Sorry for posting a two year old article, but i still found it interesting because I dont remember hearing anything about it.

Nova Scotia votes to invite Turks and Caicos to join it
Friday, April 23, 2004

HALIFAX, Canada: According to CBC News, Nova Scotia's three political parties voted unanimously Wednesday to invite Turks and Caicos to join the province, if the Caribbean islands ever become part of Canada.

Tory backbencher Bill Langille has never been to the 40-island chain, but he thinks the union is a natural, given historical trade connections and a sea-going culture.

He introduced the non-binding resolution in hopes of spurring talks at the federal level.

Prime Minister Paul Martin agreed last month to meet with Michael Misick, the Turks and Caicos chief minister, to talk about possibly forming some sort of relationship.

Talks about forming some kind of alliance were first brought up by Prime Minister Robert Borden in 1917, and have surfaced several times in the succeeding decades. However, Canada has turned down an alliance three times, largely because it doesn't want to be seen as being neocolonialist.

The islands, which are a British colony, are financially self-sufficient and run a balanced budget.

Edmonton Tory MP Peter Goldring has taken up the latest campaign, visiting the islands for a fact-finding mission last January.

His sales pitch is that the islands already host 16,000 Canadians each year and would provide a stable retirement and vacation destination. Thirty per cent of hotels and resorts are Canadian-owned. He also says the islands could be the Canadian hub for Caribbean trade.

It's not clear what an alliance between Canada and the Turks and Caicos would look like, but comparisons have been made with New Zealand and the Cook Islands or even France and Martinique.

As for Nova Scotia, at least one MP wasn't amused with the idea of annexing a tropical paradise. Glace Bay MP Dave Wilson said Nova Scotia already has one island to take care of – Cape Breton.

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/2004/04/23/join.htm

Turks and Caicos joining Canada has been a topic since the early 1970s. During that time alot of Carribian Islands that were part of the commonwealth were part of the West Indies Federation, which was a group of islands (Jamaica, T&C, etc.) trying to gain independence, but fell apart. Nova Scotia offered to invite T&C as part of the province to bypass the necessary constitutional amendment with bringing a new province into the confederation.

T&C does a bulk of it's trade and tourism with Canada, but uses American currency. I support T&C Joining, either as aprt of Nova Scotia or as a seperate territory. We could use a Hawai'i. :)

Turks and Caicos joining Canada has been a topic since the early 1970s. During that time alot of Carribian Islands that were part of the commonwealth were part of the West Indies Federation, which was a group of islands (Jamaica, T&C, etc.) trying to gain independence, but fell apart. Nova Scotia offered to invite T&C as part of the province to bypass the necessary constitutional amendment with bringing a new province into the confederation.

T&C does a bulk of it's trade and tourism with Canada, but uses American currency. I support T&C Joining, either as aprt of Nova Scotia or as a seperate territory. We could use a Hawai'i. :)

Domestic flights to paradise baby :)

Yeah, I heard about this, and I think T&C joining Can is a good idea, even though I think the NS angle may be a bit lame. I just wish we were hearing some movement on this. So far, the idea seems destined to sink back into oblivion. :no:

Yeah, I heard about this, and I think T&C joining Can is a good idea, even though I think the NS angle may be a bit lame. I just wish we were hearing some movement on this. So far, the idea seems destined to sink back into oblivion. :no:

I have heard about the idea of T & C joining Canada, but the idea of it becoming part of N.S. is new to me. I don't think it is lame though at the very least its an interesting idea to have a little piece of "New Scotland" in the caribbean. :)

T&C comes up then disappears from time to time. It probably won't happen, but if it does that'll be cool. :)

does the T&Q islands even have a good airport to land a 737 at ?????
I would certainly not want to fly out of cuba to avoid entry into the untied states on the way to the T&Q islands.

I really think that these type of talks are always a way for a MP to get a vacation trip dressed up as a "fact finding mission"


jim jones

that would be nice if they did join Canada (so much for it being so cold here then haha), though that is pretty ridiculous to think they'd become part of Nova Scotia. you shouldn't have one province spread across thousands of kilometres, having them be their own province would be much more fair and beneficial to them.

'does the T&Q islands even have a good airport to land a 737 at ?????'

They have 2. One on each main island.

'I would certainly not want to fly out of cuba to avoid entry into the untied states on the way to the T&Q islands. '

Direct flights from Toronto, Philadelphia and New York. No flights to Cuba.

'I really think that these type of talks are always a way for a MP to get a vacation trip dressed up as a "fact finding mission"'

So I guess any visits to tropical areas by an members of any parliament should be banned because they're just going on Vacation? What about their summer break? We should be working those bastards like slaves, goddamnit!

:P

that would be nice if they did join Canada (so much for it being so cold here then haha), though that is pretty ridiculous to think they'd become part of Nova Scotia. you shouldn't have one province spread across thousands of kilometres, having them be their own province would be much more fair and beneficial to them.

I think with a population of 21,000 provincal status would be out of the question. However territorial status would make more sense. I would not want to see Nova Scotia do to the T & C what Canada did to the Maritimes. ie make a hardworking, prosperous and independent people into a dependency because of policies imposed on them by a government they have little control on.

Well the T&Q islands becoming part of canada really is more about our wishfull thinking then Theirs. Surprized at the airports as it is so close to miami and san juan. I think if canadians are seroius about the island then start visiting them instead of cuba. Cuba I am sure has nice place but it is not a democracy which T&Q is. I personally have no desire to support castro and i dont understand why people in canada do. Putting Aids victims in prisons is not cool. Espeically when most were the result of castro sending soldiers to fight in angola. As to the member of parliaments comments on france and martinque . I have been to martinque and it is a carribean basket case that costs the french government big money to maintain. Britian has learned the lessons of colony dependance well and granted independance to many of the territories they have had not on social justice issues but on economics.
Canada should be careful with expansion as it might cost more then we see on the surface.

jim jones

'I think if canadians are seroius about the island then start visiting them instead of cuba. Cuba I am sure has nice place but it is not a democracy which T&Q is.'

Most of T&Cs tourists are Canadians, and most of their politicians are appointed.

But as long as we're far away from the commies, hey, can't go wrong, eh?

I've thought about this issue before - not looked too much into it, just thoughts...

I think it'd be awesome if T&C joined Canada. It'd be kind of wierd having it as part of N.S. but whatever, we'd get used to it. It still seems like it would make more sense for them to join as a seperate territory. Or maybe they could join up with Nunavut, sort of a bipolar territory, ha.

As for the money it costs to maintain... I don't know, they don't have a huge population and it seems pretty tame there from what I can tell. I think, if the cards were played right, it could be a great source of travel income from tourists outside Canada, not to mention Canadians being able to vacation south while still being able to spend their dollars within the country.

At the same time, we wouldn't necessarily have to change a lot, interfering too much with the country's own traditions and cultures. though there would likely be a huge increase in the number of visitors.

I think it'd be great for T&C to join Canada. Not just T&C, but a lot of the either former British Caribbean islands have a long close alliance with Canada.

Nova Scotia already has one island to look after. I don't think it could handle anymore :nuts:

I honestly don't see the big deal?
Most people are for it, in both 'countries'
So, MAKE IT HAPPEN ALREADY!
GOSH!

Nova Scotia already has one island to look after. I don't think it could handle anymore :nuts:
Maybe Capers should learn to take care of themselves and stop asking for daddy Ottawa and mama Halifax to make work for them. :tongue3:

Maybe Capers should learn to take care of themselves and stop asking for daddy Ottawa and mama Halifax to make work for them. :tongue3:

Seems to me that sydney nova scotia isnt bidding on the commonwealth games and asking for the federal government pay for it which is way beyond what has happended with funding of sports festivals in canada LOL. Both Halifax and Cape Breton have been guilty of asking ans getting handouts.

If halifax cant afford their part then withdraw and get on with replacing the sewer lines which are in bad shape.

jim jones

You don't even live in Halifax. Why are you so worried about our sewars?

Seems to me that sydney nova scotia isnt bidding on the commonwealth games and asking for the federal government pay for it which is way beyond what has happended with funding of sports festivals in canada LOL. Both Halifax and Cape Breton have been guilty of asking ans getting handouts.

If halifax cant afford their part then withdraw and get on with replacing the sewer lines which are in bad shape.

jim jones

I guess when Vancouver gets federal funding for the 2010 games its an investment.

Well it might have been an investment in the eyes of the paul martin liberals but considering that the cost overrun problem can be partial pegged to the vancouver committee located the speed skating oval at a cost of 150 million plus on Sand Soil in Richmond BC the investment is not being looked after wisely by the committee there. Cascadia Subduction earthquake zone plus venue that has a tolerance of 10 mm per 100 m equals terrible errors in judgement. that is why the conservatives are sticking to the original formula of 35 percent and auditing the books with an independant auditing firm.

Now Halifax they want 80 percent paid for by the federal government which unfairly breaks every other funding formula in the past with one exception
Montreal 1976 which got absolutely nothing for capital costs. Montreal however
cost the canadian taxpayer 150 million in 1976 dollars for security and who know what for the CBC.

Again tories are sticking to the numbers and the statement by micheal chong maybe support in some eyes but is actually a set up for the feds under the tories not to have to pay a dime because the city will not be able to come up with the money to make up the shortfall.

How do I know the city will not be able to come up with the goods. Fire stations, North commons baseball field , amatuer soccer field user pay increases. Yes the elts try playing the game of a sub standard facility with the different international sport federations like the city has for the last 3 years with the senoir baseball league at the north common baseball field.
The problem with that is The federation is holding a gun to the canadain politicians heads that is a 80 million dollar deposit.

Stephen Harper and Jim Flattery are not going to get themselves in that position like Martin did with Vancouver 2010.

Jim jones

They really should approve it. Canada tourism industry would improve substantially, the island would become more prosperous from foreign investor, and theoretically so would the people. Not to mention Canadian people would keep their hard earned dollars within the Canadian system instead of sending it to Cuba, DR, USA...also aiding both parties.

They would get a good free health care system, the ability if they so choose to move to Canada in a similar ways that Puerto Rico does. The infrastructure of the country is already pretty strong. Their schools, banking systems, and tourism industry are good. They are a safe, fun loving, considerate people, where upwards of 60 % of their population want to be part of Canada.

Depending on *how* Canada would write legislation in terms of the Banking situation should they annex T & C, the island and Canada could become very prosperous. Financial services account for about 30 % of the countries GDP currently, but I could see that easily tripling or quadrupling. Being a part of Canada, along with their current regulations(its low direct taxation on personal or corporate income) would give the Islands added credibility and security, resulting in an increase of capital which could essentially turn T & C into an offshore financial location similar to that of U.K Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, or Bermuda,.

In 15 - 20 years I could easily see them compete with Bermuda, and perhaps even have their own stock exchange if this "Carribean Canadian Port" comes into play...