When Canada joined Newfoundland and Labrador
“We were given no option but to turn over management and control of our fishery to the federal government when we joined Confederation.”
A few years ago, 1949 to be exact, Canada joined us, and we became part of the federation of Provinces known as Canada.
That was 75 years ago this year, and there are still people in this province who question the wisdom of that decision — and no doubt a few mainlanders do as well.
I’m a Newfoundlander in the true sense, having been born before Confederation; however, I wasn’t old enough at the time to remember any of the proceedings leading up the vote. What I do remember is what happened and the changes it brought to life and the wellbeing of everyone living in the province after.
Pre-confederation life, for the vast majority of our residents, was tough. Our people were hard working, industrious souls who eked out a living with their hands from what was available to them. Family subsistence farming was a main source for food and fishing was the mainstay of our economy. Water was the main means of transportation for travel and the movement of goods and services. Money was scarce or nonexistent for many families and the barter system was still the order of the day.
Our population was dispersed and based in hundreds of small communities. To make a living from the sea, it made sense to live as close to the fishing grounds and as sheltered from the ravages of the frequent North Atlantic storms as possible. Hence the numerous coastal communities in the coves and bays all along the coastline of the island and Labrador.
Government, based in St. John’s, went through many changes but were unable to improve or even maintain basic services such as road transportation, health and education. In the end, self government failed and was replaced by commission of government from England, which, of course, ended when we joined Confederation in 1949.
Post-confederation, there was a period of rapid growth and improvement in services for just about all areas of the provincial economy and services for people living in the province, thanks in large measure to federal government funding. During the early years, there was catch up to bring the standard of living up to that of the Canadian average, and in large measure that has been accomplished for health and education.
In recent years, however, we have seen frustration with some aspects of the relationship between this province and Ottawa.
For example, for transportation and access to travel on and off the island, we are still lagging the country. Air and sea are the only means to get goods and services as well as personal and business travel between the island and mainland Canada. This puts us at a distinct cost disadvantage to other Canadians and represents a huge cost barrier for anyone living here versus any other province in the Confederation. While the Portaux-basques–n.s. ferry is a constitutionally guaranteed service under the terms of union, as currently structured and managed it does incur a stifling cost on our economy and is unreliable much of the time.
Our highway road system has seen great improvements since Confederation; however, so to has the road system in our neighbouring provinces. New Brunswick, for example, has two twin highways traversing the province. We have one two-lane highway, of which only about 100 kms is twined. We have no railway system, having negotiated that away in the “roads for rails” agreement. Again, our neighbouring provinces have both rail and road services. There is no doubt that improved island access and road network additions and improvements are critical to future development and growth of the provincial economy.
We were given no option but to turn over management and control of our fishery to the federal government when we joined Confederation. In the intervening years, many of the species our population depended upon for their livelihoods have been managed to the brink of extinction, including the all-important cod, which sustained so many of our rural communities for generations. A moratorium was imposed on the cod fishery in 1992 and is still in effect today. In the intervening period nothing was done to help the stocks rebuild and international interest still fish the waters outside our 200mile limit.
To this day interest from outside of the province are given quotas within our provincial coastal waters despite protest from our local fishing interests who are either cut out altogether or given quotas that severely compromise their ability to manage successful enterprises.
It is well past the time to rectify that by looking at other management options that give more consideration to the provinces local fishing interest needs. One possibility might be a joint federal/provincial management structure like the offshore petroleum board, for example.
The above are just a couple of examples where changes are needed to improve our economy and make life better for everyone living here.
Of course, Canada also benefited greatly by acquiring the vast natural resources we brought into the country with us.
Let me finish by saying that while our Confederation may not be perfect, we live in one of the best countries in the world. I love that I am a Newfoundlander and Labradorian, and that I am Canadian.
Canada is by far one of the best countries on the planet in which to live, work, and raise a family. We enjoy a great standard of living and have a stable democratic government. We are the envy of countless people from around the world which is why we have so many immigrants joining us every year.
So, yes, I am glad the other provinces joined us on April 1st in 1949.
Rolly Card St. John’s