     
     
      very
      frustrated
      region.
      When
     
     
      we
      lose
      some
      of
      those
     
     
      students
      we
      lose
      some
      of
     
     
      the
      brightness,”
      said
      Dr.
     
     
      MacKinnon.
     
    

    
     
      Mio:
      ¢.2
      nm,
     
     
      MacKinnon
      and
      _
      others
     
     
      will
      discuss
      the
      issue
      at
      a
     
     
      conference
      that
      includes
     
     
      Iceland,
      Malta
      and
      the
     
     
      Faroe
      Islands,
      a
      region
      just
     
     
      now
      gaining
      its
     
     
      independence
      from
     
     
      Denmark.
      These
      and
     
     
      other
      parties
      meet
      in
      Cape
     
     
      Breton
      to
      discuss
      self-
     
     
      determination
      and
      the
      role
     
     
      of
      local
      government
      in
     
     
      determining
      the
      fate
      of
      the
     
     
      local
      economy.
     
    

    
     
      “It
      has
      been
     
     
      shown,”
      said
      Dr.
      Morgan,
     
     
      “that
      many
      micro-states
      do
     
     
      as
      well
      as
      or,
      in
      fact,
      better
     
     
      separate
      than
      they
      did
      as
     
     
      past
      members
      of
      a
      larger
     
     
      state.
      These
      are
      the
      issues
     
     
      we
      are
      going
      to
      explore
     
     
      with
      our
      guests
      from
     
     
      Iceland
      and
      the
      Faroes.”
     
    

    
     
      This
      issue
      is
      headed
     
     
      to
      its
      most
      public
      platform
     
     
      on
      the
      18th
      of
      February
     
     
      when
      local
      __politicall
     
     
      leaders
      and
      members
      of
      the
     
     
      community
      will
      meet
      in
     
     
      Baddeck,
      Nova
      Scotia,
     
     
      to
      decide
      on
      how
      to
     
     
      pursue
      a
      more
      prosperous
     
    
   
   
    
     
      future
      for
      the
      troubled
     
     
      a
      ..
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