Maritime Merger

Photo Provided by David Rumsey Map Collection (davidrumsey.com)

Living out west it can be easy to forget  about the Maritimes, way off to the east.  The Maritimes are the smallest of the provinces and territories in Canada, and because of this they have their struggles.  Currently the Maritimes are struggling economically as a result of the most recent recession. To make matters worse the Maritimes are suffering from an aging population. Due largely to the fact many of the younger generation are forced to leave their homes and head to a stronger economie,with more opportunities. These circumstances have brought the idea of a merger between Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia to parliament.

Photo retrieved from hmcnews.org

Three members of parliament proposed the idea last week. The idea itself has been proposed previously but due to the current state of the maritimes, have made it relevant once again. The main reasoning behind this idea is to combine the ressources of the three provinces and increase their economic strength. Creating a union between the three provinces would increase their purchasing power, it would also eliminate the competition for workers between the provinces. As well as help the provinces provide better public services. Although the idea of the union would promote more efficient economic growth, there is a strong distaste for the idea amongst the provinces.


The maritimes maintain that the provinces cooperate well enough together that a union is not justified. The main points in resistance to the idea of a union is the time and money it would take to make the merger work. The merger would cost a fair amount of money to be an efficient union, the amount of resources that need to be combined into single plans and ideas would not take place instantly.

I personally welcome the idea of a a merger, although I can understand the initial discomfort with the idea. The maritime provinces have deep cultures and don't like the idea of giving that up to become one. However, living in Alberta I have met a number of individuals from the maritimes who have either had to uproot their families and move out west or spend months at a time away from their loved ones in order to make a living. Although a merger would take years to complete I believe the government should truly consider the idea of boosting the economie in the Maritimes through a union.