Open Journal Montreal

by Foggy Bottom

Canadians live in a vast and inhospitable land. In discussing France’s wars with England over Quebec in the 18th Century, Voltaire once lamented on waste of blood and treasure committed for “quelques arpents de neige.” It is time for Canada to break from the tyranny of cold. It is time that Canada annexes the Turks and Caicos.

The Turks and Caicos (T&C) are an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated some 300 kilometers north of Haiti and 250 kilometers east of Cuba. The territory is made up of some 40 islands, eight of which are inhabited. The total population of the Turks and Caicos is a small 20,550.

The idea of Canadian annexation of the islands has a long historical pedigree. Canadian Prime Minister Borden pioneered the idea of annexing T&C in 1917. The issue reemerged in 1974 when a MP Max Saltsman introduced a private members bill to study a relationship between T&C and Canada. In 1986, members of the T&C government approached the Canadian government with the view of establishing a special relationship. Polls commissioned in T&C at the time suggested that some 90% of the population favored such an association. The Canadian parliamentary Sub-Committee on External Affairs chaired by David Daubney, released a report soon thereafter concluding that it would be inappropriate for Canada to unilaterally institute formal talks with the T&C given that an election was imminent in the Islands, and Canada could not be seen to be interfering in the internal, free democratic process in another country. The idea of some form of annexation of the island was most recently resurrected in 2003 by MP Peter Goldring, and by the Parliament of Nova Scotia, which extended an invitation for T&C to join Canada.

There are significant costs and benefits at play in the potential Canadian annexation of the T&C. First the annexation of a new territory by Canada would carry significant political consequences. Canada derives considerable legitimacy from the fact that it is not considered a colonial power. The international community tends to see Canada as an honest broker, a friendly third power with friends in high places. Canadian diplomats benefit from a large degree of trust. Such trust, credibility, and political capital could be eroded should Canada annex an overseas territory, albeit with the consent of most Turks and Caicosians. Second, the annexation of T&C would extend Canadian territories in proximity of a politically turbulent region of the world. T&C’s closest neighbors are Cuba and Haiti. Cuba is the last remaining bastion of communism on the continent. While not an expansionist or threatening state by any real measure, its geriatric leadership and economic underdevelopment are fertile ground for political upheaval. Haiti for its part is the poorest state in the Western hemisphere. It has been racked by instability and civil war, and ravaged by disease. The proximity of T&C would act as a magnet for desperate Haitian and Cuban refugees seeking to escape political persecution, dire poverty, and social unrest. Canada could begin to see the influx of refugees similar to which has affected the Southeastern United States. This could test Canadian immigrations laws and put the lives of thousands of refugees at risk on the high seas. Equally important, the defense of the territory would disproportionately strain the already stretched capacity of Canadian Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard. Second, the annexation of the T&C could have significant economic consequences. While T&C benefits from a warm climate, it doesn’t have the lush tropical climate of its Caribbean neighbors. Most of is island is also arid and its soil is unsuitable to most agriculture. As a result, T&C is a relatively poor, with a per capita GDP of $ . The T&C would become a net drain on the Canadian economy - a warm Newfoundland if you will – siphoning funds from richer Canadian provinces for transfer payments and social services such as schools and hospitals. Indeed, there would be little reason to voluntarily cede one’s sovereignty if not to join a prosperous welfare state. Third, there are serious constitutional questions involved in annexation of any territory. Would the T&C join as a territory or as a province of the Canadian Federation?

If the annexation of the T&C has been a perennial Canadian dream it is because it promises a number of important benefits. First and foremost, it would offer Canada a place in the sun. Safe and warm beaches, an English speaking population, and Canadian dollar-based currency would surely attract a larger number of Canadian tourists. Encouraging Canada’s tourism and retirement community to spend its hard earned dollars on Canadian soil (or sand) would ensure keep tourist dollars in Canada. Tourism income would help rectify the economic imbalances between mainland Canada and the T&C. Tourism would also help the federal government to reap tax benefits, cushioning the initial social economic costs of annexation. Over time, the T&C could develop into a platform for Canadian goods on the Caribbean marketplace. From a military point of view, the T&C could provide a strategic foothold for the Canadian military in the Caribbean region, reducing pressure on Canada’s underdeveloped airlift capabilities. This would enable Canada to establish a base for greater power projection. Canada could use this power projection to interdict drug trafficking and piracy, and provide support for its peacekeeping operations nearby Haiti.

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[ originally posted on Tuesday, February 7th, 2006 at 9:18 am and is filed under Foggy, On Places and Identities, Writing, Everything. ]