Tourism and the Village of Gagetown: Economic Development in Rural New Brunswick
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TOURISM AND THE VILLAGE OF GAGETOWN: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL NEW BRUNSWICK by Joanna R. Moore Bachelor of Arts, University of New Brunswick, 2008 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Graduate Academic Unit of Anthropology Supervisor: Christiane Paponnet-Cantat, PhD, Anthropology Examining Board: Susan Blair, PhD, Anthropology, Chair Christiane Paponnet-Cantat, PhD, Anthropology Evelyn Plaice, PhD, Anthropology Allan Reid, PhD, Culture and Language Studies This thesis is accepted by the Dean of Graduate Studies THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK May 2011 © Joanna R. Moore, 2011 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du 1+1 Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-91847-0 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-91847-0 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives 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'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. Canada Dedication This thesis is dedicated to the people of the Village of Gagetown and its surrounding areas. It is based on information that you provided, both directly and indirectly, and could not have been completed without your participation and support. It is important to note that this thesis is not intended to be a definitive representation of your village, nor are my conclusions and recommendations meant to provide definitive solutions to your challenges. Instead, I am offering an outside perspective of your community and I am hoping to provide another set of ‘tools’ for your ‘toolbox’ as you decide for yourselves the best course of action to pursue in your economic, social, and personal development. Like many others, I have been captivated by your village - by its tranquil beauty, its rich history, and, most importantly, its vibrant, community-minded people - and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours! Abstract Using the case study method, this research attempts to examine the correlation between local distinctiveness, image construction, and rural tourism using ethnographic data collected in the Village of Gagetown, New Brunswick during the summer of 2009. Having considered data collected from seventy surveys, two focus groups, eight interviews, and numerous instances of informal observation during local events and activities, this research posits that successful rural tourism relies on the existence of a shared local identity and the construction of a unified and marketable tourism image. In terms of the specific research site, data also indicate that local event tourism initiatives have the potential to aid community development by providing venues through which economic sustainability may be achieved. Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge several sources of support that saw me through my research and thesis writing. First, I offer my heartfelt thanks to my thesis supervisor, Doctor Christiane Paponnet-Cantat, for guiding me through the process, for always being available to make recommendations, for helping me better understand my research data, and for encouraging me to continue whenever I became overwhelmed. On that note, I would also like to thank my husband and my mom for their patience and support as I worked my way through various challenges and frustrations, and also for always being willing to listen whenever I needed to discuss a new revelation or point of theoretical interest. Further, I would like to thank the members of Queens County Heritage for taking an interest in my research and for offering insights into local tourism and culture. Particularly, I would like to thank Queens County Heritage president Bruce Thomson for providing me with opportunities to integrate my thesis research with research I performed for Queens County Heritage; and I would also like to thank my work supervisor Catherine Coombes for her constant support throughout my time spent in the village - especially when it came to identifying and contacting knowledgeable local sources. Finally, I would like to thank all of my focus group participants, my interviewees, and everyone else who provided me with information and insights throughout my research. This research received financial support from the University of New Brunswick’s Board of Governors Merit Awards for Graduate Studies and from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Table of Contents Dedication.............................................................................................................. ii Abstract ..................................................................................................................iii Acknowledgements........................................................................... iv Table of Contents ...................................................................................................v List of Figures........................................................................................................ ix Chapter I: Background ............................................................................................1 1.1 Research problem .........................................................................................1 1.2 Research background .................................................................................. 5 1.3 Research site ................................................................................................6 Chapter II: Historical Background ........................................................................ 12 2.1 The seventeenth century to the mid-nineteenth century............................12 2.1.1 New Brunswick water systems and early French settlement.............. 12 2.1.2 Colonial consolidation and regional Loyalist identity...........................16 2.1.3 Political consolidation through provincial organization ........................19 2.2 Maritime provinces under Confederation................................................... 24 2.2.1 Impact of the federal market economy on New Brunswick ................. 24 2.2.2 Industrial reform and development on the St. John River................... 28 2.3 Economic, technological, and social change in the twentieth century 29 2.3.1 Rural development in Gagetown......................................................... 29 2.4 Post-war period and economic modernization...........................................32 2.4.1 Economic stagnation through expropriation ........................................33 2.4.2 Economic disruption through centralization.........................................36 2.5 Reinventing economic stimulation through local initiatives........................ 37 2.5.1 The Village of Gagetown in the late twentieth century ....................... 38 Chapter III: Theoretical Background .................................................................... 44 3.1 Approaching rural tourism studies.............................................................. 45 3.1.1 Rural tourism defined.......................................................................... 45 3.1.2 Qualitative assessment of rural tourism ...............................................46 3.2 Anthropological approach to tourism studies .............................................48 3.2.1 Tourism as a process of acculturation .................................................49 3.2.2 Tourism as a system of commercial development .............................. 50 3.2.3 Cultural impact studies of tourism....................................................... 51 3.2.4 Tourism as an overall process ............................................................. 52 3.2.5 Tourism as a system of power, pay-offs, and trade-offs ..................... 53 3.2.6 Tourism as an expression of local culture ...........................................56 3.3 Assessing tourism development in the Village of Gagetown..................... 60 3.3.1 Tourism area life cycle approach