The Founding of 'The Territory'

 

By: Misty Murph'Ariens

 

In my last article, I began to explain why Bryce and I chose the name 'The Territory of Ultima Thule' for our property. Of course, all good farms have a name, and it was our intention to have a little farm on this new property. Most farms derive their names from local flora or fauna (i.e. Willowbrook farm) or from the names of their owners, (i.e. Mcnall Family Farm). In choosing our farm name, we wanted it to convey not just the image of what was there, but what would be there. Our farm was not just going to produce agricultural products for sale, it was going to represent what, in our minds, was an ideal—a self-sustaining agrarian life. So, when, during that fateful game of Scrabble, we happened upon the definition of Ultima Thule—a faraway place, an impossible place, an ideal place, the last inhabitable place—we knew that was the name for our new property. That was during the long winter before we moved onto the property, and we continued our reading, learning and musing. Among our reading that winter was many of the laws and by-laws of our new land. We wanted very much to build as simply and sustainably as possible, as our forebears had, and we wished to do as much of the work ourselves as possible. I should also say that, back then, we were young and naive, and we wanted everything to be above board. We started our research with the trust that reasonability would prevail in law, and we would just have to seek out the right way to pursue our goals. After all, our forefathers had built their own homes and barns, some of which still stand today. By the end of the winter, we were starting to look for the 'opt-out' laws. It seemed that if we were to build our own home, we could not follow all the by-laws without compromising our design by including environmentally and financially unsustainable elements...unless, we were not within the jurisdiction of the governing body applying the laws. Aha! That was it. We came upon the rather murky laws that were set out after Quebec's attempted secession from Canada, (ironically called 'The Clarity Act'). In essence it read: If a province or territory wishes to secede from Canada, they must vote on a clear question, and there must be a clear majority of residents in favour of secession. The definition of 'territory'? A defined area of land. Perfect. Hence, 'The Territory of Ultima Thule' was founded. As soon as we thought of it, it seemed destined. It was a habit of Bryce's family to refer to us as 'pioneers', as we had chosen to live, (in their opinion) a hard life away from the amenities of civilization. Pioneers are those people who move to new frontiers to establish a new society. That was our goal, why should we not set out with that clear vision in mind? Breaking away from an established society to form a new colony—one that better represents the ideal of the citizens—may seem like a strange idea, but let us not forget that America and Canada were founded this way. Within these countries, we have Mennonite and Amish communities, and Native reservations, each exempted in some ways from laws and by-laws, in consideration of the fact that these people's culture is distinct from the society around them, and they peacefully opt-out. There are many things about Canada I love—that's why I live here. But, there are some things that the government of Canada does that I do no wish to be a part of. I would suggest that, as Canada is a free and democratic nation, we as citizens have every right to inform ourselves of our freedoms and limitations, and then peacefully opt-out of those things with which we do not morally or culturally agree. While it is true that for government to function—and it does have it's role—there must be cooperation, citizens may sometimes feel that the service the government provides requires that they hand over their volition. A functional government can not result from an apathetic populace—we each must be informed and in turn we must inform the government of our priorities and ideals to truly practice democracy. In short, freedom is not something granted by a government to it's citizens—it is something personally understood, applied and lived.