Talk:Western Canada

Timezones

I don't think anyone in Saskatchewan would ever consider the province as part of Central Canada. Geographically speaking yes, Manitoba is more central than Ontario. However, I've never heard of anyone in Western Canada referring to Manitoba as part of Central Canada, let alone Saskatchewan. Yes, Saskatchewan and Manitoba follow Central Time but also keep in mind that about half of southern Saskatchewan borders Montana which is on Mountain Time. Even Chicago which is east of Manitoba, is considered in the "Mid-West" by most US residents. RedWolf 05:02, Mar 12, 2004 (UTC)

Blue Bombers

As for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers being in the Eastern Conference of the CFL, they were originally in the Western Conference from 1950 to 1986. Only when the Eastern Conference was reduced to 3 teams (Montreal Concordes folded before the 1987 season), was the league forced to move Winnipeg to the Eastern Conference to balance the league out. Due to the CFL hiccups, Winnipeg has been bounced around the conferences a few times. However, as of the 2002 season, Winnipeg was back in the Western Conference. Also see [1] RedWolf 05:21, Mar 12, 2004 (UTC)

Quite frankly, I don't know much about the CFL. I just put that in there because I've heard it as an argument. However, I will say that most BC residents I know consider BC & Alberta to be Western Canada. Saskatchewan is usually grudgingly admitted. Manitoba is quite definitely Central Canada. moink 17:34, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)

This is why we don't leave the writing of Wikipedia articles about Canada solely in the trust of people who know more about "BC bud" than geography. >GRIN<. Seriously. I am a long time resident of Alberta, and we (at least most of the people I associate with) always include Saskatchewan and Manitoba when referring to "Western Canada". Let's keep the articles focused on striving for encyclopedic quality, which usually means toning down the xenophobia and leaving out personal political opinions. Garth of the Forest 16:08, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

Canada's Arkansas

Since when has Manitoba ever been referred to as "Canada's Arkansas"? I'm not from Manitoba, and have only travelled through it, but I somehow take offence to this statement, and I'm sure many citizens from the fine state of Arkansas would as well, which leads me to think that the contributor either has something against this province and/or has never visited it. Manitoba, south of the inter-lake district (Canadian Shield) is predominantly prairie, similar to southern Saskatchewan and the Dakotas. Brandon is an important regional centre and Winnipeg is the largest population centre between Calgary/Edmonton and Toronto/Ottawa/Montreal. In addition, northern Manitoba holds untold wealth in natural resources for mining and hydro-electricity generation and timber, not to mention the strategic port of Churchill... I just don't get this reference - is it meant to be funny in its blatant ignorance? Plasma east 12:07, 13 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Sounds like vandalism of the article to me, and appears to have been removed some time ago. Garth of the Forest 23:00, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

Land of 100,000 lakes

Maintoba isn't called "land of 100,000 lakes" but Saskatchewan actually is or ws formally called that. Also Manitoba is consered Western Canada, but sometimes B.C isn't considered to be part of Western Canada.

Manitoba is called land of 100,000 lakes; in the early 1970's this moniker was on the province's licence plates. Since at least 1975 the term "Friendy Manitoba" has been used on Manitoba's plates and is commonly known. How British Columbia, which is the westernmost province, can not be considered a part of Western Canada is beyond me. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta have always been collectively referred to as the "Prairie Provinces".

BC & Western Canada

I revised this article to correct some of the illogical statements that had been recently placed in it. British Columbia not part of Western Canada? Yes, it can be distinguished from the Prairie Provinces, as the Eastern Prairies can be distinguished from Alberta, but it is every bit a part of Western Canada. In fact, I would suggest that culturally the BC interior and indeed the Fraser Valley east of Burnaby as well as much of Vancouver Island have more in common with Alberta than with Vancouver's West End and Kitsilano districts. The time zone argument is ridiculous. Detroit is in the eastern time zone and Chicago in the central time zone but both are Midwestern Cities. And by the way, to the author, all of Manitoba and almost all of Saskatchewan (including all of the major cities and towns, are in the Central Time Zone, not the Mountain Time Zone. British Columbia is no more ethnically diverse than any other Western Province. Yes there is a larger number of Asians in that province than in the three Prairie Provinces, but according to Statistics Canada census 2001, Manitoba is Canada's most ethnically diverse province, followed closely by Saskatchewan. Economic differences? Gone are the days when the Prairies were dominated economically by agriculture. Manufacturing generates more economic output in both Manitoba and Alberta than does agriculture, not to mention mining, services, etc. Rode on a transit bus lately? Chances are it was made in Winnipeg. What can be said is that all of the Western Provinces now have relatively diversified economic bases. --207.161.41.91 09:21, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

The correct reference for the definition should be “Legislative Power, IV, 22. The Constitution Act, 1867” [[2]]. If nobody objects I would like to add that as reference to the article.

However, personally I would not call Manitoba Western Canada and I believe neither would most people here in BC. We simply call it “the prairies” (along with Alberta and Saskatchewan of course). I admit that this only reflects personal opinion and usage and I don’t know how people in Winnipeg feel about it. Nonetheless the definition derives from the old constitution and is not repeated in the new one. I believe that general usage of the term Western Canada might have changed in these 140 years. Whereas then everything “behind” Ontario was simply Western, nowadays we might have a more detailed perspective on that. It might be reasonable to add to the article that despite the definition in the Constitution of 1867 modern usage might vary from that. --Vancouver robin 04:10, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I lived in BC and never once did I ever hear the idea that Manitoba wasn't part of Western Canada. Same goes for my wife who was born and raised there. I've now lived in Alberta for 9 years, and it's been the same here as well; I don't know anyone here who doesn't think Manitoba is part of Western Canada. I lived in Saskatchewan for 16 years, and same goes there. The only time I have ever heard anyone talk about Manitoba not being part of Western Canada has been online and it completely dumfounded me that anyone would think that. --Kmsiever 04:41, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, the Department of Justice seems to be ambivalent on the term too. Searching their website I indeed found the term Western Canada used in accordance to the Constitution but also with different meanings, e.g. “Generally, the incarceration rates for Aboriginal youth were lower in eastern and western Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Alberta, British Columbia), and higher in central and northern Canada (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Northwest Territories) with the exception of Nunavut.” [[3]] This convention would reflect much better the way I use the term. --Vancouver robin 04:48, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Another government page [[4]] includes the prairies, but also Northern Canada into the term Western. --Vancouver robin 05:04, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

And one more government official page[[5]] for Western Canada showing BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan and the counterpart [[6]] for Eastern Canada from Manitoba eastwards. Even though these sources might be in the minority it shows it's not only me and my buddies having a different usage of the term. --Vancouver robin 05:45, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

It seems that in BC the term Western Canada is more frequently used in a different-than-constitutional way. Here are some links from the government of BC website. They name only BC or BC and Alberta as Western Canada: [[7]], [[8]], [[9]], [[10]], [[11]], [[12]]

--Vancouver robin 00:43, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

Anedcotally, in school (rural BC in the 70s and 80s), we were taught that Western Canada was BC, Alberta and the Yukon. This instruction included an instruction (store-bought) map showing that division. --Kickstart70-T-C 01:56, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Anecdotally, in school (rural Alberta - more specifically Eckville, Alberta, in the seventies and eighties), Alberta school children were taught that the Holocaust never happened, and that Jewish bankers run the world. I fail to see how the argument of what some teachers in rural BC taught their students over twenty years ago has anything to do with improving the quality of this article. Let's cite some current references for the existing content and move on to other things. As far as the current content of the article, generally speaking, it looks good to me, but needs more references and probably a bit of work on the Politics section, and perhaps a bit more tweaking of phrase and vigilance to ensure we maintain a NPOV. Garth of the Forest 23:27, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

100,000 Lakes

Saskatchewan is defiently called land of 100,000 lakes and not Maintoba. Its been adversitized by Saskatchewan tourism for many years and I belive it is still the same.

Once again, it's Manitoba that is called land of 100,000 lakes; in the early 1970's this moniker was on the province's licence plates. In the USA, Minnesota, which has "10,000 lakes" on their licence plate, was none too pleased about this comparison! If Sask. tourism is now using this slogan, it has simply been stolen from Manitoba. Whatever the case, Saskatchewan has a smaller surface area of fresh water compared to Manitoba (approx. 82,000 sq.km. vs. approx. 102,000 sq.km. in Manitoba). In addition most of Saskatchewan's lakes are far removed from the population centres whereas in Manitoba they are located throughout the province and are more influential on the lives of the people, especially the Manitoba "Great Lakes". I'm not sure what Saskatchewan's nickmnames have been, but I think it was historically the "Wheat Province" and is now "Land of Living Skies". --142.161.180.217 19:40, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

ON/QC as "Central Canada"

The article noted that Ontario and Quebec are often called "Central Canada." I have made an update to reflect the fact that no one in the West would ever use this term except, well, sneeringly. :) If you're a Westerner, that is Eastern Canada, end of story. 38.112.113.242 19:24, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

I take offense to being referred to as "no one". I was born and raised in Alberta, have lived in Alberta for all but one year of my relatively long life, and my friends and I often refer to Ontario and Quebec as "Central Canada". We do this to acknowledge that we in the West actually have more in common with our friends in Atlantic Canada than is often acknowledged in ... let me guess... Calgary? Garth of the Forest 16:15, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

Quebec, the frenchists

I changed the population of quebec to being less than western Canada as opposed to more than it , stats can now says BC and alberta have the same population as quebec as of this year so adding saskatchewan and manitoba would make western canada have a substantially larger population than quebec.. referebce here: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/09/27/stats-population.html course quebec has 75 seats to our 66 but nvm that though is a fact and not pov could get me on a rant. anyways TotallyTempo 20:49, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh my mistake 64 seats as opposed to 75, yeah that's fair, NOT.... TotallyTempo 20:52, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

Landform Regions

I have added the different landform regions as a possible clarification. For any extra information, the Western Cordillera was basically named as a boundary FROM the plains. I didn't erase any information, in case somebody has any other valid reasons, but there was a basic guideline of geologic boundaries set that I didn't seem to find. 74.119.62.153 04:47, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Lots of work needed

I've made a few minor changes, but this page as a whole is in serious need of work. Most material is unreferenced, and in some cased awkwardly written and with personal slants. I have added warnings to that effect at the top of the page. Halogenated 03:33, 23 October 2007 (UTC)