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Imagine if all that money were spent on improving infrastructure up there instead of pumping money into social programs? There would probably be a decent road network up there by now...
I agree. If someone else were to oversee the spending, there would be change. Instead, the money disappears, and nothing changes. My impression is that there is a sense of entitlement that money is owed in perpetuity, and no sense of planning for the future.
I can kind of see cBach's point. There may be more up front costs but over the long run, it would be better for everyone to make the cost of living cheaper for those in the north. That is one of the big reasons why there is so much malnutrition in the north is because the cost of food is too high and people can't afford a balanced diet.
We've beaten this subject to death. You could pay for everyone in the north to fly to the tropics all expenses paid for a few weeks a year for what a road to literally nowhere would cost.
There is neither the demand or the requirement to spend billions on a road to nothing. Where would you go? You can't go to Iqualuit, unless you're building a massive series of bridges too. Yellowknife and Whitehorse already have land connections that are among the most daunting in North America. After that, there's no population centre of more than a few hundred people.
Glad I provided comedic relief to you but that was not my intent
My point was that providing roads would be a better investment for the North than subsidizing cheese, for instance.
Once the path for a road is cleared and a road constructed, it is there for good. Sure there is resurfacing every 5 years but that is a fraction of the initial cost. Subsidizing cheese would be a recurring cost, as would any food aid. Moving people to a climate and culture that they don't understand would be disastrous as well...
Your math is way off. I don't think you fully appreciate the areas you are talking about.
We've beaten this subject to death. You could pay for everyone in the north to fly to the tropics all expenses paid for a few weeks a year for what a road to literally nowhere would cost.
There is neither the demand or the requirement to spend billions on a road to nothing. Where would you go? You can't go to Iqualuit, unless you're building a massive series of bridges too. Yellowknife and Whitehorse already have land connections that are among the most daunting in North America. After that, there's no population centre of more than a few hundred people.
The road doesnt go nowhere. There are thousands of people who live in third world like conditions up there and most Canadians either dont know about it or dont even care. That was the whole point of this thread.
In any case, there is a ferry in the works which can take cars and trucks. It will leave from Goose Bay to go to Iqaluit and once the deep port is built, it can be operational. They are hoping by 2020.
They are also extending the Dempster Hwy to Tuktoyaktuk where hopefully they can build another deep water port for the Western Arctic. This road should be open later this year.
It would be great if they could build a road to Churchill too to help support the polar bear tourism industry. They could even build next to the rail line from Gillam which already goes there.
The point is we should be doing more to ensure that Northerners have a decent quality of life and they should not be penalized just because of where they were born or grew up.
The road doesnt go nowhere. There are thousands of people who live in third world like conditions up there and most Canadians either dont know about it or dont even care. That was the whole point of this thread.
In any case, there is a ferry in the works which can take cars and trucks. It will leave from Goose Bay to go to Iqaluit and once the deep port is built, it can be operational. They are hoping by 2020.
They are also extending the Dempster Hwy to Tuktoyaktuk where hopefully they can build another deep water port for the Western Arctic. This road should be open later this year.
It would be great if they could build a road to Churchill too to help support the polar bear tourism industry. They could even build next to the rail line from Gillam which already goes there.
The point is we should be doing more to ensure that Northerners have a decent quality of life and they should not be penalized just because of where they were born or grew up.
Just quit.
$229M for the highway expansion. That's to connect the 3,500 people of Inuvik to the 900 or so in Tuk.
There's less than 7,000 people in Iqaluit, by far the most populous center in Nunavut. Goose Bay wouldn't exist if it wasn't for NATO and WWII, and has about 7,000 people. Three days by ferry and $64M. That's about $4,500 a head for the port expansion.
Exactly how much largesse by Canadian taxpayers is enough?
$229M for the highway expansion. That's to connect the 3,500 people of Inuvik to the 900 or so in Tuk.
There's less than 7,000 people in Iqaluit, by far the most populous center in Nunavut. Goose Bay wouldn't exist if it wasn't for NATO and WWII, and has about 7,000 people. Three days by ferry and $64M. That's about $4,500 a head for the port expansion.
Exactly how much largesse by Canadian taxpayers is enough?
I don't put a price tag on human lives. I am sorry that you do. How much is a human life worth to you?
I do pay taxes and I am more than happy to see my tax dollars help my fellow Canadians who are struggling with poverty.
I don't put a price tag on human lives. I am sorry that you do. How much is a human life worth to you?
Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know that a choice to live in the barren wasteland was anything other than a choice. How exactly are people confined there against their will, destined to die, alone and frozen? How does the contribution of further billions of dollars change the fact that if you're going to choose to be thousands of miles away from any type of civilization, stuff is expensive?
This is not some bleeding heart saga. There are numerous generous programs for people of the north. You will not make Inuvik become Vancouver or Iqaluit become Halifax by throwing money at it.
Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know that a choice to live in the barren wasteland was anything other than a choice. How exactly are people confined there against their will, destined to die, alone and frozen? How does the contribution of further billions of dollars change the fact that if you're going to choose to be thousands of miles away from any type of civilization, stuff is expensive?
This is not some bleeding heart saga. There are numerous generous programs for people of the north. You will not make Inuvik become Vancouver or Iqaluit become Halifax by throwing money at it.
Since where are people born a choice? People don't choose where they are born. Investing money in the north won't make Inuvik like Vancouver but will help reduce the cost of living so that people can live decently there. Take it from someone who has actually been there. I was in Inuvik last summer and it seemed to me a bit of a depressing place and that is one of the better places to live in the north since there is road access most of the year.
Since where are people born a choice? People don't choose where they are born. Investing money in the north won't make Inuvik like Vancouver but will help reduce the cost of living so that people can live decently there. Take it from someone who has actually been there. I was in Inuvik last summer and it seemed to me a bit of a depressing place and that is one of the better places to live in the north since there is road access most of the year.
You don't choose your place of birth, but at some point you can choose to stay, or choose to go.
I've been all over the north, and guess what, it is depressing. There's no trees, It's flippin winter 10 months a year, and no sunlight for a good chunk of those. When it is nice, you wish it was freezing so there wouldn't be so many bugs.
People can live decently there, it's just expensive. No one is entitled to a certain lifestyle. Why is that such a difficult concept to grasp?
You don't choose your place of birth, but at some point you can choose to stay, or choose to go.
I've been all over the north, and guess what, it is depressing. There's no trees, It's flippin winter 10 months a year, and no sunlight for a good chunk of those. When it is nice, you wish it was freezing so there wouldn't be so many bugs.
People can live decently there, it's just expensive. No one is entitled to a certain lifestyle. Why is that such a difficult concept to grasp?
Because people are entitled to a basic level of human comfort and health no matter where they live..That includes decent shelter that isnt falling apart or full of mold, affordable and healthy food, warm and comfortable clothing and clean and safe drinking water. People are entitled to all of these things in my opinion and they arent getting them in large parts of the north. That is my problem.
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