The Written Word
for December 31, 2000

Today triples for me as my birthday, the last day of the year and the last day of the millennium.

As a birthday December 31 has done pretty well for me over the years although for the past 20 or so it’s been just another day. But when I was younger and a drinker of fine whiskies instead of the odd beer, it was a blast. No matter where I was there was always a party.

It’s often asked of me whether it wasn’t a bad time to have a birthday when I was a kid – being so close to Christmas. I didn’t find it so – in fact people seemed to be in a pretty generous mood at that time of the year.

The last day of the year has meant something to me. For some reason I feel like I’m turning a corner every year at this time … just as I felt that way on my 21^st, 30^th, 40^th and 50^th birthdays. 60 and 65 felt more like holding patterns. No matter how I sliced it I was an old man by the calendar no matter that I felt better than I ever had in my life before. Next birthday will mark my biblical allotment and I don’t know how I’ll feel – other than grateful. As I look ahead into 2001 I do feel pretty buoyant. We’ll have an election and almost certainly a new government and that’s always an exciting time for those in my profession. I think it’s also the beginning of a new unpredictable epoch for Canada. Looking back, British Columbia, joined in recent decades by Alberta, have been on a long collision course with Ottawa. It won’t come to a head this year but for the first time I sense a serious separatist movement both here and in our neighbouring province. I don’t believe that these movements will come to much in the short term but if something is not done to change the rotten system under which we operate the ground will be well laid for these movements.

The problem a separatist party has is in articulating any vision. To speak of a federation of western provinces betrays breathtaking naivete. Just how you would convince one, two, or three provinces that a country where British Columbia would dominate as Ontario now dominates Canada is beyond me. What these movements need in order to mature is time. That the federal Liberals, who will govern for at least the next decade, will give them this time is certain. As long as Canadian elections are won and lost in central Canada, the liberals will do nothing to reform the system that rides them into power.

As to the new millennium – this is a bit more difficult to assess. Remember that according to Laurier, the 20th century belonged to Canada. Well it didn’t. It belonged clearly to the United States. Canada leaves the 20^th divided and even more dependent on its neighbour to the south than when it began.

I see the 21^st century as bringing a great paradox. More and more states will enter into trade agreements that will bring prosperity while within these states there will be increased agitation by ethnic groups and others for a separate existence.

For all the above, a very happy and prosperous New Year and Millennium to all.