As chances for local employment diminished, young people left the province at an annual rate of about 5, With opportunities accessible through cheap transportation by land, air and sea, they moved on, mostly to central or western Canada.
The impact of the economic recessions of the late s, early s and early s were sharply felt in Newfoundland, although there was no comparison with the desperate conditions of the Great Depression in the early s. Unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, social assistance and other benefits of the welfare state ensured decent living and health standards. High unemployment most severely affected the young and there was again considerable out-migration in the late s and early s as people sought employment in western Canada's booming economy.
The development of the Voisey's Bay nickel mine in northern Labrador and offshore oil production since have reversed the long-term trend of annual deficit budgets for the province. Increased economic activity, especially in the St John's metropolitan region, has contributed to the province experiencing in-migration. The province is generously endowed with natural resources, and periodic development of each resource has proved beneficial to both primary and secondary producers.
Originally this resource was the fishery, and the economy was wholly dependent on it. Today the resource-based economy has diversified to include mineral, oil and hydroelectric developments.
Agriculture has been of minor importance in Newfoundland because of the poor soil and adverse climate. Less than one per cent of the agricultural land in Canada belongs to Newfoundland and Labrador, and about half of it is confined to the northern Avalon and Burin Peninsulas.
Nevertheless, there are scattered pockets of fertile land and conditions are suitable for the growth of hay and pasture crops. Important vegetable crops include potatoes , carrots , rutabagas and cabbage. Also of importance are fruit crops, namely blueberries, strawberries and cranberries.
Minerals mined in the province include iron ore, nickel, copper, zinc, gold, aggregates, cobalt, silver, dolomite, limestone, peat and pyrophyllite. Of these minerals, iron ore accounts for well over half the value of the industry, followed by nickel and copper.
There are several hydroelectric power plants, the largest being Churchill Falls Generating Station. In , the provincial government approved the Lower Churchill Project, a hydroelectric development to take place in two phases: Muskrat Falls and Gull Island, both in Labrador.
The project represents the best undeveloped hydroelectric source in North America, with an expected capacity of about 3, MW. With respect to oil, there are four major offshore projects in production: Hibernia, Terra Nova, White Rose and Hebron.
Decisions of the Supreme Courts of Newfoundland and of Canada in and declared that ownership of offshore resources specifically the Hibernia oil field was federal.
However, on 11 February an agreement — called the Atlantic Accord — was signed between the Newfoundland government and the new federal Conservative administration, giving Ottawa and St John's joint say over offshore oil and gas management and allowing the province to tax the resources as if they were on land. Both Newfoundland and Labrador have substantial forests. As of , there were 10, hectares of forested land in the province, 26 per cent of which were stocked for harvesting purposes.
After its discovery around , the Island depended on cod fishing for nearly years, until forest and mineral resources began to be exploited. Before the fishing industry concentrated on the production and sale of salted and sun-cured cod.
The advent of quick-freezing and of boats capable of transporting the frozen product to market radically changed the industry. Year by year the percentage of salted cod produced and sold declined, whereas the percentage of fresh-frozen fish species such as cod, turbot, plaice and redfish increased, and the principal market shifted to the US.
Changes in the fishery since meant more employment on shore in the processing plants and fewer people to secure the catch. In many settlements along the coast fishermen augmented their income seasonally by catching lobster, salmon, caplin, herring, mackerel, squid, eels, scallops and crab. On 2 July , the federal government declared a complete moratorium on the northern cod fishery in an attempt to save the stocks after years of overfishing.
The program expired in May Today, the industry has largely shifted toward shellfish. Snow crab, shrimp and surf clams are valuable species in this category. The most significant industrial activities are based on local raw materials, such as fish processing plants.
Tourism is also an important contributor to the economy. In the early years of settlement all transportation was by boat or, in the north during winter, by dog team. The establishment of railways, roads and airports brought changes. Branches were later built to Lewisporte on Bay of Exploits and to Stephenville. The line later operated by CN was narrow gauge and primitive, but it provided an essential service and fostered development across the Island throughout the first half of the 20th century.
The railway was closed entirely in September Highway development was rudimentary up to Roads were local, narrow and generally unpaved. A continual road-building and -improving program since the s has provided an Island-wide road network, which is mostly paved and includes the Trans-Canada Highway from St John's to Channel-Port aux Basques. A few important offshore islands e. Communities in Labrador are linked by the Trans-Labrador Highway. In addition to ferry service linking the offshore island, there is intra-provincial ferry service between Newfoundland and the Labrador mainland, as well as a ferry from Port Aux Basques to Sydney, Nova Scotia, and another from Fortune to St Pierre et Miquelon.
Bush flying has been important in Newfoundland since the s, and some isolated areas still rely on ski- or float-equipped small aircraft or helicopter service for mail and emergencies. National and regional airlines provide regular scheduled service to and from these points. The strategic location of Newfoundland made it a logical point for the initial attempts to cross the Atlantic by air. The first successful flight was that made by Alcock and Brown June from St John's to Clifton, Ireland, in a two-motor biplane.
There were many subsequent crossings from Newfoundland in the s and s, culminating with the ferrying of thousands of bombers from Gander to England during the Second World War see Ferry Command ; there was also flying-boat service from Botwood, and regular transatlantic air service via Gander in the pre-jet era. Gander continues to serve as an international crossroads for aircraft carrying goods and people to distant corners of the world.
MHAs are elected by eligible voters in their electoral district. Provincial elections are usually held every four years on the second Tuesday of October. However, an election may be called before this date.
This sometimes happens when the party in power thinks it may help them win re-election. Elections may also occur before four years have passed in cases where the government no longer has the confidence of the House of Assembly see Minority Government. As with the other provinces and territories in Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador uses a first-past-the-post electoral system, meaning the candidate with the most votes in each electoral district wins.
Typically, the party with the most seats forms the government, and the leader of this party becomes premier. However, a party with fewer seats may also form a coalition with members of another party or parties in order to form the government. The premier typically appoints members of the Cabinet from among the MHAs who belong to the party in power.
Cabinet members are referred to as ministers and oversee specific portfolios. Typical portfolios include finance, health and education. See also Politics in Newfoundland and Labrador. The foundations of the health-care system lie in the cottage hospital system and the International Grenfell Association facilities.
The cottage hospital system, initiated by the Commission government in , was designed to bring a high standard of health care to outport residents. Small hospitals were constructed in central locations around the Island, but their number has been reduced in favour of larger regional hospitals. The International Grenfell Association, founded by Sir Wilfred Grenfell in the early s and centred in St Anthony, provided essential health-care services to residents in the north, particularly coastal Labrador.
In it transferred its medical assets, including hospitals, nursing stations, equipment, and land devoted to health care, to the province. The General Hospital in St John's is the largest and best-equipped hospital; it is part of the Health Science Centre on the Memorial University campus, which also includes a Faculty of Medicine and a school of nursing. Under the Medical Care Act of , most health-care services are free to residents of the province. Later in the 18th century the SPG operated schools in St John's and in several of the larger outports.
They were apparently open to children of all denominations. A variety of schools were organized in the early 19th century, the most significant being those operated by the Newfoundland School Society. Established in with a special concern for educating Newfoundland's poor, by the early s this society had nondenominational schools in many towns and outports.
The Education Act represented the first direct government involvement with education; funds were distributed among societies promoting education, and nondenominational boards of education were established.
By the education grant had more than doubled and was divided between Roman Catholic and Protestant school boards. The Protestant grant eventually was distributed among several Protestant denominations.
Post-Confederation amalgamation occurred among several Protestant school systems, but government-funded, church-administered education survives today. The denominational education system is protected in the Terms of Union Memorial University of Newfoundland , founded in as Memorial University College, was made the province's only university by a special Act of the House of Assembly Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, a degree-conferring institute located at the west coast Corner Brook campus of Memorial, was established in Other post-secondary institutions include the College of the North Atlantic and 26 colleges of applied arts, technology and continuing education.
The ancestors of most Newfoundlanders came from southeastern Ireland or southwestern England and brought with them distinct and enduring cultures. This heritage, shaped by centuries of Newfoundland's isolated, maritime way of life, has produced a vibrant, distinctive culture, expressed in dialects, crafts, traditions, cooking, art, music and writing. The capital city, St. Johns is located on the north side of the province.
Here's all you need to know about life In Newfoundland and Labrador. Newfoundland and Labrador offer an excellent and affordable quality of life. The cost of living in this province is much lower when compared to many of the larger centers in Canada, such as Toronto or Vancouver.
Newfoundland and Labrador provide immigrants with many opportunities in the fields of fishery and resources. Considering the richness of the land in the aforementioned resources, there is a constant need for skilled workers. Residents are fondly known as "Newfoundlanders" and "Labradorians", with an incredibly diverse population of British Isles English, Irish, and Scottish , South Asian, Chinese, and aboriginal people.
As huge icebergs detach from glaciers in Greenland, the current carries them right past towns like Battle Harbour and Twillingate. To really get into the swing of how the islanders do it, get outdoors. Newfoundland is packed full of incredible hiking and walking trails, plus plenty of opportunities to take to the water. There are 29, kilometres of pristine coastline with beaches and sea stacks to explore.
In addition, there are plenty of outfitters where you can hire sea kayaks to explore those deserted coves. There are certain benefits which come with having a population density of only 1.
A complete lack of light pollution in places all across the province is just one of them. The dark skies make for perfectly clear stargazing. The culture and heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador runs deep. Coloured by Irish, English, French and Indigenous influences, the rich tales and traditions can be experienced all over the province. You can catch a cod from a traditional fishing boat or take part in an archaeological dig near Ferryland. Once-in-a-lifetime experiences are all around you.
All you need to do is dive in. Interested in seeing Newfoundland and Labrador for yourself? Browse our holidays in Atlantic Canada for more ideas of what to see and do in the region.
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