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Quote:As Scotland pushes for a second referendum on independence, one man is asking the previously unthinkable - if you're going to quit the UK, why not join Canada?
Canadian writer Ken McGoogan says the unorthodox alliance makes sense.
"I think it would be terrific for both Scotland and Canada," he says.
McGoogan first laid out his proposal in an opinion piece published in Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail, where he argued that advancements in telecommunication technology and transatlantic travel have rendered pesky things like geographical boundaries "irrelevant".
Besides, he points out, Scotland is closer to Newfoundland than Hawaii is to California.
Last week, the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of asking the UK government to allow a legally-binding referendum on independence.
Prime Minister Theresa May has said the vote should wait until after Brexit.
Mr McGoogan says he sympathises with the angst that many Scots are feeling over Britain's decision to leave the EU.
"The Scots aren't happy right now, and I don't think they're being treated especially well."
Mr McGoogan says that if Scotland were to join Canada, it would enjoy a lot more independence and hold a lot more power than it currently does with Great Britain.
Scotland would be Canada's third largest province, with 5.3 million people, which would give it significant political sway. Add to that the millions of Canadians who, like Mr McGoogan, have Scottish ancestry, and you'd have a national-ethnic bloc about 10m strong, he reasons.
More importantly, Canadian provinces are in charge of more aspects of governance than Scotland has been afforded as part of the UK.
Canadian provinces are in charge of their own courts, health-care, systems and educational institutions. Some provinces also have their own immigration programmes, a fact that has already piqued the interest of a number of British and Scottish MPs.
