Regional Development Associations in Newfoundland and Labrador
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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR by © Laurie Bonia A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department ofPolitical Science Memorial University of Newfoundland June 2006 St. John's Newfoundland Library and Bibliotheque et 1+1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de !'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-30449-5 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-30449-5 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a Ia Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I' Internet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve Ia propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni Ia these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a Ia loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur Ia protection de Ia vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans Ia pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. ••• Canada Abstract In the mid to late 1960s, a grassroots rural development movement emerged in Newfoundland and Labrador in response to the economic and social crisis many areas were experiencing. Ad hoc groups arose across the province and quickly developed into structured organizations known as Regional Development Associations (RDAs ). By 1969, these associations had formed an umbrella organization and were receiving funding from the provincial government on an experimental basis to cover administrative expenses. Within a few years, RDAs were formally recognized as the primary agents for Newfoundland's rural development program and were funded accordingly through a series of successive federal-provincial agreements. RDAs continued in this role until 1995 when the provincial government shifted to a new program for regional development and ceased core funding to the fifty-nine associations and their umbrella organization, the Newfoundland and Labrador Rural Development Council (NLRDC). This paper looks at the events and process that led to government's decision and, in so doing, examines the RDA movement from infancy to present day status. It concludes that RDAs dependence on government funding created a credibility crisis in the movement that ultimately led government to eliminate its support. Table of Contents ABSTRACT ..................................................................................•......•...........•.........................•.................... i TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................•...................... ii LIST OFT ABLES, FIGURES AND APPENDICES ............................................................................................... iv ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................................................................... v CHRONOLOGY OF APPROACHES TO RURAIJREGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NEWFOUNDLAND ..................... vi CHAPTER 1: IDENTIFYING THE ISSUE ...................•...•...•....................•............................................•. 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 BACKGROUND ISSUES ........................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 THESIS FOCUS AND OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................. 6 1.4 METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES ............................................................................................................. 8 CHAPTER 2: FACTORS IN THE EMERGENCE OF THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT MOVEMENT ......................................................................................•....................................................... 12 2.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 12 2.2 SETTLEMENT PATTERN ........................................................................................................................ 12 2.3 RURAL NEWFOUNDLAND AS THE BANE OF ADVANCE ......................................................................... 14 2.4 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY, 1949-1972 .................................................................................. 16 2.4.1 Industrialization .......................................................................................................................... 17 2.4.2 Resettlement ............................................................................................................................... 21 2.4.3 Education .................................................................................................................................... 23 2.5 RURALNEWFOUNDLANDINTHEMIDTOLATE 1960s .......................................................................... 25 2.6 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 3: THE FIRST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS •....................•............. 29 3.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 29 3.2 ORIGINS AND GoALs oF RDAs ........................................................................................................... 29 3.3 CASE STUDIES ..................................................................................................................................... 32 3.3.1 The Fogo Island Improvement Committee ................................................................................. 32 3.3.2 The Northern Regional Development Association ..................................................................... 34 3.3.3 The Eastport Committee for the Development ofProgress ......................................................... 36 3.4 ROLE OF MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERVICE ...................................................................... 38 3.5 CONNECTION TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT .............................................................................................. 38 3.6 GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE RDAMOVEMENT ........................................................................ 40 3.6.1 Phase 1: Experimental Funding ................................................................................................... 41 3.6.2 Phase II: Formal Recognition ..................................................................................................... 42 3.6.3 Phase III: A Formal Rural Development Program ...................................................................... 43 3.6.3.1 Administrative Funding ....................................................................................................... 44 3.6.3.2 Project Funding ................................................................................................................... 44 3.6.3.3 Organizational Assistance and Training ............................................................................. .45 3.7 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... 46 CHAPTER 4: PARTNERS IN PUBLIC POLIC¥ ................................................................................... 47 4.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 47 4.2 EXPANSION OFTHEMOVEMENT .......................................................................................................... 47 4.3 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTUR£ ............................................................................................................ 49 4.3.1 RDA Organization ...................................................................................................................... 49 4.3 .2 Development Coordinators ........................................................................................................