"Government
Game"
Created
by: Holly Barry, and Elisabeth McGrath
Introduction
This page basically tells about "Resettlement"
and about how it was carried out in Newfoundland. Newfoundland suffered
a big, heart-breaking event mainly between the early 1950's and the late
1960's. The main area in Newfoundland that this page focus's on is
Placentia Bay, on the Avalon Pennisula. This "Resettlement Process"
was taken out under the direction of premier, Joey Smallwood, and the government
of the time. This effected just about everyone in Newfoundland; both
the resettlers whom left their outport communities, as well as the people
living in the "growth centres" in which the resettlers moved. This
page also gives you a brief explanation of why resettlement occured, and
statistics of approximately how many people resettled and when.
What
is resettlement?
Resettlement
refers to a process whereby organized efforts have been made
to centralize
the population of an area. Between 1954 and 1975 there were three
resettlement
programs introduced in Newfoundland and Labrador by the
provincial
and federal governments. These programs resulted in the resettlement
in the abandonment
of 300 communities and 30 000 people being moved, mostly
from small,
isolated fishing communities to larger “growth centers”. Relocating
was not mandatory,
but the government was cutting all services to all these tiny
islands.
They were removing coastal boats which brought passengers to and from
the islands,
as well as mail and freight. No educational services were to be
provided for
children. Therefore, many people were forced to leave their small,
outport, island
communities. Many people were paid to move such things as their
houses, and
belongings, whereas, others were paid to resettle, but didn’t bring
there houses
with them. Many people lost out, and were mad about the resettling
movement, while
others thought that it was a great opportunity. Did anyone win?
The
Placentia Bay Islands
In
the days of my childhood, with pleasure I’d roam
Over
hill of Long Island, where once was my home
Where
the beauties of nature by God’s mighty hand
Made
a wee bit of heaven in dear Newfoundland.
It
was here we were happy and knew peace of mind
Where
the love of one’s neighbor you’d all lend a hand
We
were true sons and daughters of dear Newfoundlannd.
Some
dear ones that loved us are with us no more
While
the rest by decree had to leave that dear shore
Now
with homesteads are empty, church bells silently stand
T’was
a shame to forsake thee, my true native land.
In
memory I stand on the hillside and see
What
once was a beautiful picture to me
And
I relive the past as in silence I stand
On
that beautiful portion of dear Newfoundland.
(Mr.
Thomas Hann)
When did
the Resettlement Program occur?
In the 1950's, proceeding into the 1970's, most remote communities were
forced to move to more accessible locations under a government program
called Resettlement. Thousands of Newfoundlanders were prodded into
moving from their outport communities and into “growth centers.” This first
began in 1949. Confederation changed everything. The leader
of the Confederation movement, and Newfoundlands premier for 23 years afterwards,
was Joseph R Smallwood, who swore that he would “drag Newfoundlanders kicking
and screaming into the twentieth century.” He made a public announcement
that hundreds of thousands of persons would be resettled. His statement
was taken very seriously.
By the mid-1950's, thousands had already moved out of “the bay”.
The Newfoundland
Centralization
Program had its origins in a 1951 petition from the residents of three
islands in
Newfoundland.
People began to relocate then, and they have been moving ever since.
The resettlement program operated from 1965 to 1975, by which time it had
come into some disrepute and was quietly allowed to die. No final
data was ever published on the total number of communities or households
moved during that particular range of time. In 1965, the federal
and Newfoundland governments produced complementary legislation setting
up a community resettlement program for Newfoundland.
By the early 1970's resettlement was under fire. In part, the extensive
disapproval was due to published social-science reports documenting the
fact that many of those who moved felt forced to do so.
Resettlement mainly concluded in the late 1960's, (early 1970's) when most
of the remote, lowly populated villages were relocated. However,
as of today, resettlement still occurs in Newfoundland. It doesn’t
occur in the ways it used to, nevertheless, centralization always occurred
in Newfoundland. It will always be a part of the Newfoundland culture,
because mainly, it affected everybody in that tiny portion of land on the
eastern side of North America, on the globe.
How did
the process of “Resettlement” occur?
Hundreds of Newfoundlanders who had built their homes alongside their grandfathers
and
fathers, refused
to abandon them and rebuild. So, by barge, boat, blood and sweat,
a lot of them moved. Across bays and around capes family homes were floated
to their new foundations. The provincial department of social welfare
decided to support their move, and this became the spark for the
centralization program launched in 1953. That program was seen by
the authorities as a form of welfare assistance. It was administered
by the department of social welfare. In order for any household to
receive any assistance, all households in a community had to sign a document
indicating that they were willing to move. Indeed, no money was provided
until the last household had left.
So, in conclusion, a lot of people towed their houses across the bays,
(the sea) and most people scattered to different areas, and positioned
their houses in new areas, away from their former, fellow neighbors.
Whereas, other homesteaders used the money that they received from the
government (to move away) to buy new houses, in other areas, such as Port
Royal, Placentia Bay. A lot of people, now think that they left a
really wonderful house behind them, to move to areas such as Placentia,
only to end up with a house worst than the one that they had before.
In other cases, this isn’t true.
The church is gone. Only an outline is clear from the foundations.
A million wood
splinters
sink into the ground and twists of iron reach from the rubble. The
houses also have
been
razed to the ground or towed away, only the stone foundations visible.
Rabbits scurry
around
the debris, not recognizing that they are signs of human life. The
wharf, once
spanning
200 yards or more, is broken wood on the beach, some of it turned to charcoal.
One
part
only is left working, the planks of the pier held up ingeniously by the
bow of a shipwreck.-
This
was once a thriving community. At its height in the 1920's there
were nearly 500
residents.
The Wareham Premises employed more than this number seasonally. Even
at the
time of
resettlement in 1966, there were still 266 people in Harbour Buffett year-round.
-How
had all signs of life been erased so completely in just 33 years.
I remember
stories
of government agents whose job it was to make sure there was nothing to
return to.
.................an
excerpt from a newspaper clipping in the Telegram which told an enchanting
story of the lovely, rugged, outport community of Port Royal at daybreak.
What
did leaving the life that they had known for so long mean to the resettlers?
Some people
agreed that life would be better for them and their children if they moved.
Some people thought this because they knew that it was very difficult for
the government to provide the services that people wanted and deserved
in the outport communities. However, it was easier and less expensive
to provide schools, health care, and transportation to fewer but larger
and more centralized communities. Also, the fishermen would have
to transport their catches long distances. This made some of the
homesteaders want to move to larger “growth centers” which meant leaving
there original homes.
On the other hand, to many others, leaving their childhood homes meant
the loss of the cliffs that they had climbed as children, the bay where
they sailed and caught their fish, the old church on the hill, and to many
it meant the departure of the homes that they had grown up in. The
departure affected everybody who left, though. In all of their hearts
their was, in some way, a lonesome cry, and homesick feeling, which made
their hearts long for what they called home.
?
Year
that community resetted
|
Population
of resettled people
|
|
1946
- 1954 (no assistance)
|
49
|
1954
- 1965 (Department of Social
Welfare)
|
110
|
|
First
resettlement - 1965 - 1970
|
119
|
|
Second
Resettlement - 1970 - 1975
|
36
|
Non - designated communities from
which households moved - 1965 - 1975
|
312
|
