REGIONAL INTERESTS VERSUS COmITY INTERESTS: THE FUNDY TIDAL POWER DECISION bY Gary Earl Stairs B.A., University of New Brunswick, 1979 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Communication @Gary Earl Stairs, 1985 Simon Fraser University April 1985 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission from the author. APPROVAL Name i Gary Earl Stairs Degree : Master of Arts (Communication) Title of Thesis : Regional Interests versus Community Interests : The Fundy Tidal Power Decision. Examining Committee: Chaiqerson: Paul I-leyer, Assistant Professor. 7 - - I- Robert S. -Aa&reGm Associate Profess r Senior Supervisor - - 1. - Liora Salter Associgte Professor ,, _I___. James W. Wilson Professor Emeritus Department of Geography Simon Fraser Chivers ity External Examiner Date Approved: 1 Xarch 1985. PARTIAL -COPYRIGHT LICENSE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, project or extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or. in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without rriy written permission. Title of Thesis/Project/Extended Essay Regional Interests versus Community Interests : The Fundy Tidal Power Decision. Authar: -, -. ----- (sig ature) Gary F rl Stairs -Lf- ---- ( wine ) 1 March 1985 (date) ABSTRACT In recent decades, North American governments have favoured the development of large-scale energy projects to meet the social objectives of energy self-sufficiency and accelerated economic growth. These projects have commonly been located near rural communities which usually lack civic organization and experience with large-scale resource development. This thesis examines the behaviour of the residents of one such community when confronted with Fundy Tidal Power. Throughout this examination, the nature of communication between the community and the proponents of the megaproject is understood to be a key variable in the determination of community's support of and opposition to the project. In 1977 plans for a billion-dollar tidal power project were intro- duced to Joggins, Nova Scotia. The project, which was to be located adjacent to the community, was sponsored by the Government of Canada and by the Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. However, since the preliminary feasibility studies had been conducted with little consultation on local impacts, the very forces which instigated the project undermined its acceptance in Joggins. The community thus developed misgivings about the Federal Environmental Assessment and Review Process planned for Fundy Tidal Power, and began to perceive the process as an alien means of communication which conflicted with the nature of political communication generally occurring in and accepted by the community. iii This thesis presents a historical account of the community's will to survive and the manner by which this will conditioned the community's attitudes toward development projects. The thesis also examines the factors which influenced Joggins ' participation in the Fundy Tidal Power decision-making process, and propelled the community to mobilize its own information and participation forum. The thesis concludes that the Environmental Assessment and Review Process proposed for Fundy Tidal Power unduly limits the opportunities for public involvement, thereby thwarting a complete assessment of local impacts as well as subsequent intervention or compensation for losses. An interactive process of communication is therefore proposed as one of the primary means of reducing the friction surrounding resource development projects, and as a basis for anticipating and addressing the negative effects of such projects. DEDICATION To my parents, Ccnard and Betty Ruth Stairs, who ministered at the Springhill No. 2 pit-head during the October 1958 "bump." A WAR OF IDEAS Do not let it be said that we cannot afford it. If we can afford the South Saskatchewan Dam; if we can afford the Crow's Nest Pass; if we can afford the Colombo Plan; if we can afford to spend a-billion-and-a-half dollars on Defence; if we can afford the CBC; if we can afford $100 million as a preliminary budget to celebrate our Centenary; if we can afford these and many other items of our national expenditure which we could name, then it cannot be said that we cannot afford Chignecto [Canal and Tidal Power Project 1, a self-liquidating national investment that would transform this region of Canada and make it a land of plenty. Remember finally that the war between freedom and communism cannot be fought with bayonets and bullets, not even with nuclear bombs or Bomarc missiles. It is a war of ideas. Freedom can only survive if under its banner want and misery are banished. - Michael Wardell, retired Brigadier, Secretary of the Chignecto Canal Committee, From a speech to the Lancaster and Saint John, N.B., Kiwanis Clubs, 16 October 1961. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the many individuals who assisted me in this work, especially Dr. Robert S. Anderson, my senior supervisor; James W. Wilson, my external examiner, committee member, Liora Salter; my employer, Dr. Terrance S. Thompson; the administration manager for NB Power, William Gerhardt; field advisors, TJ. Stephen Macdonald of the Dalhousie Institute of Public Affairs and Dr. Will van den Hoonard of the University of New Brunswick; Dr. Audrey Doerr; Charles M.M. Ferris; the citizens of Joggins; the Municipality of Cumberland; Laurico Services; Carol Randall; and my loving spouse-editor, Susanne Alexander. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Approval ................................................. ii Abstract .................................................. iii Dedication ................................................ v Quotation ............................................... vi Acknowledgements ..........................................vii Table of Contents ......................................... viii List of Tables ............................................xi List of Figures ...........................................xii Preface ...................................................xiii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................. 1 CHAPTER TWO: .RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN JOGGINS ................... 13 Resource and Community Development 1847-1918 ................................ 15 The Town Council: 1919-1949 ............. 18 The Post-War Decline: 1950-1960 ......... 21 Revitalization: 1961-1979 ............... 25 Chapter Summary .......................... 32 CHAPTER THREE: THE FUNDY TIDAL POWER STUDIES ............ 34 The Early Studies ........................ 35 The Chignecto Canal Committee ............ 37 The Atlantic Tidal Power Programming Board .................................... 40 viii Table of Contents .continued PAGE The Fundy Tidal Power Review Board: ...... 41 The Fundy "Non-decision" ................. 44 Chapter Summary .......................... 45 CHAPTER FOUR: F'UNDY TIDAL POWER : THE AGE-OLD DREAM .... 47 Dissent and Public Participation ......... 47 The Chronicle Herald: The Voice of Development ...............................50 Tories. Grits. and Tidal ................. 53 Fundy: The Mythical Connection ........... 54 In Pursuit of Justice and Satisfaction ... 56 Chapter Summary .......................... 58 CHAPTER FIVE: THE EVQLUTION OF COMMUNITY INTERESTS ..... 60 The Flaws in the Environmental Assessment Process .................................. 61 The Community Hears. But is not Heard .... 66 The Status Quo in 1977 ................... 69 A Shift in the "Tide of Support" ......... 71 Environmental Interest Groups and Local Interests ................................ 73 The Greening of Upper Rockport. New Brunswick ............................ 78 The Greening of Joggins and River Hebert. Nova Scotia .............................. 79 Chapter Summary .......................... 84 Table of Contents .continued PAGE CHAPTER SIX: THE PROCESS FALTERS AND JOGGINS ORGANIZES . 87 Communication and Political Processes .... 88 ItNo Major Environmental or Social Problems ..." ......................... ... 92 Joggins Begins to Participate ............ 93 Chapter Summary .......................... 96 CHAPTER SEVEN: TOWARDS A MORE COMMUNICATIVE PROCESS ..... 98 Public Participation in Environmental Assessment ............................... 99 Public Participation as a Means to Accountability ........................... 101 Participation as Social and Political Development .............................. 102 The Limitations of the Social Systems Model ....................................105 Communication and the Regional Advocates . 107 In Pursuit of Justice .................... 111 Conclusions and Recommendations about Participation in Assessment .............. 115 Chapter Summary ..........................121 Tables ..................*...... ..................,..... 124 Figures ................................................... 137 Appendix .................................................