There were some very practical reasons that the T&C Islands weren't annexed decades ago -- these are the flip side of reasons that the Islanders want to join our Confederation.
- Canada has a "free" comprehensive health care system. The Islanders would benefit from that; but they would have to be heavily subsidized. OTOH, there are already many times more Canadians, that don't pay for their healthcare.
- Canada has a generous federal "employment insurance" program. There's a real fear of tens of thousands of Canadians spending winters in the T&C", on pogey. This issue could be solved, with some simple rule changes.
- Canada has a system of equalization payments, whereby billions are taken from "have" provinces to give to "have not" provinces. The purpose is to enable even the poorest province to offer government services equal to those offered by the richest provinces. The T&C Islands would be a huge beneficiary of these transfer payments.
BTW, despite what a lot of commentators on the NP site seem to think, it would not be necessary to make the T&C Islands a separate province. Canada already has three "Territories" covering the far north. Each has about the same population of the T&C; and about 1,000 times greater area. The T&C could be made an offshore Territory, or they could even be deemed to be a county of some existing province. The constitutional issues regarding admitting a new province are a red herring, in this case.
Equalization payments need to end. It’s not helping anyone by being dependent on the government for handouts.
That said, if these islands can show an economic plan that would keep them off the public dole, then perhaps we can work something out.
Obama’s TSA has introduced new rules and regs which negatively impact Canada’s snowbird community. We need a no strings friendly warm destination that allows complete access to our bennies. An influx of frostbacks with pockets full of cash will greatly improve the local economics and allow canucks to spend their cash at “home” a win-win.