The recent conversations and news stories regarding Canada-U.S. political relations have me thinking about what policymakers in Maine and beyond on both sides of the border may wish to consider as they may decide to explore the topic of northward expansion.

Firstly, country borders, particularly in the New World, are a recently established norm. Country borders are etched on paper, not on stone. Secondly, Canada was part of the United Kingdom until 1982, with the independence process starting in 1931, and has provinces rather than states. The U.S. is a republic while Canada is a constitutional monarchy, with Liberals and Conservatives in Canada vs. Democrats and Republicans in the U.S.

The well-known and respected maple leaf Canadian flag was only made official by Queen Elizabeth II on Jan. 28, 1965. Canada as we know it today is a new country. Many other attributes between our two democracies are similar, with shared language for the most part, the exception being of course Canada has given a nod to Quebec by including French and English as official languages of the country.

As a side note, a drive through the provinces and review of social media posts makes it quickly apparent that Canadians seem to be generally as divided as the U.S. on the political spectrum. Anti-Trudeau flags and posts look remarkably like anti and pro-political signs on our side of the border. My friends and family in Canada watch and read U.S. news regularly; some like the United States, some don’t, but most watch us closely.

For Maine, it is interesting to note that we share borders with two provinces, but only one state. Maine shares 611 miles of border with the provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec. There are 24 manned border crossings between Maine and Canada, more than any other state. But despite the similarities and proximity, we need to consider that Canada is big. Very big (see the related infamous song by the Canadian band the Arrogant Worms for specifics). It’s second in size only to Russia (which is, at times, shrinking). It is large with a relatively small population.

For comparison, California and Canada have about the same size population, 39.1 million vs 39.7 million, respectively, in 2024. To frame and manage the discussion process, in addition to considering our geographic and political similarities, I suggest that policymakers, instead of creating a single Canadian state, could consider creating five new states.

My suggestion for policymakers is to create: 1. Atlantic Provinces State (would include New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Labrador and Newfoundland); 2. Quebec State (the French State); 3. Ontario (the financial and manufacturing State); 4. The Prairie and Territories State (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut — food and energy powerhouses); and 5. British Columbia (which could be added to Washington state instead).

Canada currently consists of 10 provinces and three territories and is very large. Political consolidation, like the above, could create powerful areas with common interests, industries and peoples. Food for thought, eh?