A lot of the talk about the United States possibly annexing Canada has diminished to a dull roar. President Trump still makes the occasional "51st state" comment, but nobody's too worried about the prospect of the United States devouring Canada in one gulp.
One bite at a time, though - starting with a province that is already looking for an exit? That's a different kettle of poutine. A column by Virginia-based investment banker John Dominguez, published in RealClearWorld, raises a few interesting points.
As we approach America’s 250th birthday, realizing that unfinished vision has become an imperative, not a curiosity. Bringing Canada into the Union would add trillions of dollars in productive capacity, secure America’s northern frontier, and strengthen its strategic posture. What better legacy for President Trump, a real-estate developer turned president, than acquiring land for this country?
However, integrating Canada as one state would be unwise. Trump’s talk of a “51st state” may entertain some, but it misses the point. Instead, Canada should be integrated into America one province at a time beginning with the Province of Alberta.
There has been an Alberta separatist movement for some time, and there are those in Canada who worry that a seceded Alberta may choose to join the United States; the prairie provinces, in many ways, have a lot in common, culturally, with the central USA. And there are a lot of resources at stake, too.
Alberta’s vast energy and mineral wealth would immediately strengthen the U.S. economy. Alberta has the world's third largest oil reserve and is estimated to have 166 billion barrels of oil yet untapped. To put this into perspective, at the current crude price of $60 a barrel, the economics of Alberta is a blue-chip investment for America, with meteoric potential, comparable to Nvidia.
Here's the thing: I've never seen anything from the proponents of Alberta's independence that proposes anything other than a sovereign and independent Alberta.
An independent Alberta would be an immediate major trade partner with the United States in any case. A smart new Alberta national government would do well to immediately start talks with American energy and mineral companies, with a pipeline in the bargain. But here's where I start to differ with Mr. Dominguez.
The first step for President Trump should be to formally invite Alberta, if it votes by referendum, to become a U.S. territory. Canada would not be able to easily block such a referendum due to its existing laws. Washington should move swiftly to admit Alberta as a U.S. territory, with a defined pathway to full statehood.
For those curious about Alberta’s interest in joining the Land of the Free, you should instead ask, what would hold them back? Alberta’s grievances with Canada are plenty. Alberta is Canada’s wealthiest province, yet much of its revenue is constitutionally mandated to be redistributed to other provinces with little political recourse. At the same time, Alberta is deliberately underrepresented in Canada’s Parliament due to special laws that entrench apportionment advantages to other provinces.
What isn't mentioned here is that, unlike adding a state, the Constitution doesn't include a clearly defined process for adding a territory. It can be and has been done by a referendum in the area in question, or by a request from the government of the proposed territory; it has been done by purchase or treaty. In this case, the addition would have to be voluntary on both parts, and that's where it would likely founder.
Frankly, it just doesn't seem likely Alberta would vote to join the United States. I could be wrong here, but I suspect I'm not. There is no reliable polling on the matter, but there are polls on the issue of Alberta seceding from Canada, and only about 3 in 10 Albertans are in favor of leaving.
Such a union may be good for Alberta. It may be good for the United States. But it doesn't look like Alberta is too interested. And that's too bad; it would be one step closer to being able to drive from the lower 48 to Alaska without needing a passport.
Here's another fun note: Once an area is established as a territory, Congress steps in to organize the new territory, which can include things like appointing a territorial governor and a legislature, which may or may not include a plague of politically-connected carpetbaggers. And one can only imagine the strident demands of Democrats regarding these processes.
But that's a story for another time.
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