Refugee Situation in Alberta

(Week 18, Day 4)

I mentioned this in my earlier article, and I think it's time to talk about it again; the situation involving American Refugees coming into Canada.

Now, I never thought we'd ever seriously see the day when proud American citizens would start border jumping, but apparently things are bad all across the formerly-largest unprotected border in the world. Things started to change a few months ago, when the first trickle of people began running north from the fears of the economic collapse that was eminent in the States. Since then, the border has become more and more militarized - on both sides. Canadian Armed Forces have begun regularly patrolling the border, especially in Ontario, and now in British Columbia and Alberta. The US Army has also beefed up it's defences, and seem to be trying to keep people in which is terrifying and confusing.

Ontario has been hit pretty hard by the influx of refugees. There's simply no room to accommodate all these people in the east, and the oil crunch is being felt particularly bad there as it is. I've heard stories of roaming shanty towns being put up outside of suburbs in Toronto, and American families begging in the streets for work and food. It sounds pretty hopeless there.

Things are faring a little better here, but not by much. Western Canada is still largely uninhabited space, after all, so we do have the room for some of these people. But the space isn't the problem. It's resources that are the problem.

We don't have the support structure in place to handle this. As things are, Alberta - the richest province in Canada - has been doing pretty well for itself, but only just. The provincial government has been doing what it can to reduce oil use, and conserve what oil is still being produced within the province itself - something that I'm sure isn't sitting well in Ottawa - but with all these new people suddenly making demands on our limited resources, we might not fare any better than they are in Toronto soon.

Then there's the military situation.

That's an entirely different problem in itself, but the refugees are exacerbating things. It's known that some of the partisans who've been trying to take oil refineries are American citizens, acting against the will of the military to help protect Canadian interests. That's admirable in spirit, but it's just making things worse. Essentially, this is a domestic terrorism threat - and the Canadian and US armies are treating it as such. The large wave of refugees over the border is making it hard to control this threat, as people are easily moving with the displaced civilian population. It may not be long now before the military starts threatening these refugees with armed force.

I'm very seriously worried about the army problem in Fort McMurray. The United States wants our oil production, and it's unlikely they're going to take "NO!" for an answer. I know that "officially" Washington is opposed to the unit that jumped the border, but it certainly hasn't done anything to stop it. And now with the guerrillas... well, I just hope that conflict doesn't erupt soon, and I certainly hope it doesn't reach Edmonton.

Then again, Edmonton's east-end industrial park is called "Refinery Row" for a reason. And I'm glad I don't live too close to it right now.

_{***This is a fictional report of the state of affairs in Alberta for the World Without Oil ARG.}