Newfoundland - The Forgotten Riches
Eugene Vaters Collegiate
St. John's, Newfoundland

By Alison (Grade 12)


Newfoundlanders, statistically, are poor, suffering from the highest unemployment rate of all Canadian provinces. In reality, however, we have come to the realization that we are wealthy beyond measure. This wealth cannot be measured in monetary terms but rather in terms of social, cultural and personal value. We are cast with a unique spirit and a morbid wit that allows us to stretch materials and ourselves to the limit time and time again.

Pride is a simple word that does not do justice to how Newfoundlanders feel about their rich and diverse past. Over the last two centuries, this spectacular land has served as the jump-off point for the first non-stop air crossing, the landing site of the earliest trans-Atlantic telegraph cable and the location where Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic wireless message.

In these most difficult days, Newfoundlanders are still prominent in Canadian society. Culturally, performers such as Great Big Sea and Kim Stockwood have revived the youth generation, gaining interest and showing how important our culture is to our survival. Newfoundland is a province abundant in natural resources. Abitibi-Price's pulp and paper products to the West, Inco's massive mineral deposits to the North in Labrador and the Hibernia Offshore Oil Development to the Southeast have provided, and will continue to provide, significant employment opportunities and contributions to the Newfoundland economy for years to come. In addition to all of these developments, 1997 marks the 500th anniversary of John Cabot's arrival in Newfoundland making this province the oldest in North America. In this, Newfoundland's "Come Home Year", we will surely show Canada and the rest of the world that, despite our troubles, Newfoundlanders always persevere.

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