Provincial creationism

Provincial Creationism is the wish for an area in one of Canada's provinces or territories to form its own province distinct from that which it is currently part of. The creation of a new province requires an amendment of the Constitution of Canada, although the creation of a new territory only requires an Act of Federal Parliament; therefore it is easier to become a territory then a province.

Historical provincial creationist movements

Provincial separatism has changed the political geography of Canada since 1870. Provinces and territories which were created when they separated from others include:

• Manitoba separated from the Northwest Territories in 1870. It was originally intended to be a homeland for the Métis.
• Yukon separated from the Northwest Territories in 1898.
• Alberta separated from Northwest Territories in 1905. It was created because of the large-scale settlement of the Prairies.
• Saskatchewan separated from Northwest Territories in 1905. It was originally intended as a homeland for Métis refugees who had been forced out of Manitoba by settlers.
• Nunavut separated from Northwest Territories in 1999. It was intended as a homeland for the Inuit and has been essential in maintaining a prominent Inuit culture in Canada.

Other provincial creationist movements did not result in the creation of a new province or territory, but are no longer significant political movements. Notably, the Northern Ontario Heritage Party advocated for the creation of a separate province of Northern Ontario in the 1970s.

Current provincial creationist movements

Today, people in many areas across Canada have expressed wishes that their communities receive heightened autonomy via provincehood. These areas include:

• Acadia - a community mainly in New Brunswick that is linguistically French, but is a distinct culture from Quebec French. Creating a separate Acadian provincewould be quite difficult considering that Acadians are dispersed throughout New Brunswick, and there is little support for this idea. See Also: Le Parti Acadien
• Cape Breton Island - an area which is curently a part of Nova Scotia, but in the past it has been a separate colony. Cape Breton Island is usually considered distinct from mainland Nova Scotia by people across Canada including mainland Nova Scotia.
• Labrador - the Mainland portion of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Nunatsiavut - an area in northern Labrador, it is inhabited mainly by Inuit, many of whom wish to leave Newfoundland and Labrador and form a territory similar to Nunavut.
• Nunavik - an area in northern Quebec, it is inhabited mainly by Inuit, many of whom wish to leave the province and form a territory similar to Nunavut.
• Toronto- the largest city in Canada. There is little widespread support for its separation from Ontario, and most Torontonians think it's a bad idea, if not comical. However, many politicians and political groups desire to see a separate Province of Toronto.

Areas that have expressed a wish to join Canada as a province

There are some areas outside of Canada that have expressed a wish to join Canada as an eleventh province (or fourth territory). These areas include:

• Turks and Caicos Islands, a British dependency in the Caribbean. There is some support for its joining Canada, although the islands' small economy and Canada's involvement in Haiti has made this controversial.