Paul: The End of Ontario’s Dominance
Posted on 30 April 2008 by Jack
Strange, don’t you think, that it took an American to once and for all put an end to Ontario’s dominance of the federation.
A few years ago, a Billings petroleum geologist by the name of Dick Findley was working out of his basement - searching for oil in an area that had been barren for over 20 years. Things were rough and he was struggling to get by.
He even flirted with the idea of getting a second job as a restaurant cook. On a diet of nothing but Ramen noodles and hard-boiled eggs - how could you blame the guy?
But one thing kept Dick going - an unprecedented suspicion that this area, known as the Bakken Basin, contained more oil than Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran combined.
The Bakken Basin, located in Montana, North Dakota and Saskatchewan - was at one point coined “one of the largest disappointments in the oil industry.”During this period, technology lacked the efficiency to make drilling worthwhile. And when oil hit all time lows in the late 90’s - the Bakken Basin was basically abandoned.
But Findley kept digging around.
And through sheer luck, he and his partner stumbled upon a porous layer of dolomite, 9000 feet below the ground of a ranch just outside Sidney, Montana.
This stumble turned out to be the largest on-shore oil discovery in decades. Little did he know, but Findley discovered enough oil to fuel the U.S. for 41 years.
It used to be Alberta alone … but no more. The rush is on in Saskatchewan, and those getting in early will also retire early.
Popularity: 22% [?]
April 30th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I don’t think it will be the end of Ontario’s dominance at all. All it means is that there’s more money to suck out of the west. It all boils down to votes. As long as the electoral map is laid out that the west’s votes don’t count, we will be the trough for Ontario and Quebec. History has proven it again and again.
May 1st, 2008 at 3:05 am
It has been know for decades that Saskatchewan and Manitoba are sitting on mega reserves of oil. Their oil is very heavy though and has to be extruded using high pressure steam. With the high price of oil it is now economically viable to start drilling those reserves.
Again, another shift of the financial base to the west as Toronto becomes too expensive as the Head Office location for many firms. As the population of the west continues to grow and the outflow from Ontario begins we will see a gradual shift in seats along population growth.
May 1st, 2008 at 7:59 am
The silly claim that a persons voted does not count is tiring. I’m not aware of any polling booth across Canada that did not count the votes cast. People who say their votes don’t count are really saying they voted for the wrong party. They also feel for some reason that their votes are more important than others. Seems to me it’s still one person one vote.
Oh it’s going to be so tiresome listening to the Ontario bashers cry about equalization payments coming to Ontario. Now’s the chance to stomp Ontario into the ground. What the hell we’ll just ignore them as usual. The same broken record, just different words.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:17 am
When I hear the bloc ndp and liberals bash the west they don’t seem to get it that it is the west that feed them. It also amazes me the difference in treatment Danny Williams gets and not the same for the west, from ontario is because Danny is more of a liberal than a conservative and who can easily shut off the taps on Ontario and since NFLD and Labrador is wealthier than ONTARIO,there is no mistaking that Williams will run the show- gives orders to Ontario or else face……
May 1st, 2008 at 10:09 am
I’m from Ontario and I do believe the province needs a shake-up.
It’s been too smug for too long.
You don’t suppose that with the great nos. in Quebec and the building strength of the west, that Harper knows that he might not really need Ontario..or its voters?
I’ve spent the last few months touring universities and I have to tell you that in conversation with other parents doing the same thing, I can’t believe the number of parents who are encouraging their kids to go either west or east for their post-secondary choices. Even we looked elsewhere.
Why?
Opportunity and Freedom from the Nannystate.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:33 am
This will put enormous strain on Confederation. Canada has been led around by the political nose by Ontario since day one. If Ontario now expects to still exert that amount of political influence AND suck money from the west, they are in for an enormous shock.
May 1st, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Well just keep bashing, we’ve put up with it for so long, more really won’t hurt. As for sucking money from the west. We’ve paid into equalization for years is everyone suggesting we shouldn’t now?
May 1st, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Bloomberg.com: Quebec will give Morgan Stanley an annual tax credit of as much as C$20,000 per employee, Jerome-Forget said. Morgan Stanley will get the subsidy as part of a provincial plan to subsidize up to 30 percent of wages for new jobs in the information technology industry.
“One of the world’s biggest investors has chosen to invest in Quebec,” Premier Jean Charest said at the press conference. “This sends a strong signal about the future of our economy.”
Yes it certainly “sends a strong signal” that Quebec needs Ontario money to buy jobs.
Why is Quebec getting $8 billion a year in equalization payments? Why is its subsidized energy costs lower than Ontario’s. Why is its university tuition half of Ontario’s? Why isn’t Quebec tackling its massive debt of $130 B that was run up by excessive socialism?
Why are we suckers on equalization?
May 1st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Larry McLean….you miss the point. Ontario has driven the political agenda in this country for far too long (”national interest” and all that BS). You are not going to get away with mismanaging your own economy, expecting others to pay for it (all the while pilloring those from whom the money is coming from) AND continue to demand to drive the political agenda. Get a helmet and get in the game.