Western Visions, Western Futures explores the interplay between western alienation and western aspirations. Because of regional optimism, western Canadians often feel alienated from the rest of Canada or, more specifically, from the federal government: western Canadians are concerned that their aspirations are not shared by the rest of Canada and, worse, that conflicting “national”policy choices and political realities have and will work to undermine the interests of the West. The book is rich in both data and history. Combining strong analysis with graphs and illustrative quotations, it presents a comprehensive overview of key western Canadian trends and policy issues and places these within a national context.

Western Visions, Western Futures outlines a number of process and policy options for federal and provincial governments both to help fulfill western aspirations and to address western alienation. The authors argue that the future prosperity and well-being of Canada are integrally tied to the future of the West, and leaving western alienation unaddressed for another 50 or 100 years will only serve to weaken or destroy the whole country.

Western Visions, Western Futures is a revised, updated, and expanded edition of Western Visions by Roger Gibbins and Sonia Arrison (Broadview Press 1995), there is little in common between the two books. Many of the themes are the same, but the new book draws heavily on a wealth of Canada West Foundation data that has recently come available.