HEAD OFFICE: MONTREAL,MAY 1966
VOL.47,No.5
OurAtlantic
Provinces
A NEWSTIRRING
is evident
in manypartsof Canadaon
thiseve of the Centenary
of Confederation.
All the
provinces
and thefederal
administration
aretaking
new looksat theirachievements,
needsand plans.
Theyare getting
together
to exploremanyphasesof
life--law,
education,
welfare,
industry,
andtheconservation
anduseof natural
resources.
Thisis in keeping
withthespiritof thecountry.
Theearlyhistory
of Canada
is a storyof exploration.
The voyagesof Cartier,
Hudson,Champlain,
Radisson,Cabotanda scoreof otherseafaring
men gave
to thewilderness
a geographical
importance.
Thehistory
of Canadathatis nowbeingwritten
is
alsooneof exploration,
but it is in the realmof
thought
andsociety
rather
thanthatofphysical
things.
Itspurpose
is to buildnavigable
channels
of understanding
betweenthe ambitions
andcultures
of ten
provinces,
andto construct
portages
aroundcataracts
andrapids
tooturbulent
to sailthrough.
Thereisa certain
irrelevancy
evident
in manyof our
approaches
to ourproblems.
Nearlyeverybookabout
Canadaexcuseseconomicand culturalfailureson
the groundthatwe havea smallpopulation
spread
thinlyovera continental
area.Instead
of intoning
a
miserere
forourtransgression
in spreading
ourselves
so thinly
itwouldbe moreefficient
toanswer
thequestion:Whatcanwe do aboutit ?
Thisis thenewspirit
animating
theseaboard.
Many
thingsare neededin all Canada,but the Atlantic
provincesneedthem all at once,and are moving
towardgettingthem.
It was alongthiscoastthatEuropeans
madetheir
firstcontactwithnorthernNorthAmerica.Today,
abouttenpercentof thepeople
of Canada
livebeside
the Atlantic.ExcludingNewfoundland,
whichhas
only3.2persons
persquare
mile,theAtlantic
provinces
aredensely
populated.
WhileOntario,
themostthickly
populated
of theinland
provinces,
hasonly18 persons
per squaremile,PrinceEdwardIslandhas 48,Nova
Scotiahas 36, and New Brunswickhas 21. Their
maritimegeography,
however,has favoureddecen-
tralization
of settlement,
andtheirbiggest
cityhas
only92,500
residents.
Exploration
Alltheseaboard
provinces
hadtheirupsanddowns
during
theperiods
of discovery
andsettlement.
France
claimed
theMaritimes
because
Cartier
hadplanted
the
Frenchflag on the Gasp6Peninsulain 1534,and
EnglandclaimedthembecauseJohnCabot,operating
undera charterfrom KingHenryVII, raisedthe
royalflagin1497.
In anyevent,
Canada’s
recorded
history
startswith
the Cabotvoyages,althoughauthorities
disagree
aboutwhetherhe discovered
Newfoundland
or Cape
BretonIsland
first.It is knownthatfourdaysafter
hisreturnto England
therewasentered
in theroyal
accounts
thisitem:"To hymthatfoundthe newisle
£10."Cabotonly drewhis pensionof £20 a year
twice,so histotalrewardforaddinga continent
to
the Englishcrownwas £50.
The earlyexplorerswere unanimousabout the
desolateappearance
of the new-found
lands.A cold
currentsweepsalongthe Labradorcoast,so that
JohnDavis,aboardthe exploring
bark"Sunshine",
namedthis"The Landof Desolation",
and Cartier
wrotein his diaryone Juneday in 1534aboutthe
northshoreof the St. Lawrence:
"I did not see a
cartload
ofgoodearth.
To beshort,
I believe
thatthis
was thelandthatGodallotted
to Cain."
ThefirstEuropean
to leavea recordof landing
on
PrinceEdwardIslandwas JacquesCartier,
in 1534.
Whatis now New Brunswickwas neglectedexcept
for the visitsof casualfishermen
untilChamplain
camein 1604anddiscovered
theSt. JohnRiver.
The whole maritime region became known as
Acadia,and fromit manymen withboldspiritsset
outtofoundfortunes
in thefishery
andfurtrades
and
onpiratical
excursions
alongthecoast.
Timber
cruisers
latermadetheirwayinland
alongtherivers
in search
of pinegroves.
Settlement
Fromitsdiscovery
in 1497untilthelanding
of the
Pilgrim
Fathersat Plymouth
Rockin 1620,NewfoundlandwastheonlyBritish
possession
in NorthAmerica.
QueenElizabethI had commissioned
a settlement
therein 1583,butit wasnotuntil1610thata permanentcolonywas established
on Conception
Bay..
In 1615a shiploadof settlersfromWalesfounded
Trepassey,
andby 1712therewerenearly
3,000English
settlers
alongtheharbours
of theAvalonPeninsula.
Theyfollowed
a hardandlonelylife,theirdietrestricted,
their
social
lifeprimitive.
It wasin 1604thatcolonization
wasattempted
off
the New Brunswick coast, when de Monts and
Champlainplantedsettlerson ile St. Croix.
Champlain’s
map showsdwellings,storehouses,
a
chapeland severalgardens.
The winterwas severe,
and 35 men of the original79 diedof scurvy.In
June1605thesurvivors
sailedto thenorthshoreof
Annapolis
Basinandcalledtheirnewsettlement
Port
Royal.Nearly200 yearslater,duringa boundary
dispute
withMaine,New Brunswick
wasableto point
to therelics
of thissettlement
on lieSt.Croix(now
Dochet’s
Island)as clearproofthatthe St. Croix
Riverwasthe trueboundary.
De la Rochelandeda numberof settlers
on Sable
Island,NovaScotia,in 1598;Lescarbothad made
fairprogress
withfarmingnearPortRoyalwhenthe
placewas abandonedby the Frenchin 1607;some
seventy
Scottish
settlers
grouped
aroundthesitein
1628,butgaveup afterthreeyears;
between
1750and
1752morethan2,000settlers
arrivedfromGermany
and tookup homesteads
aroundLunenburg.
Mileby
milethecoastbecamestudded
withsettlements.
The capitalof PrinceEdwardIslandwas founded
in 1720.Itsgreatinfluxof Scottish
settlers
came
in 1803,whenabout800landed.
Thelandwasadministereduntil1873largely
forthebenefit
of absentee
landlords.
Todayitis almost
entirely
undercultivation
by thedescendants
ofEnglish,
Scottish,
Irish,
Acadian
and UnitedEmpireLoyalist
settlers.
The Islandis
soonto be connected
to themainland
by a causeway,
tunneland bridgecomplex
ninemileslong,carrying
bothhighway
andrailway
traffic.
War betweenFranceandEnglandkeptthemaritime
provinces
in an uproarformanyyears.Thewarended
withthe Treatyof Parisin 1763when the French
colonies
werecededto Britain.
PrinceEdwardIsland
andNewBrunswick,
originally
a partof NovaScotia
or Acadia,
becameseparate
colonies
in 1769and1784.
CapeBretonseparated
fromNovaScotiain 1784but
was reannexedin 1820.In 1755 more than 2,000
Acadianscrossedto PrinceEdwardIsland,and in
1784othersmigratedto the northernpartof New
Brunswick,wherethey foundedthe settlement
of
Madawaska.
In 1961,at thetimeof theCensus,
there
were17,418Acadians
on theIsland,
morethan15,000
bearing
oneofthe23 family
nameslisted
in theCensus
of 1798.
Americanfire-brands
fromMainemadedetermined
attemptsto convertNovaScotiaand New Brunswick
intothefourteenth
revolting
colony,
andwentso far
as to destroyFortFrederick
on SaintJohnharbour
in 1775.TheykepttheFrenchandBritish
territories
in a ferment,
buttheirrevolution
hada beneficial
effecton theeconomy
of theAtlantic
provinces.
Thousands
of colonists
in the NewEnglandStates
andelsewhere
didnotseeeyeto eyewiththefathers
and mothersof the AmericanRevolution,
so they
movedover into Canada.In the springof 1783 a
fleetof twentytransports,
thefirstof many,sailed
intothe St. JohnRiverwith3,000peopleaboard.
Eventually,
some50,000Loyalists
cameto Canada,
of whom30,000settled
in theMaritimes.
Confederation
In 1814the Dukeof Kentproposed
a unionof the
Maritimecolonies,
but it was not until1864that
decisive
actionwastaken.A meeting
of delegates
of
thethreecolonies
washeldat Charlottetown.
Representatives
cameto it fromUpperand LowerCanada,
andtheresultwas a muchwiderunionthanhadbeen
thought
of.
Noneof theAtlantic
provinces
cameintoConfederationin a moodof infatuation.
In fact,Prince
Edward
Islandhesitatedfor six years,and Newfoundland
remained
alooffor82years.
Butthetalksof 1864were
vitally
important
in thesurvival
of Canada.
When QueenElizabethII openedthe Fathersof
Confederation
Memorial
Building
in Charlottetown
in
1964to markthe100thanniversary
of theconference,
shesaid:"TheConfederation
whichhaditsbeginnings
herein Charlottetown
hasbeentherockon whichthe
Canadian
nationhasbuiltitsstrength
andauthority.
Onehundredyearsof unbroken
democratic
practices,
embracingthe Crown,Government,
and Parliament,
markCanadaas one of the world’solderand most
stable
nations."
Confederation
andthebuilding
of a railway
ledto
an increase
of tradeWiththerestof Canada,
butin
spiteof compensatory
measuresthe provinces
down
by theseahavenot keptup withthe progress
being
madein westernprovinces.
The declineof wooden
shipping,the openingup of suppliesof natural
products
fromotherlands,thelossof markets
to the
south,
theriseof tariff
barriers
against
exports,
the
centralization
of finance
andindustry
closerto the
bigpopulation
provinces,
andthe geographical
isolationof theseaboard
provinces:
allthesehavecontributed
to underdevelopment.
Theresult,
as waspointedoutat a conference
in
1965,has beenlowerincomeperperson,
lowergoods
outputpercapita,loweraverageinvestment
in new
capital,
lowerlabourforceparticipation,
andhigher
unemploymentand underemployment
than in the
central
provinces.
Onepieceof statistical
evidence
is to be foundin
familyincomes.
In allCanada,
according
to the1961
Census,
therewere3,657,000
families,
77 percentof
whichhad annualincomesof morethan$3,000.The
AtlanticProvinces
compared
in thisway:Newfoundland,86,000families,
49 per cent;PrinceEdward
Island,14,000families,
55 per cent;NovaScotia,
147,000
families,
63 percent; NewBrunswick,
111,000
families,
61 percent.Everyotherprovince
had68 per
centor moreof itsfamilies
in theover-S3,000
income
bracket.
newplaces,
andto develop
andenlarge
industries
to
occupythemin year-round
employment.
Industrialdevelopment
The case for improvementof industryin the
Atlantic
provinces
canbe painted
on a broader
canvas
thanlocalbetterment:
it is necessary
to thecontinued
advancement
of all Canada.
Theneedto expandmanufacturing
is seenin these
figures:
in1960thepercapita
output
of manufacturing
Growingvitality
in theAtlantic
regionwas$218,compared
with$589
per
capita
in
Canada
as
a
whole.
TheAtlantic
provinces
areattacking
today’s
probAs the AtlanticProvinces
EconomicCouncilrelemsin an energetic
andaggressive
way.Justas they
markedin itsoutlineof strategy
in October1965:
gathered
themselves
together
to repelinvaders,
so
"Thecentralpurpose
of economic
development
in the
todaytheyare makinga unitedeffortto copewith
regionfortheimmediate
futureis increased
changed
marketandliving
conditions.
Theireconomies Atlantic
employment
throughthe establishment
and expansion
havegainedmomentum
in thepasttenyears.Thereis
of economicactivities
whichshowgoodpromiseof
a growing
socialvitality.
Theyarenotwaiting
fora
efficient."
newgeneration
andtheoperation
of blindmaterialistic becoming
forces
ortheslowinfluence
ofpolitics
tobring
a better
Everynew industrybroadensthe baseuponwhich
turnof thewheelof fortune.
otherindustries
canbe established,
andtheresulting
strengthens
theeconomy.
Thisis necesCommittees,
commissions,
groupsandassociations diversification
as
are drawinga chartof naturalresources,
possible saryif the 18,100new jobsperyearpostulated
necessary
by theEconomic
Council
areto be provided
markets,
selling
organizations,
andtheapplication
of
and migration
reduced.
It is,saystheCouncil,
"an
technology.
Theyareexamining
land,forest
andwater
awesometarget".
Courageous
effortmustbe madeto
conservation,
electric
development,
newland-use
patdiscover
newsources
of exploitable
resources,
andto
terns,the use of fertilizers,
the development
of
useof knownresources
consistent
industry,
communityplanning,
improvededucation ensurethemaximum
withproperconservation
practices.
andhealthservices.
Theyaredetermined
to usetheir
natural
resources
plustechnology
plusplanned
selfNewfoundland
is pressing
forwardthe development
help.Theyarepreparing
checklists
of action
required of itsresources
of forests,
ironore,lead,zincand
so as to lendpurposeto theirplansand inspire
copper.
It is opening
up Labrador,
whichit plansto
public
interest.
linkto theislandby a tunnelso as to makereadily
SinceNewfoundland,
the mostunderdeveloped
of
available
thegreatresources
of ironoreandhydrothe provinces,
enteredConfederation
in 1949its
electric
power.
budgethas quintupled;
it has builtmore than a
New Brunswick
is alsoseeking
a greater
degreeof
thousandnew schoolsand doubledthe numberof
industrialization
in orderto raiseitsliving
standard
teachers;
it haspavedhundreds
of milesof roads;its
closer
to thatof thenation.
Itsgrossvalueof manupersonalincomehas climbedfrom $163millionto
factured
products
rosefrom$264million
in 1950to
$523million;
automobiles
haveincreased
from14,000
$462million
in 1965.Therearesignsthata greater
to65,500.
People
in isolated
outports
aremoving
their
emphasis
is beingplacedon a higherdegreeof prohomeson raftsto centrallocations
wheretheycan
cessingnaturalresources.
As the directorof the
havetheadvantages
of schools,
electric
power,
teleindustrial
branchsaidtwoyearsago:"Inviewof the
phones,medicalservicesand modernfish-packing continued
capitalexpenditures
in theprovince,
the
plants.
Infantmortality
hasbeenreduced
from92 per
continued
establishment
and development
of industhousand
livebirthsin 1941-45to 31 in 1964,and
triesof botha primary
andsecondary
nature,
andthe
maternal
mortality
from4.2to 0.4.
greater
diversification
of industry
givingyearround
employment,
the economicfuturelooksgood."
If thetechnological
revolution
destroyed
theraw
material
exportfoundation
of the maritime
economy,
NovaScotia’s
newcapitalinvestment
reached$337
it is technology
thatnowholdsouthopeof recovery. million
in1965,an increase
of 26.6percentover1964;
Everysocietywhichseeksto keepitspeopleon the
manufacturing
shipments
wereup 6.5percentto $535
rising
tideof thestandard
of living
hasto learnthis
million;
employment
increased,
andtheaverage
weekly
lesson.
wageroseto $73.76,
an increase
of 4.3percent.
The adjustment
of an areato new conditions
is
always
difficult.
It mayinvolve
changes
in occupation Atlanticculture
and locationfor miners,farmersand fishermen.
However,the provinceshave plannedto educate
TheAtlantic
seaboard
isa mosaic
of cultural
groups,
people
fornewjobs,to assist
themin theirremoval
to
yetfrictionis negligible.
Around1717therewere
Frenchand Englishfishermenplyingtheirtrade
together
offCansounderfriendly
conditions.
Those
weretheyearswhensomeconfidently
predicted
that
Cansowouldbecomethe greatestportin America.
Butthefraternization
became
offensive
to thehigher
commands,
and dissension
was sown.
Peopleof manynationalities
havesettledin the
Atlantic
provinces
sincethen,andtheyretainand
cherish
theirfolkcustoms
andspeech.
Thevisitor
finds
theAcadian
culture
stillflourishing
alongtheshore
of St.MaryBay,wheretheAcadian
Festival
attracts
thousandsof spectators;the HighlandGamesat
Antigonish and the Gaelic Mod and Highland
Gathering
at St.Ann’suphold
theScottish
tradition;
andeverygroup,fromthe nativeMicmacIndiansto
themostadvanced
modern,findsa show-case
at the
NovaScotiaFestival
of the Artsat Tatamagouche.
But,moreimportant,
thesegroupshavewoventheir
traditions
withthoseof theirneighbours
to forma
unique
culture
shared
by all.
TheAtlantic
provinces
havecontributed
faroutof
proportion
to theirpopulation
to Canadian
education
andculture.
Theoldestuniversity
in Canada
is to be
foundin NovaScotia,
andotheruniversities
fromsea
to seahavebeenled by presidents
andchancellors
whosenativeland was alongthe Atlanticcoast.
The "AntigonishMovement"of educationand cooperation
haditsbirthin St.Francis
XavierUniversity,NovaScotia.Newfoundland
education,
too,is
on themove,withrevolutionary
changesmadeduring
the first17 yearsof unionwithCanada.Memorial
University,
established
as a degree-granting
institutionin 1949,wasthefirstuniversity
in Canadato
offer
first-year
tuition
free.
Co-operation
servefishery
products
plants,
research
laboratories
andpilotplants.
Democraticinstitutions
TheAtlantic
provinces
havebeenin theforefront
of democratic
advances.
Whenit wassoughtto impose
centralized
rulefromHalifax,
theNovaScotia
outports
strongly
resisted,
andstoodupfortheirlocalrights.
Nova Scotiagainedrepresentative
government
in
1758,whenit elected
Canada’s
firstGeneral
Assembly.
New Brunswickachievedself-government
in 1784.
PrinceEdwardIslandgainedresponsible
government
in 1851. Newfoundland,whose people have had
aspirations
thatweredemocratic
andinclinations
that
wereindividualistic,
suffered
manyupsand downs.
Shehadno resident
governor
until1818,butattained
to legislative
assembly
stature
in 1832,andresponsible
government
in 1855.Following
the depression
of the
1930’s,whichcarriedthe colonyto the vergeof
bankruptcy,
responsible
government
was suspended
in favourof government
by a commission.
In 1948
Newfoundland
peoplevoted,by a smallbut adequate
margin,
to joinCanada,
becoming
thetenthprovince.
Looking forward
Itcanbe saidthatthepeople
in theAtlantic
provincesare lookingforward.Therehave been many
periods
of optimism
in thepast,separated
by severe
suffering
in hardtimes,butin a wayparticular
to
themselves
themaritime
peopleof Canadaclingwith
fondness
to theirAtlantic
heritage.
Theyhavebeen
peoplewho thoughtit more importantto be real
individuals
thanto havesecurity,
shelter
andworldly
possessions
underguardianship.
Therearealwayspeoplein everyageand environTheproblems
andfeudsof earlier
dayshavelargely mentwho viewwithalarmand therebyraiseappredisappeared,
and all thatremainsof themare the
hension,
and thosewhoviewwithgloomand thereby
crumbling
fortsandthe obsolete
gunswhicharenow
causedepression,
butthescenein theAtlantic
provattractions
fortourists.
Thespirit
of co-operativenessincesaftera hundredyearsof confederation
shows
is demandedby the age. The livesof all modern
peoplewhoarebecoming
sureof themselves
andtheir
nations,if theyare goingto remainmodern,now
future.
impenetrate
eachotherin manycomplexways.
Guy Henson,Directorof the Institute
of Public
TheMaritimes
havehadtheirshareof object
lessons.
Affairs,
Dalhousie
University,
said
at
a
conference
on
As W. S. MacNuttsaysaboutthe earlydaysin The
adult
education
ten
years
ago:
"These
provinces
can
Atlantic
Provinces:
"Thestrident
cryforequality
in
havea futureof achievement
in material
things,
of
the distribution
of favourand patronage
had the
in civicaffairs,
andofcreative
satisfaction
inevitable
effect
of halting
orretarding
construction progress
in things
ofthemindandspirit.
I believe
thatwe are
everywhere."
richlyendowedin naturalresources
if we openour
Today,tens of thousandsof primaryproducers
eyesto seethem,in geographical
location
if we will
havebandedtogether
foreconomic
operations,
mutual
useit,and,aboveall,in humanresources
ifwe bestir
enlightenment
andtheadvancement
of farming,
fishing ourselves
torealize
ourpossibilities."
andforestry.
Theprovincial
governments
areworking
mustbe worked
towardwitha sense
together
toplandevelopment
ofmarkets,
ofelectricity, Theseobjectives
of urgency
so as to reduceas quickly
as possible
the
and of research.The federalgovernment
has been
between
thestandard
ofliving
in theseashowing
constructive
interest.
TheAtlantic
Develop- differential
boardprovinces
andtherestof Canada.
Thisis anobliment Board,established
in 1962-63,has approved
gationof thepeopleof Canadaas a wholeas wellas
expenditures
forhydro-electric
installations,
trunk
of Newfoundlanders
and Maritimers
themselves.
highwaysystems,
watersupplyand sewagesystems
to
Authorized
as second
classmailby thePostOffice
Department,
Ottawa,
andforpayment
forpostage
in cash.
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