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Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.
He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.
In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.
Global Real Estate Project
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Canada: Jean Chretien's 4-lanes legacyIn politics as well as in private life, it's never too early to think about our legacy and the Canada Prime minister Jean Chretien is just another example of that tendency. Before reaching even the middle of his (as many expect) last term in the office in Ottawa, Mr. Chretien seriously discusses the possibilities - financial and political, of expanding the Trans-Canada Highway to four lanes. If he finally gives a green light and more important - the money for the project, that will be his political and also his economic legacy. The Natural Resources Minister of Canada Herb Dhaliwal says that the cost of these new public works will reach between $10 and $15 billion* and that they will take a decade to be completed. To sell to the public the idea of such gigantic plan, the Prime Minister will use the arguments of job-creation and enhancing country's productivity. Many experts already share his opinion that a coast-to-coast 4-lanes highway will have enormous economic benefits for the country, which in many parts is linked only with 2-lanes road. Plans for building a 4-lane highway from coast to coast in Canada were partly inspired by the US neighbors, where a similar project, accomplished between 50s and 80s, has increased enormously the interstate trade, mobility and as a result has contributed in many ways to the general economic and social development of the United States**. One of the economic and trade paradoxes in Canada is that trade between some provinces is far below trade between these provinces and the US states situated on the other side of the border. The fact that more than 80 percent of Canada population lives within 65 miles from US border also contributes to the anemic inter-province trade. That was the legacy from the colonial past of the country when the provinces' trade was mainly maintained with the Imperial center. This turned to be durable legacy that still exists. On the other hand, the trade between the extreme western and eastern provinces is impeded by the undeveloped system of highways. Creating a new modern highway system from coast to coast will have a positive impact on the tourism development in Canada, which is considered to be among the last best-kept secrets in the world given its natural beauties. All these benefits can be summarized in Mr. Chretien's words, who insists that the 4-lanes highway would be important for tourism, would be important for the business community and would be important for the trade between the provinces. In general more Canadians would travel in Canada as well. And we can put in that more Canadians would have more options where to settle than in the present. As baby-boomers become older and the cities in Canada get more and more populated, a new highway system could not only create more jobs, it could also set up new possibilities for more people to settle new territories.
- - - - - ** - Can we imagine the modern residential suburbs, the urban megacities without the developed and multi-lanes highway system?
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