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Wednesday, October 1st Regina, SK

The streets in an out of the main downtown corridor of Regina were plugged. Media from all over the world had set up their vans, trailers, and tents to cover this event; crews looked like the UN General Assembly.

Everyone in the Province was glued to their television sets and radios. Early poll vote counts were verified by Elections Saskatchewan and forwarded to media outlets. CBC News had graphic presentations with maps of the constituencies and districts across the Province, with extensive running commentary from pollsters, local pundits and the occasional constituency representative brave enough to appear on camera.

The urban areas gave an initial edge to the No vote, but as the later returns came in, the rural Yes votes began to impact on the urban numbers. Finally, at three in the morning, with all ballots returned, the final vote count was tallied and flashed across the Province.
At CBC headquarters in Vancouver, Helen Murphy tore the CPWire stories off the high-speed printer roll, took them into her office and closed the door. She walked over to the windows, to watch the city lights fight against the darkness. Unable to delay it further, she carried the papers to her desk, sat down and read.

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Regina, SK CP Wire-LLK-Referendum Vote 02Oct
Canada 0 USA 1, That’s what the hockey fans across the province are quoting after this historic referendum vote here in the western heartland of Canada. Bye Bye Canada, Hello USA. It was a close vote, no question about that. What made it close? In interviews with folks on the street most of them say it was the uncertainty of it all – and not any aversion to becoming the 51st State. People in the north and south portions of this Province voted an overwhelming Yes. People in the urban areas were almost 50 – 50 for and against. Voter turnout was approximately 60% of the 400,000 eligible voters. The Yes vote received just over 126,000, the No vote, just under 112,000. It was the farmland, the rural vote that made the difference.

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Quebec City, QB CPWire-LLK- Ref Announced 02Oct
Almost overnight, in political terms, after the Saskatchewan Referendum Vote, the Quebec government has announced their own Referendum to join the United States as a new State of the Union. Even though the news has just been announced, there is strong reaction from Quebec citizens all across the Province. French separatists say they support the Yes vote to join the United States. When asked about this possible contradiction they stated, "True, we never wanted to be part of Canada, but we never said we didn’t want to be part of America." Other Quebec man-in-the-street commentary: "Now we can really develop our James Bay Hydro Projects – we will have a partner that has enough resources to fully develop that project. They need the clean electric power generation and we can offer all that they would care to have." (electrical utilities worker)
"We can secure our place in history now – as the power supply for all of eastern US, for many, many years to come." (teacher)
"Our auto industries, our parts makers are some of the best in the world – we don’t have to worry about tariffs and fickle trade barrier creators – we will all be Americans – and we won’t have to wrestle with Ottawa anymore." (autoworkers union)

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Omaha, NE CPWire-LLK Ag Industry Eyes Sask 02Oct
Several closed door meetings have been held this week by agricultural development giants here in the Midwest. Sources indicate that these global companies are positioning to assist the new State with massive irrigation projects. Installing large-capacity pipelines from unlimited water supplies not only helps Saskatchewan but all the parched drought lands in the middle United States.

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She tossed the paper on her desk. That didn’t take long. Helen Murphy wasn’t surprised.