People are getting ahead of themselves in assuming the Maritimes are doing so poorly that something needs to be changed. What was the
debt-to-GDP ratio for these provinces in 2016?
NB - 0.42
NS - 0.37
PEI - 0.35
Some others:
QC - 0.48
ON - 0.40
NL - 0.50
Most of these were roughly unchanged year-over-year except for NL, which went up by 7%. NL is unique in terms of its fiscal problems right now because it relies so heavily on oil and gas revenues.
But we keep hearing about demographic collapse in the Maritimes. When the population dwindles, they will not be able to handle their debts. How did the population change in the Maritimes from
2015-2016?
PEI +1.3%
NS +0.6%
NB + 0.3%
Maybe the population is still managing to grow but the economy is stalled. What is GDP growth expected to look like in 2016 and 2017?
P.E.I. +2.3 +1.7
N.S. +1.5 +1.6
N.B. -0.4 +1.4
(N.B. with lower population growth than some other provinces, the GDP growth in the Maritimes works out to larger growth in the GDP per capita.)
If there is ever a serious fiscal or political problem in the region then the afflicted province(s) will barter away power piecemeal and maybe merge if things get really bad. That's not what's happening right now though. PEI is singled out most frequently but it's doing fine; better than almost any similar area in Canada.
Note also that the discussion about the capital going in this or that place to minimize upset also makes no sense in light of the previous point. If a province collapses and needs to be bailed out, it will not be in a position to dictate what happens.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
Status quo in NB
Likely increased bilingualism or francophone services in areas like Clare, Ile Madame, Chéticamp, Abram-Village and Mont-Carmel
Status quo most everywhere else
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A while back I saw some polling data about how Canadians in each province felt about bilingual services. The Maritimes were some of the most supportive if not the most supportive provinces*. I don't think the region is broadly against Acadians lobbying for better services in the region, although many anglophones are ignorant about what services communities like that need in order to thrive. If Acadians were to play their cards right they could probably get lots of special treatment. The story about some people in Saint John complaining about bilingual street signs is basically an anecdote that isn't representative of the region as a whole.
* Acadians have a kind of "founder" status in the Maritimes and there is still collective guilt about events like the deportation. Consequently, it is much easier for them politically to ask for special treatment.