The World Outside Ottawa

The point of this blog is to focus on the hyper-local. To give a glimpse into my family's life in one little corner of the word, Ottawa, and in particular one neighbourhood, Hintonburg.

It's a pretty good life here, but I'm not ignorant of world events, and I've mentioned some of the more profound ones, such as the Arab Spring (in my original blow) or Donald Trump's presidency (when I started this one).

It's not that I don't have a point of view, it's just that I like to let my actions speak for themselves. But sometimes I can't help but marvel at the way history unfolds, or even repeats itself.  It matters to me here, even in lil' old Ottawa because it influences how I think about the place I live.

For example, a big issue I've read a lot about is Brexit (I care about this issue because I'm half British and also I have friends who are affected by it in Europe). But when I read about how this issue is being approached I am amazed that no one sees the obvious parallels with Canada's experience.  Much ink has been spilled about:

• The use of prorogation to break the UK political impasse
• How the UK's main progressive party might team up with a Scottish nationalist party following a general election.
• The need for another Brexit referendum to finally "solve" the issue. 

Canada, with our Parliamentary system, has experience with all of these:

• Prorogation was used by an arguably divisive Canadian Prime Minister to avoid Canada's progressive and nationalist parties teaming up to govern the country. Spoiler alert: prorogation was granted.
• Canada has expedience with two Quebec referendums. We are now at the point where it's not a burning issue but an undercurrent is still there.

Amazingly, despite a few scandals, Canada has somehow managed to find our way forward. I chalk it down to a combination of a wishful desire to carve out a place for ourselves in a world that barely notices we exist, appreciation for what we have, and willingness to come up with unsexy compromises.

I see no effort to come to such a compromise in the UK's situation - by either side. While I consider myself a progressive person and admire some aspects of the European Union, I find other aspects profoundly undemocratic and understand why some would want to leave. Similarly, while I love my country, I understand why Quebec nationalists would want to create something new.

I have no idea how Brexit will eventually be resolved. My hope is that eventually, enought people will think less about winning (whether it's a "hard" Brexit or somehow making all of this go away via another referendum) and more about an unsexy compromise. But maybe that's just wishful Canadian-Ottawa-Hintonburg thinking.