The Northern Ontario separation movement is turning to the Internet in hopes of resurrecting its cause.
About a month ago Trevor Holliday began collecting signatures for a change.org petition that calls for the separation of Northern Ontario.
Titled the Northern Ontario Peoples Petition, the change.org-initiatives aims at making the region of Northern Ontario its own separate province.
“The Ontario Government has caused a divide of this beautiful province and vacating as well as segregation of the People of the North in order to solely get votes and not worry about the outcome or affects (sic) on Northern Ontario therefore an expansion of provinces is needed,” reads the petition description.
As of Thursday morning, the petition had collected 2,825 signatures of its 5,000 signature goal.
The idea to have Northern Ontario separate from Ontario was a political movement led in the 1970s by the Northern Ontario Heritage Party.
The idea of separation has resurfaced several times in recent decades, and the idea to have the western-most part of the region join Manitoba has also become a rare political talking point.
Neither separation from Ontario, nor having parts of the Northwest join Manitoba, have been seriously pursued.