Alberta/Quebec - Opposite Twins

One of the advantages/disadvantages of living alone is that I have lots of time to have conversations with myself. While it does mean that I have a hard time staying on topic - at least I do not get interrupted by anyone! On occasion, a thought pops into my head - one that I don't have a clue how it got there or evolved - it is just there. At some point this week, as I was wandering down the overly crowded hallways of my mind - I thought " what would happen if Alberta and Quebec were next to each other - as opposed to being separated by a thousand or so miles and three provinces"? I wonder what kind of conversations they would be having?

Imagine - the province that gives the most towards the federal equalization program and the province that receives the most living side by side. I wonder if Quebec would be a bit more flexible in allowing Alberta's oil to pass over (or at least under) their territory if they were next door to those who would be giving them some of that money? I wonder what sort of conversations they would have about their collective alienation from the rest of Canada or their desires to be independent of all the silly rules and expectations of being part of a confederation? I wonder how well they would share - or rather what Quebec would share with Alberta? It's culture?

In Alberta, you have a province that while it appears to wear with some pride the label of being redneck through and though, in my experience many of the residents of that province are more accepting of diversity than others. On the other hand, Quebec may like to portray itself as cultured and even sophisticated, has in the past few months demonstrated a xenophobia and/or racist attitude that is nothing short of alarming and embarrassing for many Canadians. Most recently, the Quebec government has placed limits upon who has the "right" to receive services in English.

The premier of Alberta is wondering publically if they should have their own provincial pension plan - they might want to ask how well the smaller Quebec pension plan works in terms of earnings etc.

Maybe if Quebec and Alberta were neighbours - Alberta could teach a few things to Quebec including sharing - albeit sometimes grudgingly. At the same time, many Quebecers would be glad to speak to the issue of what happens when you waste 20-30 years of debating separation when it was never going to happen.