Turks & Caicos to Canada? (merged)

[PMedMoe]

Baird says no to annexing Turks and Caicos as new province or territory

.....

The Conservative government, however, was firmly rejecting any suggestion of welcoming Turks and Caicos into the Canadian fold. “We’re not in the business of annexing islands in the Caribbean to be part of Canada. So that’s not something that we’re exploring. We’re not looking at any sort of formal association with the islands,” Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said.

.....

More at link

Bummer. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

Reminding us of some reality (highlights mine) ....

Before we get all worked up about this, a bit of research is in order. While this wikipedia article is quite out of date, other than a great climate and terrific scenery/beaches, the British colony may not be all that we wish. Much of the economy is based on being an off shore financial haven, which presumably would disappear once the prospect of coming under Canadian law loomed on the horizon. The workforce is mainly unskilled and ill-educated, even if that is not necessarily their fault. And tourism, which is quite valuable, might take a hit once visitors began to pay the HST and other Canadian taxes on accommodation, meals and booze.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turks_and_Caicos_Islands

Maybe it's just better to dream the impossible dream.

Or make 'em "Canada's Hong Kong"! 

Baird says no to annexing Turks and Caicos as new province or territory

.....

The Conservative government, however, was firmly rejecting any suggestion of welcoming Turks and Caicos into the Canadian fold. “We’re not in the business of annexing islands in the Caribbean to be part of Canada. So that’s not something that we’re exploring. We’re not looking at any sort of formal association with the islands,” Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said.

.....

More at link

Bummer. 

Bummer, indeed ....

 

[Occam]

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/the-gargoyle-canadian-invasion-of-turks-and-caicos-unlikely

If anyone appeared to be trying to close the door, it was Baird. After delivering a prepared statement promising Canada’s support for Ukraine’s newly elected government, the foreign affairs minister was hit with not one but several questions about the Turks and Caicos.

“This is not something we’re exploring,” he said, his expression clearly conveying that he thought the suggestion borderline silly.

That's odd, I make that same expression when the thought crosses my mind of re-electing these buffoons.

 

[cupper]

Baird says no to annexing Turks and Caicos as new province or territory

I notice that he didn't say anything about not making them colonies.  >

 

[Brad Sallows]

A merged thread...how appropriate.

Let's just stick to what Premier Ewing came here to pursue...liberalized movement of goods and people.

 

[Biggoals2bdone]

There were a lot of issues ~ some quality of work, other quality of life. One of the issues was jobs for dependents, for example; another was "things to do" in one's off duty time. Many people were sad to see Inuvik close and Masset and Gander drop (in strength) to detachment status (with many tasks done, remotely, from Leitrim) but it made good economic and operational sense.

And that's different from pretty much HALF the current postings in Canada how??  Most postings now have dismal opportunities for jobs for spouses/dependents (even with post-secondary schooling) and a lot aren't much better when it comes to leisure...yet we aren't shutting any of those down...

If a base or anything opened up in T&C, after it became a province, odds are many typical Canadian installations would be opened there, like a cineplex, gas stations, malls, roads, hospital, etc...aka it would be Canadianized, which is completely different than when we had installations in other countries.

 

[George Wallace]

With the number of Resorts on those Islands, I am sure that there really are no shortages of jobs for qualified people.  I imagine such an annexation would also kick start a large number of construction of infrastructure and other amenities.

This debate has many pros and cons, and discussions over many decades.

 

[a_majoor]

Anyone stop to think that if the Turks and Caicos were part of Canada, we might a also be on the hook to defend them from "counter annexation" much the way the Thatcher government launched and expedition to liberate the Falkland Islands...

 

[The Bread Guy]

Anyone stop to think that if the Turks and Caicos were part of Canada, we might a also be on the hook to defend them from "counter annexation" much the way the Thatcher government launched and expedition to liberate the Falkland Islands...

I'll bite - what neighbours have been saying "hey, they're really ours, dagnabit"?

 

[CougarKing]

Anyone stop to think that if the Turks and Caicos were part of Canada, we might a also be on the hook to defend them from "counter annexation" much the way the Thatcher government launched and expedition to liberate the Falkland Islands...

If it ever came to annexation, wouldn't the UK be complicit in it though? Wasn't that what happened when Canada inherited the Arctic Archipelago from the UK? London was also complicit in allowing Newfoundland to join Canada in 1949.

The TCI may be more one of a number of British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean, but would the average Briton really on the street really care what happens to them? Especially if a fellow Commonwealth Dominion (Canada) is the one annexing them?

The TCI are not the Falklands.

 

[a_majoor]

I wasn't talking about the UK trying to annex them back from us, but rather unfriendly neighbours in the local neighbourhood, much like Argentina tried to annex the Falklands back in the day.

 

[Ostrozac]

I wasn't talking about the UK trying to annex them back from us, but rather unfriendly neighbours in the local neighbourhood, much like Argentina tried to annex the Falklands back in the day.

Actual military threats from DR, Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas are the least of our worries. And would be easy to solve -- didn't we expand NORAD to include martime threats a few years ago? Couldn't we expect the USA to have our back militarily, at least on air and sea?

We should really be asking if CBSA, DFO, the RCMP and the Canadian Coast Guard are prepared to operate in the Caribbean -- particularly with respect to drugs and refugee claimants coming from the neighbouring countries. I suspect that all four agencies are not.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I wasn't talking about the UK trying to annex them back from us, but rather unfriendly neighbours in the local neighbourhood, much like Argentina tried to annex the Falklands back in the day.

Two words, from "Yes, Minister" - "goodwill visit"  ;D

Seriously, what neighbours covet T&C now?