i think to make any argument on national unity on just economics is silly. look back in history to what happened where on north america. there were the slave states & free states which became the USA, and the other 3rd of north america was where most of the fur trade happened. in other words, the land where the fur trade happened became canada. remember that champlain came to the new world looking for furs, not cotton, etc. he settled north of the st lawrence because that's where the best furs could be found (thick fur, thin skin)