To: The Government of Canada We, the undersigned, have a serious and considered interest in forming an official relationship between Canada and the British Crown Colony of the Turk & Caicos Islands. This issue was last reviewed in 1986 when a group of private citizens from a cross section of the Turks & Caicos community approached Ottawa to discuss the possibility of formalizing a relationship between our two countries. Despite the fact that this group’s independent study showed a staggering 90% approval rate in Turks & Caicos for some kind of association with Canada, and their visit generated a great deal of press coverage and excitement among Canadians, Ottawa dismissed the idea of a merger. The goal of this petition is to show the government of Canada that the idea of revisiting and re-examining the possibility of a merger between our country and Turks & Caicos is of great interest to a wide variety of Canadian citizens. The benefits for both Canada and the Turk & Caicos Islands are significant. For Canada, we would acquire a retirement destination for Canadians which is not on U.S. soil, increase our export sales (even in 1988 the islands imported $27 million worth of goods, mostly from the U.S.), create a base camp and shipping node for Canadian business in the Caribbean, establish a source for marine imports, provide tropical locations for film and television productions, and recoup some of the millions of dollars vacationing Canadians lose every year in buying American currency. In short, we could start putting less money into American pockets, and more into our own. For the Turks & Caicos, a formal relationship with Canada would bring expanded opportunities for education and a higher standard of living, increased exports as Canada buys up huge quantities of conch and lobster, development of light manufacturing and assembly industries (which the local economy currently lacks), direct air travel to the rest of Canada, and more jobs and business opportunities for people of all backgrounds. Please, reconsider a more formal relationship between Canada and the colony of Turks & Caicos. Canada is the world leader is cultural diversity. Help make us truly the best of all possible worlds. Sincerely, Jean-Jacques Buraglia – Bring Turks & Caicos into Canadian confederation And Sincerely, The Undersigned