Mantario?

Ah, a brief diversion to Canadian provincial politics.

Apparently, a pair of social scientists have raised the idea of north-west Ontario breaking off and joining Manitoba. Economically, there would be little to zero gain for the people of the northwest, but they would be far better represented politically.

(An additional historical twist: Manitoba and Ontario both claimed the area of Thunder Bay for themselves. In typical Canadian fashion, it was settled by the British.)

I don't know what to make of this idea. On the face of it, I'm not opposed to it. I generally think that political organizations shouldn't, by their very structure, marginalize people. And let's face it - any attempt to put southern Ontario and Kenora in the same province is going to marginalize Kenora.

I also tend to believe that it was a mistake to allow the existing provinces to claim all the new land Canada appropriated. Better to create dozens of smaller provinces out of the new land. Best of all, in my fantasy politics of the 1880s, to have a very centralized (but still federal) state.

Anyway, I just think the name "Mantario" is kind of funny, and thought I'd share my thoughts.