This is a compiled portion of information on Atlantica which is a policy that is telling Atlantic Canadians that the road to economic salvation lies in becoming a route for Asian goods destined for the American heartland, and increasing unprocessed resource exports, particularly energy to the United States. One of the key components of the scheme is a giant multi-lane highway stretching from Halifax to the northern New York area. On this road, hundreds of monstrous truck and trailer rigs will carry goods from Asia to an already industrially devastated region of North America.

From the 15th until the 17th the Proponents of Atlantica, including the right-wing think tank AIMS will be meeting in Halifax Nova Scotia to push forward their agenda. Using Atlantic Canada as a gateway for an over consuming North American culture and also to open up the draining of Canadian resources such as water and energy would be the downfall to an area already dependent on exporting all we have to offer.

I will be attending the events that take place in Halifax this coming weekend and doing photography and also video to document the resistance to those bringing Atlantica to an area in which will be further pushed into economic disparity by trade policies that do not help anyone except those in power. While I know from prior meetings things can become very violent and even those documenting the events that take place are not safe from the police and have even of being jailed and the forms of media destroyed. I am hoping to be able to provide an avenue for those voicing their opinion against a policy that would forever change the shape of the Eastern portion of Canada forever.

I will update this blog on how things turn out and how I am treated as a Canadian youth that has the right to express how policies will change the society that I live in.

The folowing is a song that was created by the Raging Grannies. And will be preformed in Halifax.

Atlantica
(tune: Go Tell it on the Mountain) starting note: E
written by Maritime Raging Grannies in Charlottetown PEI, June 2007

Chorus:

Come, sing it with us, sisters
Over the borders everywhere
Atlantica would hurt us
We have to make trade fair.

1. Big business is promoting
Deregulated trade
The government is helping
The goods are Asian made (don't go up on last note here; instead sing next four lines on same tune)
They'd ship it to the Maritimes
Then truck it to the States
And our resources would go too
At bargain basement rates.

Chorus:

2. Behind closed doors they'll sign a deal
And we won't know a thing
They'll trample on our human rights
So let our protests ring.

Chorus:

3. We have been hurt by NAFTA
Our jobs are going off shore
We need less greenhouse gasses
Their plan will bring us more (descending melody line; sing next four lines on same tune)
And we will lose our sovereignty
If we do not pay heed
Our air and land and water spoiled
To fuel their corporate greed

Chorus: