Island Town
"We're off, then." That's the rallying cry of Alberta's separatists. No, such demands and plans are neither new nor revolutionary. But this time, the idea of leaving the land of the Maple Leaf is bein
Right in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, two hundred kilometres from the nearest supermarket, the residents of the Îles-de-la-Madeleine once seriously considered leaving Canada. Not out of anger. More out of exhaustion. And a little out of pride. The islanders felt cut off, because between Canada — the nation, the country — and the islands, the only connection was a watery one. They did, for what it’s worth, “found” the Republic of Madawaska, something halfway between reality and a joke. It was more of a cultural construct, one that began in the 19th century and carried on until 1977, but there was never any real intention of a final goodbye. The independence movement on the Madeleine Islands, under the influence of a man named Antonin Doiron, showed just how much the sense of community within a state actually matters. In the case of the Madeleine islanders, it wasn’t enough.
In Switzerland, it was the people in the western part of the Jura who wanted to break free from Switzerland — or at least from the canton of Bern. And they did. The struggle in the rocky Jura took decades. But freedom from an uncomprehending authority is too sweet to ignore. The youngest canton is called Jura, and so far it cuts a fine figure in the Confoederatio Helvetica.
Something about this story stirs a memory. Ah yes, now it comes back to me. My own “liberation story” ten years ago has similar traits — or flights — that motivated me to leave Switzerland for good. No, Switzerland never ignored me. Basel least of all. The lure was adventure, the new, the unknown, and the sweetness of discovery. My decision to exit Switzerland (!) took all of two full, long seconds. Then I packed my two cats and a suitcase and landed in Toronto.
The difference from the Madeleine Islands? I’m no islander. I landed in the community — on Team Canada. Gently, and into a culture of openness and opportunity that I never could have anticipated. And yes, Basel had prepared me for this life: the borders with Germany and France were never obstacles, but invitations to openness and tolerance.
In the province of Alberta, the signs right now all point to leaving Team Canada. Whether that too was a two-second decision is not on record. But the timing is surely poorly chosen. When the threats from the south of the continent grow steadily stronger and more intense, the value of holding together is the most powerful force a nation has.
Sit back and sip a Caesar — the quintessentially Canadian cocktail? Oh no. The Canadian team spirit is wide awake and ready to defend the sovereignty of Canada.
This time, more than two seconds.