Ontario as an Economic Region State

Paper Summary:

This paper critically examines the process of Ontario disengaging from its previous role in the Canadian federation and re-defining itself as a North American region state, due to a consequence of a range of political, economic, and social factors. The paper discusses Ontario's origins and features, as well as its future implications. The paper then argues that the primary causal factors behind this process have been the policy rift between the Ontario provincial government and the federal government, a North-South economic realignment supplanting intra-provincial trade relations, and the phenomenon of globalization.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
What is a "Region State"?
Ontario and the ROC: Fraying Economic Ties
Ontario and Ottawa: Policy Differences
Ontario as a Globalized Region State

From the Paper:

"In terms of Ontario as a region state, we can currently see this region-international process underway in terms of the growing region to region trade between Ontario and key economic regions of the United States. Consider, for example, Ontario's trade relationship with Michigan - the automotive production region of the United States - in which in 2005 Ontario enjoying a remarkable trade surplus exporting goods and services worth over CAN $55 billion and importing goods and services worth over CAN $25 billion. While the trade relationship with Michigan is clearly an exceptional case given the important industrial significance of the automotive industry that links Michigan and Ontario, such large scale trading relationships can be seen between Ontario and major American regions. For example, in 2005 Ontario also enjoyed a trade surplus with the state of New York, to which it exported over CAN $11 billion in goods and services, and imported over CAN $10 billion."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Courchene, Thomas and Telmer, Colin. From Heartland to North American Region State. Toronto: Faculty of Management, 1998.
• Hertz, Noreena. The Silent Takeover. New York: Harper, 2003.
• Schwartz, Herman. States versus Markets: History, Geography, and the Development of the International Political Economy. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994.
• Statistics Canada. International Trade Division: Ontario Trade Fact Sheet. November 2006.
• Thorburn, Hugh. "The Development of Political Parties in Canada." Party Politics in Canada. Eds. Hugh Thorburn and Alan Whitehorn. Toronto: Prentice Hall, 2001, 1-8.

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