Be happy to be part of Canada

Dear Editor:

Re: Western Canada should separate from the East by Mike Polvere (Courier, Dec. 12).

I do not see why B.C. would want to join Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba (SAM) and leave Canada. The majority of BCers live in the Lower Mainland and have little connection with SAM.

There is a greater connection to the Cascadia group (Washington, Oregon, California).

If SAM did leave, then they would be truly landlocked and have more competitors than allies. They do not produce anything that cannot be purchased from elsewhere cheaper. (Gas is 96 cents in Ottawa) They would have to arrange trade agreements with Canada and the U.S. and we all know how long and crazy of a process that can be.

Canada would still own the Trans Mountain pipeline, unless SAM wanted to purchase it for $5 billion and then they would have to negotiate with B.C. for the line.

SAM is about one-sixth the population of Canada and therefore would have to pay Canada $110 billion for their portion of the national debt. Canada would also stop the $1.4 billion in subsidies to the oil patch. First Nations may not want to be part of SAM, or if they are, then SAM will have to start paying the billions to them.

There are also the minor items like the national parks, the military bases, etc are all owned by Canada. In summary, tiny SAM should be happy to stay in Canada. David Perron West Kelowna