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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Putting a Human Face on Outmigration

Work in Alberta may be helping many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians survive in today's economic situation but there is a human toll to be paid. The following article from the Canadian Press points to one such case.

Out-migration of men to Alberta leaves families without fathers in rural N.L.

MARYSTOWN, N.L. — Tyson Farewell counts the number of sleeps he has left until his dad returns home.

"He lit up just like a tree," his grandmother Vivian Farewell says, recalling the last time the boy saw his father. But after a week of having dad at home, three-year-old Tyson acts out. He doesn't understand why his father has to leave, but knows his departure is inevitable.

"He'll be saying, 'Dad, dad,' going looking for him upstairs, crying," Vivian says.

"It's hard. It's sad."

Calvin Farewell, like thousands of Newfoundlanders, is a 20-and-eight father.

They're the men who work in Alberta's oilsands for 20 days, living in work camps on the outskirts of Fort McMurray.

They fly home to communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, often all expenses paid, where they play catch up with their wives and children for eight days.

A child's first words, another's graduation are missed because the men can't afford to skip work.

"For some reason or other, each time I do have to go away, I always miss out on something," Michael Murray says during one of his eight-day turnarounds.

"You do get lonely and you long for home."

The 59-year-old had spent nearly all of his working life at the local shipyard.

But last fall the welder found himself in a predicament that thousands of Newfoundlanders before him have faced. Murray lost his job.

The bills continued to pile, so he packed his bags and joined those Newfoundlanders working in the oilsands of Alberta.

"Unemployment is not my game," Murray says.

As mayor of Marystown and a guidance counsellor at a local elementary school, Sam Synard has seen first-hand the effects that out-migration has had on families.

"I know of many people who are now into this lifestyle who were, for the most part, from very strong nuclear families. Mom and dad were home everyday. They sat around the kitchen table every night," he says.

"All of a sudden this is a new lifestyle now where dad is gone for the majority of the time. How long can families survive like this?"

The increasingly prevalent face of the family unit in rural Newfoundland is missing something: a father.
The provincial government estimates that anywhere from three to five per cent of its workforce - roughly 6,000 to 10,000 people - leave Newfoundland for work. The majority of them are men.

The men go back and forth for work instead of moving their families to Alberta because, they say, they don't want to trade their relatively laid-back quality of life for the traffic congestion and higher housing prices that have resulted from the province's booming oilsands.

While out-migration has sapped Atlantic Canada of its workforce for years, Marystown has seen more of its men leave than many other communities.

The south coast town, which is celebrating its come home year, has lost 1,300 people - 19 per cent of its population - in the last decade.

The community of 5,400 and dropping was once one of the province's most prosperous towns. The construction of a fish plant and shipyard in the 1960s attracted young families in droves.

But since the closure of the cod fishery more than 15 years ago, the plant doesn't operate at the capacity it once did.

If not for infrequent work commissioned by the province's offshore oil industry, the shipyard would often stand idle.

"We haven't built a fishing boat here now for 20 years," says Henry Moores, president of a local union.
The sign leading to Marystown on the Burin Peninsula Highway is telling: From dories to drill rigs.

Today, Marystown is a poaching ground for oil companies out west looking to expand their operations, offering a labour force with highly coveted skills because of its once-booming shipbuilding industry.

Welders, pipefitters and electricians find they can ply their trade for $100,000-plus in Alberta, with perks to boot.

"If you have it on your resume that I'm a former employee of the Marystown shipyard, the large companies in Alberta would almost send a private jet to get you," Synard says.

In fact, the migratory workforce is what's driving the Marystown economy.

Families who previously couldn't afford to are now buying gas-guzzling pickup trucks and renovating the homes they recently furnished with new appliances.

As the operator of a hair salon, Darlene Mayo has reaped the rewards of a town eager to dig into its deep pockets.

When she began the home business 25 years ago, she had one assistant.

In the last three years, however, business has tripled and she has hired two hairdressers and three assistants.
"People have lots of money to spend, on themselves, on their children, on their grandchildren, because there's just so much money," Mayo says.

"If there was no Alberta, it would be a pretty sad Newfoundland."

But as a mother of a 13-year-old boy and wife of an electrician working in Alberta, Mayo says she'd prefer to have her family home.

"I am used to him being gone, but it still doesn't come any easier," she says. "As the years go by, it's almost worse."

Mayo has also seen the failed relationships and broken marriages that can come as an unintended consequence of out-migration.

"People go up there, meet somebody else and of course, they don't come back," she says. "Or the wife hooking up with somebody on this end because she's bored to death. The husband is gone. She has all this money, starts buying new clothes, gets a new look, gets new hair and all of a sudden, she's a new person."

The province is more affluent than it's ever been and is on the cusp of greater fortune.

Newfoundland is about to enter a period of unprecedented and sustained economic growth, largely fuelled by expansions in the energy sector.

But the constant exodus of people and the repercussions that have come with that are creating a problem that was unheard of in the past.

There are not enough people to fill jobs.

"We need to retain our young people, attract back those who have left the province and ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador is their province of choice for now and into the future," Premier Danny Williams said recently.

"It's not always a bad thing to move away and experience new things, but ultimately we want our young people to settle and prosper right here at home."

His government recently awarded a $50.5-million contract to the Marystown shipyard to build two ferries.
The project is expected to provide full-time employment for 150 people for a year.

Later this year, Ottawa is expected to announce whether it will award a $2.9-billion deal to Marystown to assemble three ships for the Canadian navy. Victoria is also vying for that contract.

"We're just waiting with bated breath," Synard says.

"You'd bring a lot of these people home."

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is there anyone out there who can explain to me, why with so many natural and human resources, the politicians of Newfoundland and Labrador, both provincial and federal, could not have seen to it that the resources were converted into industries right here?

Why were all of Newfoundland and Labrador's resources sent off to someplace else in Canada to be smelted, refined or just out right sold to create economies some place other than Newfoundland and Labrador?

What was up with that?

I know the politicians of the other provinces vied, along with the reinforcement of their lobbyists and the National News Media, to have Newfoundland and Labrador’s natural resources sent off to the other provinces, but why did Newfoundland and Labrador's politicians cave it and allow it to happen?

A straight forward question, why did Newfoundland and Labrador politicians, both Federal and Provincial, allow the atrocity to happen?

We need an Inquiry to ascertain the reason why. Were there guns put to their heads? What was the real reason?

Anonymous said...

Because in other provinces, politicians aren't responsible for converting resources into wealth.

In other provinces, that's the job of entrepreneurs, investors, and business people. People willing to take a risk. People with smarts. People of independent mind who don't want to live off of handouts from government.

There are many Newfoundlanders who fit that description. Mots of them have moved away.

Stop waiting for government. Stop blaming government. Blame yourselves.

Patriot said...

The real reason is not a simple answer.

It's more of a mixture of reasons, just pick your political leader and pick your time in history.

1) Lack of vision for NL
2) The promise of a future in federal politics
3) being swindled by smarter intellects than their own
4) Making decisions based on short term political gain rather than long term provincial benefit
5) Misguided beliefs that what was best for Canada would be best for NL as well.

I'm sure others can add more to this but you can see there are as many reasons as there were givaways.

Anonymous said...

Alberta rushed head long into the development of the Tar Sands since it knew that the longer it remained undeveloped, the probablity of it ever being developed would diminish. That move sucked all of our Human Resource out of here.

It is also pitiful to see our natural resources going out of here to the other provinces of Canada to create economies, and at the same time our Human resource going to Alberta to assist in its Oil Sands development.

If we had no natural resources of our own, I would feel differently, but since there are many natural resources in Newfoundland and Labrador, we should not have had to move out of here to find employment. Our natural resources should have been developed into industry here and we should be working those industries.

Tar Sands development is a heavily pollution causing industry and I am wondering if the Environmentalists of the World will try to put a stop to its development even at this late date, even though there are Billions and Billions of dollars already spent.

I assume back in the days when the Hibernia field of Conventional Oil was discovered, a good per centage of which was sweet crude, when there was a lot of pooh poohing coming out of Alberta from the likes of the Doig Magazine, with statements that Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore was miniscule and it wouldn't amount to anything. I assume that was all about the fact that they wanted to move ahead with the Tar Sands back then and they were afraid that Newfoundland and Labrador's Conventional Oil find would probably stop the development of the Tar Sands development. (I remember the National News every night showing the Oil rigs which were drilling in our off-shore waters which were flaring while buring off gas and the news anchor touting the high Canadian dollar and referring to it as the Hibernia Dollar.) I assume that was very unnerving to the likes of the Doigs of Canada.

Whatever the reasons for our aneamic economic state, we were knocked back into place by forces from every direction of the spectrum, whether it was the Federal Political Arena, Economic Sector or National News Media. They were all hell bent on keeping us down in Newfoundland and Labrador and they managed to do so very adroitly.

Anonymous said...

OK Anon 5:25, explain to me how government controlled resources like the Upper Churchill was not under government's domain.

Explain how issuing fish quotas that resulted in the decimation of the stocks was not under government control.

Your an idiot my friend, I mean that in the best possible way, not as an insult, but just to recognize that you clearly don't have the intellect it takes to understand the issues. I'm sure you can't help that.

Anonymous said...

Anon June 24, 2008 5:49 PM - Here, here, I agree with you fully!

Anonymous said...

Last I checked, Government doesn't fish.

Government can't develop Hydro development to the Lower Churchill because it can't attract a private sector investor.

Government doesn't run the oilsands in Alberta.

Government didn't drill the wells at Leduc.

Government doesn't mine for nickel. Not in Labrador, not in Sudbury, not in Manitoba.

The only government-built oil smelter in North America is in Come-by-Chance. Every other refinery was built with private money.

Government doesn't build cars, or ships or skidoos (but man, they sure subsidize 'em sometimes...)

You're confusing regulation with investment.

In Newfoundland, people expect government to run everything, do everything. They can't. The fact that you idiots don't understand the difference only proves my
point.

Good luck with your "economies". While you spend the next twenty years of your lives bitching and complaining, I'll be with so many other Newfoundlanders, out in the real world earning a dollar or two. In the meantime keep writing your nonsense.

My point is this - even the great captains of industry in our province either moved their companies or sold them to mainland interests as soon as they could.

It's an attitude problem. And government isn't the source of it. Not by a long shot.

Quit whining and get off your arses.

Anonymous said...

Well Anon 7:00 let me pick your comments apart in such a simple way that even you might understand them and just so you don't think I'm cherry picking your words I'll reprint every one of them. (just in case you are incapable of figuring it out, my comments are capatalized)

Your comments:

Last I checked, Government doesn't fish. TRUE BUT THEY DO CONTROL QUOTAS AND PROCESSING. IF YOU CONTROL WHO GETS A RESOURCE AND HOW IT CAN BE USED YOU HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE ECONOMIC OUTCOME THAT RESOURCE CAN BRING.

Government can't develop Hydro development to the Lower Churchill because it can't attract a private sector investor. HOW DO YOU KNOW GOVERNMENT CAN'T DEVELOP THE LOWER CHURCHILL? HOW DO YOU KNOW IT CAN'T ATTRACT INVESTMENTS? NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ON THAT PROJECT BUT AT ANY RATE, THE DISCUSSION WAS ABOUT THE UPPER CHURCHILL, AND THE FACT THAT OTTAWA REFUSED TO STAND UP AND ALLOW NL TO WHEEL POWER THROUGH QUEBEC, SOMETHING THEY HAD THE POWER TO DO. IF I HAVE A CAR THAT'S WORTH 10,000 BUT I'M TOLD I CAN ONLY SELL IT TO ONE PERSON AT WHATEVER AMOUNT THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY THEN IT'S TOUGH TO TURN A PROFIT NOW ISN'T IT?

Government doesn't run the oilsands in Alberta. NO, BUT THEY CERTAINLY REGULATE WHAT HAPPENS THERE AND IN DOING SO HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON WHAT HAPPENS.

Government didn't drill the wells at Leduc. DITTO

Government doesn't mine for nickel. Not in Labrador, not in Sudbury, not in Manitoba. NO BUT THEY OWN THE RESOURCE AND HAVE A SAY IN HOW IT IS EXTRACTED, PROCESSED, ETC. OTHERWISE THEY JUST DONT ISSUE PERMITS.

The only government-built oil smelter in North America is in Come-by-Chance. Every other refinery was built with private money. OIL ISN'T SMELTED IT'S REFINED. MINERALS ARE SMELTED AND COME BY CHANCE, AFTER SOME TROUBLE EARLY ON, IS A VERY PROFITABLE ECONOMIC ENGINE IN THE AREA SO WHAT'S YOUR POINT?

Government doesn't build cars, or ships or skidoos (but man, they sure subsidize 'em sometimes...)AGREED, AND MASSIVELY BECAUSE MOST OF THAT INDUSTRY IS IN ONTARIO, QUEBEC AND BC.

You're confusing regulation with investment. NO, BUT YOU ARE CONFUSING REGULATION WITH HAVING NO CONTROL OVER WHAT HAPPENS AND IN DOING SO YOU ARE SAYING THE BUSINESS INTERESTS CREATE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND YOU ARE TRYING TO LET POLITICAL FIGURES OFF THE HOOK.

In Newfoundland, people expect government to run everything, do everything. They can't. The fact that you idiots don't understand the difference only proves my
point. NO WE DON'T, BUT WE ALSO ARE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW WHERE THEY CAN HAVE AN INFLUENCE AND CONTROL AND WHEN THEY SELL US OUT. ALSO, THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING YOU JUST SPOKE ABOUT PROVES MY POINT.

Good luck with your "economies". While you spend the next twenty years of your lives bitching and complaining, I'll be with so many other Newfoundlanders, out in the real world earning a dollar or two. In the meantime keep writing your nonsense. YES, YOU WILL BE OUT IN THE WORLD EARNING A "DOLLAR OR TWO" IN THE MEAN TIME I PLAN TO EARN A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN THAT. LIVE WITH IT. THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOT ABANDONING OUR HOMELAND AND ARE WILLING TO STAND UP FOR IT WILL BE BETTER OFF THAN YOU IN THE LONG RUN SO SUCK IT UP AND MOVE ON.

My point is this - even the great captains of industry in our province either moved their companies or sold them to mainland interests as soon as they could. WHICH ONES? OH, I'M SURE SOME DID BUT SO TO DID BUSINESS INTERESTS IN TORONTO AND ELSEWHERE GET SOLD, IT'S A PART OF DOING BUSINESS. I WOULD THINK SOMEONE WHO JUST WENT ON AND ON ABOUT BUSINESS INTERESTS WOULD KNOW THAT MUCH AT LEAST.

It's an attitude problem. And government isn't the source of it. Not by a long shot. YES I AGREE, IT IS AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM. YOU DO HAVE AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM AND GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE SOURCE OF IT, YOU ARE.

Quit whining and get off your arses. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU AND YOUR "ONE OR TWO" DOLLARS BUT I WORK FOR A LIVING EVERYDAY AND MAKE DAMN GOOD MONEY AT IT. NO EI, NO SUPPORT FROM GOVERNMENT AND FULL TIME HERE IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR MAKING FAR MORE THAN "ONE OR TWO" DOLLARS I CAN GUARANTEE YOU MY FRIEND. AS FOR GETTING OFF MY "ARSE" I PLAN TO WHEN I STOP TYPING THIS. I MUST SAY I'M IMPRESSED THAT YOU APPARENTLY STAND WHILE YOU TYPE. I GUESS EVEN THE MOST EXTREME IDIOT HAS A TALENT OF SOME KIND TO MAKE THEM SPECIAL.

Like I said previously, you are an idiot and you continue to prove it.

Patriot said...

Hi Anon 7:44

I've posted your comments because they contain a lot of pertinent information and clearly take a differing stand that those of another anonymous contributor but please try to refrain from the use of the word "idiot" in your comments.

It is bordering on abuse and I'd prefer you stick to the topic even though I know the debate can sometimes get heated.

Like I mentioned, I've allowed your comments for their other content and because you initially prefaced your use of the word "idiot" in a way that I believe refers to the definition:

from the latin idiota ("ordinary person, layman") meaning "uneducated or ignorant person."

The truth is I agree with your usage of the word in this context but let's give it a break.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Patriot said...

Come on folks, let's keep it civilized.

Anonymous said...

Anon of June 24, 2008 7:44 PM - Thanks for setting matters straight.

You encapsulated it in one statement when you wrote that "WE ALSO ARE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW WHERE THEY CAN HAVE AN INFLUENCE AND CONTROL AND WHEN THEY SELL US OUT."

Thanks anon, please keep on reinforcing this site with your very informative commentary. You know what happened to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and its resources and the reasons why we have never been able to build a robust real market economy from them despite our wonderful wealth of natural resources. It had in the past or will have in the future nothing to do with the entrepreneurial spirit of our people, but everything to do with what area Ottawa wants the natural resources to go and to benefit.

You know full well of the influence and control which are wielded by the Federal Government in all matters relating to natural resources and where those natural resources will eventually end up to create economies. It has all to do with the permits that Ottawa is willing to let and to whom and where.

Thanks again! We need many more of your ilk to get the message out clearly to Canadians on what happened to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador's resources. There are too many implants like the anon of 7:00 PM who have been working on behalf of the Federal Government to skew matters. We, with writers like you, have to undo the lies that have been told.

Unknown said...

unreal !!!

Let all the proud CANDIANS Speak Patriot !!!

Anonymous said...

Anon of June 24, 2008 7:00 PM - I suppose you think that Military bases are not controlled by Ottawa nor do you think that they create economies either?

Goose Bay was promised a contingency of 650 Military Personnel for more than 5 years now by Prime Minister Harper, nothing has transpired. That is despite the fact that the Canadian Military is 67,000 strong and 10 per cent of whom hail from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Yes, there are 67,000 Military personnel housed on Military Bases throughout Canada, yet the province of Newfoundland and Labrador DOES NOT have one Military Base, it has two small Military Stations with a count of around 331 personnel.

Why couldn't at least 6,700 of the Military Personnel, the number represented by the per centage which hail from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador be placed in the province on a Military base or two to boost this province's economy?

I know why - the pressure was too great from the areas of Canada which were instrumental in winning the bases in the first place and they are not about to give them up.

Not only have we lost our raw natural resources to the other provinces of Canada so that they can create economies, but when goodies are handed out by Ottawa,such as Military bases, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador is never on the receiving end of that process either.

NL-ExPatriate said...

All of the current provincial political parties are just an extension of the current national federal parties and as such are just proxies to the national parties. And we all know that all of the national parties have to do what's in the best interest of the majority of canadians and not the best interest of the majority of prov members of the federation if they want to have any chance of winning power and becoming the governing dictatorship.

Patronage has been mentioned by some here let me give you some examples of how our provincial Premiers compromised themselves and our province by aligning themselves with the national parties.

Clyde Wells would only run for premier if and when the National Liberal party topped his salary up to what he was making as a lawyer. Compromised and beholding to the national interests.

Word has it Tobin was being black mailed by national interests and media about a sordid affair he had. I say rumor because once he capitulated to the national interests all reference to this affair was removed from the media.
That and he couldn't decide which pension he wanted more the federal or the provincial instead he decided on both. and all but handed over the Voisey bay nickel upalong by appointing Grimes who sold the shop to try and win the election by giving away our resources.
Peckford Sold out the railway for a house. After they cooked the books to convince him by buying a bunch of stock that layed around and separating the profitable from the unprofitable.

John Crosbie Sold out the railroad so his brothers container shipping business could benefit.

Frank Moores well he was as thick as thieves with Mulroney and the Schreiber scandal.

Joey Nuff said.

If the national interests and parties can't convince our premiers or cook the books or put them into such an impossible position that they have to bargain from a weak position they resort to black mail cohersion or slander to get their way of doing what's in the best interest of the majority of canadians and be damned the members of the federation.

No More Giveaways! NL-First...

Anonymous said...

Thanks nl-expatriate, your post gives prime examples of the corrupt way the political patronage system works. Is it little wonder with a system like that, politicians used Newfoundland and Labrador's natural resources as if they were their own, instead of treating the resources the way that they should have been treated, that being the raw resources should have been utilized for the benefit of all of the people in the province? The political system is set up to accommodate abuse. It is a shocking and sordid business, that business known as politics!

The patronage system, combined with the influence pedalling of the lobbyists who always have the ears of the politicians on behalf of the industrialists whom they represent, destroyed the province of Newfoundland and Labrador's chance of getting control and growing a real market economy from its wonderful endowment of natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable. The 'me syndrome' is alive and well in the hearts of politicians.

We know the politicians have a lot of say over matters and they made sure that the resources would have benefited themselves as long as they toed the line for whichever party was giving the instructions. We, the electorate, will never have a chance under such a system.

There must still be time to do something about the way our politicians, both Federal and Provincial, abused the rights of their electorate, the people by whom they were elected to do what was right and proper. The question is how do we go about bringing those ex-politicians to justice? I guess that loophole is sealed as well.

Unknown said...

Well Patriot, I think that I have read enough of this free speech that you are allowing on your Blog. WOW, what a sandbox you have .You have by far attracted some of the most talented minds in this country to your very Blog.

Like this example for instance.

“I’ll be told it’s not enough, but after living in a city (Toronto) which has been subsidizing confederation for the entire history of Canada, I'm only willing to go so far.”

June 24, 2008 1:34 PM

One question anon. What do you call 1.5 Billion dollars a year that the federal government of Canada has helped Quebec rape from the people of Labrador? What is that chicken feed? And, this belief that Ontario is looking after the rest of the country. How far did you have to reach up your @r$e to pull that down. You want to continuously take from other regions of the country and force people to move away from their homes and family’s. Well of course the people are going to have to move away after the federal government has ruined their way of life and their culture.

Then we have this anon. And ,pardon me Myles, but what the heck do I have to constantly remind these smart people that “ Hey “, if you wish to shoot your mouth off on the internet and not look like a “ COMPLETE FOOL “

June 24, 2008 7:00 PM

“Good luck with your "economies". While you spend the next twenty years of your lives bitching and complaining, I'll be with so many other Newfoundlanders, out in the real world earning a dollar or two. In the meantime keep writing your nonsense.

My point is this - even the great captains of industry in our province either moved their companies or sold them to mainland interests as soon as they could.

It's an attitude problem. And government isn't the source of it. Not by a long shot.

Quit whining and get off your arses”.

I have one word to say to this man Myles. Who the H@%% do you think you are, you spoiled daddy’s “Brat” .Coming in here to this Blog and saying the complete load of crap and misinformation that you have. For someone that has an education you have to be the most ignorant Newfoundlander I have ever met. No, wait one minute .The most ill informed “BRAT” that I have had the displeasure of meeting. Telling Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans to get off their arse and go work for a living. Who the hell do you think you are?

Just so everybody here can laugh their heads off at your stupid little comments made, I would like everybody to go to this URL and see how easy it is too debunk what this little person has to say.

1)http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=950DEFDD1F38E733A25751C1A9639C946097D6CF&oref=slogin

2) http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A04E5DE1E30E132A25750C2A96E9C946397D6CF

3) http://www.heritage.nf.ca/cns_archives/47riggsoct07_1999.html

Her we go. Governments do not have a role to play in creating economies. How do you figure this out anon. Did not Canada interfere in the domestic affairs of a sovereign nation? No wonder the Cubans got worried about America, they seen what Canada had done to Newfoundland.


I think what really makes me so up-set Myles is that fact that you wrote such a great piece and took the time to try create some realization and awareness of what is continually happening in our great Province. Then we have these so called “Blogers” come her and try to debunk what the whole world knows as truth and fact.

If I was a proud Canadian I would be ashamed to read what these so called proud Canadians have written here. They know nothing about the loss of time and family certain people have had lost because they wanted to work so badly. But, to hear that from your own is sickening to say the least. These people have no realization of the turmoil and suffering that a lot of family’s have endured because of relocation. Mine being one of them.

EX-Pat, trying to explain a point to this so called educated mind is like trying to fish for Cod in the north Atlantic. Empty and fruitless.

I will say this though Myles, you have to be doing something right my friend because you seem to attract every arm pit Canadian to your Blog .lets get the truth out folks, staring with your vote.


“News Release - New Newfoundland & Labrador Federal Party Formed

New Newfoundland & Labrador Federal Party Formed

St. John's - Elections Canada has recently confirmed that the Newfoundland and Labrador First Party, led by former PC Cabinet Minster Tom Hickey, is eligible to be registered as a Federal Party. With the completion of some ongoing paperwork, and the nomination of one or more candidates for the impending federal election, the party will meet all the criteria for full registration.

The NL First Party (www.nlfirst.ca) will be fielding a full slate for the next federal election.

The party is pleased to welcome applications from anyone who would like to represent Newfoundland and Labrador interests first in Canada's next Parliament. Interested persons can contact the party by e-mail at info@nlfirst.ca or call Tom @ 709-726-5327.

Tom is more than willing to discuss with any perspective candidate or voter the party's commitment to presenting a united front to the Federal Government and the people of Canada on issues of extreme importance to Newfoundland and Labrador's future.

Only the Newfoundland and Labrador First Party can obtain a Fair Deal from Ottawa. We cannot count on any of the old lined federal parties. In the next federal election voters can now cast their vote for Newfoundland and Labrador First and rather than anybody but Conservative. “

It’s up to every Newfoundlander and Labradorean to call the Premiers Office and ask him to endorse the Newfoundland and Labrador First party.

Hey Mr. Hicky may not want anyone of us to do this but it beats sitting on our back sides waiting for this pathetic country called Canada to start acting how it portrays itself.

Only we can make a difference. Hey come, it’s a 1-800 number.

“Republic Of Forever “

babe in boyland said...

"No More Giveaways! NL-First..."

good luck with that. everything looks different in hindsight, with a decade or so of perspective and information.

why do so many of us (the more vocal, it seems) tend to look at our history through a lens of self-loathing and a belief that we are so weak and stupid that we have been repeatedly duped and betrayed by those we choose to lead us?

the fact is we chose our leaders and on our behalf they made decisions that seemed right at the time. newfoundlanders and labradoreans have collectively got ourselves to where we are now - with a lively culture, a fairly strong and supportive social fabric, an enviable level of average education, decent health (though strained healthcare, like everywhere else), a vibrant if not particularly diverse economy, good flows to the provincial treasury and so on.

i'm grateful to my forebears for helping create the socio-economic environment i live in today.

frankly, the bitterness, resentment and downright rudeness on this blog commentary does not reflect the best of newfoundland and labrador - past or present.

NL-ExPatriate said...

If you fail to learn from your past mistakes you are doomed to repeat them.

So it is time that NL'ains realize that by voting for any national party they won't change anything and will continue to repeat the mistakes of the past.

At least if and until the Per Capita colonialist federation known as canada changes.

Equality or Exit anything less is only addressing the symptoms and leaving the root cause unaddressed.

Unknown said...

“The fact is we chose our leaders and on our behalf they made decisions that seemed right at the time”

A very interesting way I guess to start my response to this “belief” that you have babe. You truly believe that Newfoundland’s leaders were elected. You believe that the election or whatever you want to call it wasn’t fixed. Hey, I’m happy that your version of reality fits into your belief system. You must be a very proud Canadian. Good for you. Have fun waving your flag on my remembrance day (July 1). While you choose to swallow the lies that have been forged into your thought process as fact, I will choose to believe the facts that I have read myself.

“Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans have collectively got ourselves to where we are now”

This statement above shows me how truly ignorant to the facts you must be. It’s so sad to see that some of our sons/daughters Patriot are not receiving the knowledge of their history.

Babe, I would hope that sometime you might be able to get off the internet and pick up a history book. Hopefully you may learn something that you obviously haven’t learned in school.

What you call “collectively “I call duped into belief. Duped into believing in a strong federal government that wouldn’t purposely hurt the people that its represents. Why would it knowingly allow another province to swindle the natural resources away from another? Why would it allow its very own department to destroy a resource that was world renowned?

I am sure that when you do finally wipe away the clouds from your eyes and see for yourself with a grain of common since how truly foolish your statements are. Instead of being so trusting to what people tell you, why not go out and do your own research. Find your own answers. Don’t wait around to be spoon fed lies and half truths that come from Ottawa. It’s so easy to see that your uneducated perspective of what has happened in the last 59 years has a very Canadian smell to it. I like to call it the bacon effect.

“Frankly, the bitterness, resentment and downright rudeness on this Blog commentary do not reflect the best of Newfoundland and Labrador - past or present.”

Another statement babe that you have made that truly troubles me. Why do you feel that there is nothing but bitterness in the voices of your countrymen? To have this belief you must also believe then that something has happened to cause this.

In my thought process I believe that all this “bitterness, resentment and downright rudeness on this Blog” is good moral mental health. How would you expect a person to re-act when they have had everything that they have worked for destroyed by a government that was ignorant to their advice and knowledge? Then treated as second class citizens by a government that still holds them in complete contempt. I think that as you get older my dear and when you try to accomplish something for your family, you may see a different perspective on what truly has conspired in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Ottawa would love nothing better then its crimes to go unanswered.


Republic Of Forever

Anonymous said...

To: babe in boyland,

Babe if you have opinions and have been vocal on what happened to Newfoundland and Labrador's natural resources regarding how they were used by our Federal and Provincial politicians to expand their own personal horizons, in the aiding and abetting of the allotment of those natural resources to embellish the economies of the other province, and then you have a desire to enter politics yourself to further embed what happened to those natural resources into the psyches of the Newfoundland and Labrador electorate, then please try and see who will sign your nomination papers with either of the mainstream parties, Liberal, Conservative or NDP.

I wish you Good Luck babe! In order to become a politician of one of the mainstream political parties, you will have to turn your mind and your opinions over to the Leader of the party, whom you will depend upon to sign your nomination papers or else you will never get to even have your name put in the ballot box for nomination.

Please, always remember babe to be a politician of one of the mainstream political parties, you have to be willing to become an aider and abettor of the corrupt Canadian political system that is presently in place or else you won't even have your nomination papers signed to run for the party that you will choose to join.

You also have to remember there are many goodies in the Patronage Tool Box to entice one to turn over his/her mind to the party. Of course, the person who is seeking politics has to have good moral attributes, if not he/she might succumb to the trappings of carrying out the duties of being a corrupt politician.

I am hoping that the NL First political party has different aspirations for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and I do hope that it will be successful in securing a full slate of politicians for the next Federal and Provincial election.

Anonymous said...

The suggestion (above) that the "national" liberal party topped up Clyde Wells' salary is utterly false.

NL-ExPatriate said...

Read this biography of Clyde Wells if you think I'm not telling the truth.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clyde-Wells-political-Claire-Hoy/dp/0773726527