A discussion revisited and revisited and ... : Maritime political union

Throughout its two hundred year history, Maritime political union has been offered as the solution to a number of political and economic difficulties. Maritime political union has been offered as a preliminary step to creating a larger British North American union; it has also been offered as a step to staving off that same union. Political union has been advanced as a catalyst for spearheading Maritime secession from Canada. As well, it has been furthered as a means of bringing greater economic prosperity to the Maritime region. Despite the variety of calls for political union advanced over a number of years, the Maritime provincial boundaries have remained very much intact. This thesis will suggest that the absence of Maritime political union can be attributed to the establishing of both colonial boundaries and a federal system at Confederation. The federal system has enshrined the pre-existing colonial boundaries, and has created an environment where political elites have been able to stand as guardians against forces deleterious to provincial autonomy.