Research on Western Canadian Regionalism

Author: Fu Chengshuang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-08-01
Features: Western Canadian regionalism is highly worthy of scholars' attention and research due to its persistence and uniqueness. Regionalism began to take root in this region when the Hudson's Bay Company transferred Rupert's Land to the Dominion of Canada. The Red River Rebellion led by Louis Riel in 1869 marked the first public appearance of Western regionalism. Since then, various forms of regionalism in the West have continued without interruption: before World War II, there were movements by Western provinces to secure equal rights, struggles by farmers armed with populism, and the Third Party movement. After the war, there were movements for provincial development and economic diversification, struggles over energy control, as well as separatism that was popular in the 1980s and the still-active Reform Party today. Therefore, regionalism is not only closely tied to the development of the region but also serves as a key to understanding the development of Western Canada. This book attempts to explore the historical context and developmental trajectory of Western Canadian regionalism, discuss the reasons for its enduring vitality, and further examine the mechanistic factors behind the prevalence of regionalism and the decline of federalism in Canada using the example of Western regionalism. It seeks to find a path for Western Canada, and indeed the entire country, to move beyond the confines of regionalism.