Avalon

Atlantic Canadians are being encouraged to eat locally as part of the Eat Atlantic Challenge sponsored by Co-op Atlantic. This challenge, which is also endorsed by the region’s provincial governments, is designed to promote the benefits of consuming local foods, which has been in decline among Nova Scotians.

However, Buy Local is wrongheaded thinking.

If Nova Scotians are buying less locally produced food we can only assume local produce is deficient, either on quality, volume or price or a combination of the three. Why else would Nova Scotians buy New Zealand apples or California strawberries from a world away?

Food should be viewed as a commodity and farming as a business instead of treating it as somehow privileged. Instead we should encourage development of Nova Scotian international agri-business brands such as New Zealand’s ENZA, just like any other Nova Scotia industry, by substantially lower taxes and lower business costs so the ingenuity of Nova Scotian ‘agri-preneurs’ can develop and grow.

And unfortunately Buy Local will retard that. Buy Local rewards local producers simply because they are local regardless of whether they produce efficiently or have superior quality. If Buy Local makes consumers pay higher prices and/or accept lower quality for the privilege of ‘buying local’ then this is simply (another) subsidy to the farming industry and an encouragement to remain inert, a state that Nova Scotian consumers are voting against with their dollars. Consumers should be left to buy the best value there is regardless of origin. Unless the Nova Scotia farming industry is willing to embrace progress by getting off farming subsidies and the government is prepared to encourage business profit, the Nova Scotia farming industry will continue to give up market share to those who are willing to embrace efficiencies, progress and change.

We all know Nova Scotia joined Canada as an original founding partner in 1867. But exactly how did this happen? Well according to the official history, in a rather sneaky way.

According to ‘Nova Scotia: Entering Confederation 1867′ from the Library and Archives Canada website

‘After the Québec proposal’s disastrous showing in New Brunswick’s 1865 election, [Nova Scotia Premier Sir Charles] Tupper wished to keep Confederation as far away from the polls as possible. An unpopular school tax he had recently created also promised to make the passage of a union resolution difficult. With his legislative majority, he was able to ignore the increasing agitation to put the matter to a vote before trying to pass it. Tupper reintroduced the concept of Maritime Union in the legislature to divert attention away from Confederation.

On April 18, 1866, just as his mandate was about to end, Tupper passed the Québec Resolutions through the legislature. When the general population heard of the government’s actions, they protested loudly in print. Although it was too late to reverse the decision. Tupper promised the electorate that he would attempt to make modifications to the act during the London Conference, where the British North America Act was to be finalized.’

Unfortunately he failed in renegotiating any of the Resolutions (except for Nova Scotia losing its jurisdiction over fisheries).

Although no referendum at the time was conducted Confederation appeared very unpopular in Nova Scotia; in the first federal election all of the seats, except Tupper’s, went to Joseph Howe and the Anti-Confederates. In the next provincial election 36 of the 38 seats went to Anti-Confederates. Joseph Howe then went to London to seek permission for Nova Scotia secession from Canada, but he was told a polite ‘Sorry, done deal’.

So
1. Confederation is easily the most important issue ever dealt with by a Nova Scotian government, and
2. the whole affair slide through without a free vote based on a last minute motion in the Legislature based on an unfulfilled promise,
3. by a legislature that only represented a minority of Nova Scotians at the time due to lack of enfranchisement (ie only moneyed white males),
4. that the people of Nova Scotia were never consulted on Confederation,
5. and the British government refused to discuss the issue when Nova Scotians objected.

If we leave the story here, then Confederation will forever appear as if sneaked in the back-door. Is it not time to bring Confederation in the front door? Is it not time for a referendum on Confederation to have Nova Scotians re-affirm their support of being part of Canada and erase this sad and undemocratic story from our history?