Newfoundland becomes a Canadian province
Newfoundland became a Canadian province on March 31, 1949, following a complex process that involved local sentiments, economic pressures, and a series of referendums. Prior to confederation, Newfoundland was governed by a commission appointed by Great Britain, which reflected the island's challenges during the Great Depression and World War II. Public opinion was initially resistant to joining Canada, largely due to a desire to maintain local governance, exemplified by the support for "responsible government." However, economic conditions and the potential for development, particularly in Labrador's resources, prompted discussions about union with Canada.
In 1948, Newfoundlanders voted in a referendum to decide between confederation, the existing commission government, and responsible government. The first vote favored responsible government, but a subsequent runoff resulted in a narrow victory for confederation. Following this, Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King announced that the terms of union would be finalized, leading to the formal agreement signed in December 1948. The transition marked a significant change for Newfoundland, which saw improvements in public health, education, and governance structures in the years that followed, although some residents expressed nostalgia for their previous identity. The confederation remains a topic of mixed feelings, reflecting a blend of pride in progress and a longing for the past.
Newfoundland becomes a Canadian province
The Event Admission of Newfoundland as the Canadian confederation’s tenth province
Date March 31, 1949
Newfoundland’s admission as a province completed the process of Canadian confederation that had begun in 1867 and resolved the territory’s constantly evolving political status. The area’s union with Canada fostered a new-found closeness between the residents of Newfoundland and other Canadians and granted Newfoundland residents Canadian citizenship, with all of its rights and privileges.
Newfoundland had been governed since 1934 by a commission of six members, three from Newfoundland and three from Great Britain. However, Newfoundland’s significant role in World War II as the site of American military forces did much to alter Canadians’ image of the area. Even so, strong opposition to confederation was not quickly eliminated. In July, 1941, the Canadian government appointed its first high commissioner for Newfoundland, C. J. Burchell, an expert in maritime affairs and in admiralty and shipping law. Burchell carefully monitored the feelings of Newfoundland residents about confederation, which were generally negative. Despite these attitudes, in June, 1943, British prime ministerClement Attlee dispatched three members of the House of Commons to Newfoundland to explore local conditions and sentiments.
At the same time, Vincent Massey, Canada’s high commissioner in London, was corresponding with Norman Robertson, undersecretary of state for external affairs in Ottawa. Robertson eventually wrote to Massey that economic pressures eventually would force Newfoundland to become part of the Canadian confederation, but the initiative for this union would have to come from Newfoundland itself. Robertson realized that British taxpayers did not want to pay for Newfoundland’s budgetary deficits. Ottawa, however, was aware that Labrador was rich in iron ore and held out possibilities for much hydroelectric power, although the Canadian government feared that a new province could prove to be a social and political burden.
National Convention
On June 21, 1946, a National Convention was elected, and after considerable study by the nine committees elected to gather information, two delegations were appointed: one to visit London, another to visit Ottawa. A sticking point in the deliberations was the question of Great Britain’s financial support of Newfoundland, for if Britain continued to provide these subsidies, the need for confederation would diminish. The delegation from the National Convention left for London on April 24, 1947, and a month later Viscount Addison told the House of Lords that Great Britain would continue to support a commission government in Newfoundland and the area would not become a Canadian province. Before holding another series of meetings on the issue, the Canadian government decided to let Newfoundland residents vote for confederation; if voters approved the union, the new province would be granted all the privileges of other provinces. The Ottawa meetings began on June 25, 1947, with ten subcommittees considering every aspect of confederation. Finally, on October 29, the Canadian government sent Newfoundland officials a Proposed Arrangement for the Entry of Newfoundland into Confederation, a document granting Newfoundland seven members in the House of Commons and six senators. The new province would have jurisdiction over its natural resources, and government employees there would receive Canadian civil service jobs.
Three months of heated debate followed the release of the Proposed Arrangement, with some nervousness about Newfoundland seeking to join the United States. Newfoundland political leader Joseph R. Smallwood proved an effective advocate for the cause of union. However, in March, 1948, he announced that confederation would be dependent upon the outcome of the referendum on the issue, with voters deciding if they wanted confederation, the commission-type of government, or the longstanding “responsible government.” “Responsible government” meant that the governing body of Newfoundland, which represented the British Commonwealth, was responsible to a local legislature that administered the area. The first referendum, held on June 3, attracted a huge voter turnout, with “responsible government” getting 69,230 votes, confederation receiving 63,110, and a commission of government garnering 21,944. A runoff election on July 22 yielded a final count of 78,323 votes for confederation and 71,334 for responsible government. The next day, Canadian prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King announced that Ottawa would receive representatives from Newfoundland to hammer out the terms of union. The terms of confederation were signed on December 11, 1948, and Great Britain provided its royal assent to the union on March 23, 1949. A week later, Newfoundland became Canada’s tenth province.
Impact
In 1967, writer St. John Chadwick reviewed Newfoundland’s progress since becoming a province. He noted the welcome drop in the infant mortality rate of 103 per 1,000 in 1935 and the marked decline in school absences because children no longer lacked adequate clothing. Newfoundland’s Fisheries Board had become a model for other provinces, and its financial system had stabilized. Most important, the province enjoyed a well-organized, properly recruited, and permanent staff of civil servants, and its population had grown from 350,000 in 1949 to more than 500,000 in 1967. Despite these benefits, some residents continued to oppose confederation. Chadwick quoted a Canadian senator’s bittersweet remark that since Newfoundland became a province, “it is no longer the same. The old character has gone. The people have been Canadianized.”
Bibliography
Chadwick, St. John. Newfoundland: Island into Province. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1967. Authoritative study of constitutional development in Newfoundland.
Eggleston, Wilfrid. Newfoundland: The Road to Confederation. Ottawa, Ont.: Crown Copyrights, n.d. A celebratory history of Newfoundland’s struggle to become a province. Well illustrated.
Howe, Frederick W. The Smallwood Era. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1985. Describes the influence of one of Newfoundland’s most important founding fathers, Joseph R. Smallwood. Includes historic photographs.
Johnston, Wayne. The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. New York: Doubleday, 1999. Excellent novel about Smallwood and his role in Newfoundland history.
Neol, S. J. R. Politics in Newfoundland. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1971. Describes the area’s government and politics, including the battle over confederation.