Canada is often viewed as a model of harmony. Monday’s election suggests the country’s regionalism is growing.
On much of the east coast, the Conservative Party struggled. In the western prairies, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party were shut out. A Quebec party that advocates independence from Canada surged.
The results of Canada’s national election on Monday echo divisions in other countries across the world where regionalism is intensifying and the urban-rural divide is growing. Britain has Brexit. The United States has Trump Country. And, after Canada’s election, separatists in the western Prairie Provinces are calling again for #Wexit.
“Regionalism is one of the defining characteristics of the country and we saw that come out last night,” said Andrew McDougall, a political scientist at the University of Toronto. “Political leaders can try to bridge that but very often there’s nothing they can do about it.”
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