Title: Land and Sea Resource Guide: Environmental Science 3205
Pages: 45
Date: 2010
Copyright: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Author: Jim L’Abbe
Editor: Jill Colyer
Supervising Editor: Tom Metuzals
Graphic Design/Layout: Alberta Kwok
ISBN: 978-1-55146-430-5
Resource Guide
Environmental Science 3205
1
LA N D A N D S E A
Unit 1: Introduction to
Environmental Science
People of the Torngats
Synopsis
People of the Torngats is a documentary which was made over 30 years ago. The film is in two parts:
1. The first part describes life in Nain, the community that became home to many of the Labrador
Inuit when they were removed from their traditional lands further north.
2.The second part follows a family of Inuit north to Okak Bay, one of these traditional lands,
where they spend the summer fishing and seal hunting.
The picture presented is one of tension between the old ways and the new; and between subservience
to government authority and a yearning for control of their own lives and lands.
Discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Before viewing People of the Torngats,
ask the class what they believe life would
have been like for the Inuit of Labrador
40 years ago. What would their housing
be like? How would they make a living?
What part would government — federal
or provincial — play in their lives?
Record the students’ responses, and
review them with the class after viewing
the film.
At its core, the film explores the impact of
the modern North American lifestyle on
the traditional way of life of the Inuit.
1. To what extent has this impact been
a negative one, a positive one, or a
combination of both?
Activities
1
How does life in 21st century Nain compare with life depicted in People of the Torngats?
Prepare a brief profile of life in modern Nain — economic, environmental, and social — and compare
your results with the lifestyle shown in the documentary. What major changes have taken place?
What aspects of life remain much the same? Your teacher may ask you to organize your
information in a comparison chart.
Economic
Environmental
Social
Modern Nain
People of the Torngats
Two web sites that will be of assistance for this activity are:
Sikumiut Environmental Management Ltd., at www.sikumiut.ca/Sikumiut/nain.html
Nunatsiavut Government at www.nunatsiavut.com/en/nain.php
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 1
People of the Torngats
2
The Moravian Church and the International Grenfell Association both had a major impact
on the development of relations between the Inuit and European settlers. Who were these
organizations and what part did they play in the development of modern Labrador?
Good starting places for additional information are:
Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage at
www.heritage.nf.ca/aboriginal/inuit_history.html and
www.heritage.nf.ca/society/moravian.html
The International Grenfell Association at www.iga.nf.net/
The White Elephant Museum at www.labradorvirtualmuseum.ca/wem/
Moravian.html
3
Nain is the administrative capital of the Nunatsiavut Government, which describes itself
as having “many of the responsibilities and rights of other governments, such as planning
for sustainable economic development, protecting and preserving our Inuit culture and
implementing social programs on behalf of our beneficiaries” (www.nunatsiavut.com/en/
index.php).
Nunatisiavut administers the territory created by the recent Land Claims Agreement involving
both the federal and provincial governments. This wide-ranging agreement covers a number
of issues pertinent to environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Highlights of the
agreement are available from Nunatsiavut at www.nunatsiavut.com/pdfs/Signing
Ceremony/Highlights_english.pdf.
Students could be asked — as individuals or in small groups — to identify those issues and
describe how they are handled in the agreement.
Other Possible Research/Discussion Topics
1
2
3
The Premier’s apology to the Inuit for the closing of Hebron and Nuntak. (See the Nunatsiavut
Government web site at www.nunatsiavut.com/pdfs/Hebron_Apology.pdf)
The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami declaration of 2010 as the Year of the Inuit. Information is available
at the official web site www.inuit2010.ca/
The place of the Arctic Char fishery in the Newfoundland and Labrador economy. Investigation
could begin at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, “North Labrador Arctic Char,”
www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/CSAS/CSAS/status/2001/SSR2001_D2-07e.pdf.
1
Ashes Island
Synopsis
Ashes Island explores sustainability in the lobster fishery, and the attempts of the fishermen to
preserve and improve their catch.
1.The first part looks at the successful efforts of Paddy Kelly to win his fellow lobstermen’s
agreement to preserve the waters of tiny Ashes Island as a trap-free place for lobsters to
grow and breed.
2.The second part visits Happy Adventure on the Eastport Peninsula, where lobster
fishermen closed two areas to lobster fishing over a decade ago. The result: a steady
increase in the size of lobsters caught and the number of egg-bearing females.
Both conservation efforts were made independent of government intervention. The lobstermen
interviewed repeatedly make one point: good conservation practices make good economic sense.
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
1. Who should have the ultimate responsibility for the sustainability
of a resource-based industry like the
lobster fishery?
2. Is government regulation necessary,
or can such industries regulate
themselves?
3. To what extent can industries
punish those who violate policies
that have been put in place by
common agreement?
1. The most striking feature of the
conservation measures taken in this
film is the universal cooperation of all
the stakeholders despite the lack of
government intervention.
Why would all the lobster fishermen
readily agree to cooperate?
Does the community in which they
live play a role in this decision?
2. Are there ways in which a
government can encourage these
types of self-policing activities in
fisheries or any other industries?
Is there a time when governments
should step in with legislated rules
and regulations?
3. Paddy Kelly makes the point that
conservation is a case of letting
“Mother Nature take care of itself.”
Do you agree? Explain your answer.
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 1
Ashes Island
Activities
1
A key question for Canada’s Maritime provinces is: What makes a fishery sustainable?
The Atlantic Canada Lobster web site at www.tastelobster.ca/eng_home.
php?lang=eng1&page=6 describes a sustainable lobster fishery.
Of the many conservation measures listed, which would you describe as the three or
four most important? Why?
2
A 2008 report prepared for the Newfoundland and Labrador Government looks at
sustainability in some depth. Pages 22–33 of the report deal specifically with the TrinityBonavista Bay region that is the subject of this video. The report is available at www.fishaq.
gov.nl.ca/fisheries/sustainable_fisheries_oceans/issues_scan_ii_final_report.pdf.
What are the main concerns raised by area residents in the report? Create a table and
categorize the concerns under the headings Mainly Environmental, Mainly Economic, and
Mainly Social.
3
The stakeholders of the Eastport Lobster Protection Initiative are now part of the Eastport
Marine Protected Areas (MPA). Their web site at www.eastportmpa.com/ is an excellent
source of information on the preservation of marine environments in Newfoundland and
Labrador.
On the web site, click on the heading “What is a MPA?” View the PowerPoint presentation
titled “Marine Protected Areas: An Overview.”
As you view the presentation make two lists in a basic t-chart in your notes. Your two
headings should be Aspects of MPAs that directly address the concerns of the lobstermen in the
Ashes Island film and Aspects that go beyond those concerns expressed in the film.
Aspects of MPAs that directly address
the concerns of the lobstermen in the
Ashes Island film
Aspects that go beyond those concerns
expressed in the film
1
King of the Sheep
Synopsis
In this video, researchers use DNA sampling to look for what they believe is a breed of true
Newfoundland sheep. These researchers believe that the unique sheep — characterized by its small
size, sure-footedness, and toughness — should be registered as a heritage breed. Newfoundland
sheep survive in conditions where others can’t, and it is believed that they can only be found in
three places in all of Newfoundland and Labrador. King of the Sheep examines efforts to preserve this
breed, because “once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Species disappear all the time. Some
species disappear as a result of natural
reasons, and some disappear because
of human-made problems. Some
species, however, become the focus of
conservationists’ efforts to save them.
1. What are the physical
characteristics of the
Newfoundland sheep that make it
unique?
1. Can you name some of the “poster
creatures” for conservation efforts?
2. Do they have any common features
that make them prime candidates
for saving?
Do you think these characteristics
make it worth preserving this
breed? Why/Why not?
2. Are there economic, social, or
cultural factors that make it worth
preserving this breed?
3. Not only animal species are in
danger of disappearing. Sixty years
ago, Chinese farmers were growing
more than 10 000 varieties of
wheat. Twenty years later, this was
down to 1000 types.
What are the dangers of these kinds
of reductions in diversity?
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 1
King of the Sheep
Activities
1
Norway has recently opened the Svalbard Global Seed Vault to provide storage for different
2
strains of crop seeds from around the world. Visit the Norwegian government’s official web
site for the vault at www.Seedvault.no and prepare a brief report explaining why the vault
was created, how it will operate, and what it hopes to accomplish.
Did you know that all the bananas that we eat are from only one variety, the Cavendish
3
banana? Research the Cavendish banana to determine how it became the top banana,
and why it may be about to disappear from our supermarkets.
The Newfoundland government has produced two reports to date on the efforts to make the
Newfoundland sheep a heritage breed:
Newfoundland Local Sheep: Is It a Myth or a Mystery?
www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/livestock/sheep/pdf/nflocalsheep.pdf
Genetic Preservation and Development of ‘Newfoundland Local’ Sheep as a Breed:
Interim Report #2
www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/livestock/sheep/pdf/PreserveDev.pdf
Review these documents and report on how the case for registering a unique breed of
Newfoundland sheep is developing.
Other Possible Research/Discussion Topics
1
2
The disappearance of many of the world’s species of amphibians.
Bee mortality around the world, and the efforts to save them.
Protecting Our Caribou
Synopsis
1
The caribou is the official provincial animal of Newfoundland and Labrador. Protecting Our Caribou is about
a joint effort of loggers and wildlife authorities to explore the effects of timber operations on Newfoundland
caribou habitat. Logging giant, Abitibi Price — now AbitibiBowater — voluntarily agreed to work with
researchers on a study in the mature softwood forest near Grand Falls. The hope of both groups was to preserve
“healthy populations in the face of necessary industrialization.”
Discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Protecting Our Caribou is an example
of cooperation between the private
and public sectors to achieve positive
environmental goals.
1. Protecting Our Caribou makes the
point that the real crunch comes
when the results of environmental
research indicate a change is
needed in the way a company does
its business.
1. Can you describe any programs
in your part of Newfoundland and
Labrador where private companies
have taken the lead in addressing
environmental/sustainability
concerns?
What factors would encourage a
company to make changes?
Which ones would discourage
change?
2. With a real possibility that research
might indicate that Abitibi Price’s
logging practices were negatively
impacting the caribou herd, why
would the company agree to
participate in this study?
Activities
1
In 2008, Newfoundland and Labrador put in place a strategy to deal with declining caribou
herds. Research that strategy and prepare a brief report outlining its main features.
A good place to begin your research is with the official Environment and Conservation release
at www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2008/env/0207n06.htm
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 1
Protecting Our Caribou
2
AbitibiBowater — formerly Abitibi Price — has abandoned its Newfoundland operations and
is currently in bankruptcy protection. Nonetheless, like almost all forest products companies,
it continues to highlight sustainability as one of its most important concerns. What does
sustainability mean to the corporation?
Visit the company’s web site at www.abitibibowater.com/uploadedFiles/Menus/
Sustainability/AbitibiBowater_SustainabilityReport_EN.pdf, and report on the four key
areas of sustainability on which AbitibiBowater is focused, including the steps they are taking
in each area.
Which steps are mainly environmental, which are economic, and which are social? You
may choose to organize your information in a chart.
Sustainability steps taken by AbitibiBowater
Environmetal
Economic
3
Social
Much of the caribou’s economic importance to Newfoundland and Labrador is its
attractiveness to big game hunters. As such, woodland caribou population comes under the
management of the Wildlife Division of Environment and Conservation, Newfoundland and
Labrador. As the Division says, it is their job “to manage big game populations so that they
persist indefinitely.”
Prepare a report on the main ways in which the Wildlife Division goes about managing the
caribou population. A good place to start is the Division’s web site at http://www.env.gov.
nl.ca/env/wildlife/wildlife_research/big_game.html.
10
The Grey Islands Eiders
Synopsis
1
The Grey Islands are about 13 miles off Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula. Though the islands
were once populated, there are now no full-time human inhabitants. Common eiders breed
annually on one of the small islands, and their population has been declining in recent years. Only
10 per cent of the ducklings born to this declining population are believed to survive their first year.
Thanks to the Eider Initiative of Ducks Unlimited, a multi-year study took place to measure and
band hatchlings to help keep track of the survivors. This episode looks at the work of the 2004 team
working on the island.
Discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
While the Grey Island Eiders seem to be in decline, the common eider species as a whole is
not (yet) endangered.
1. Should the preservation of one of the smallest breeding colonies of a species be a
priority for wildlife specialists? Why or why not?
Activities
1
The research taking place on the Grey Islands was part of a Ducks Unlimited initiative. A
2
preliminary 2008 report is available on the Sea Duck Joint Venture web site at
www.seaduckjv.org/studies/pro3/pr16.pdf. Outline the preliminary results for the
Grey Islands site.
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is active in all parts of the country, and is one of the best-
known private conservation organizations in the country. Its web site is ducks.ca; one section
at www.ducks.ca/province/nl/index.html is devoted to its work in Newfoundland and
Labrador.
Using information provided on the web site, briefly describe:
DUC’s main areas of interest;
Its main methods for promoting conservation;
Its policy on hunting; and
How hunters work with DUC assisting in eider research. (See www.ducks.ca/
aboutduc/news/archives/prov2005/051018.html)
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L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 1
The Grey Islands Eiders
3
The eider is not Newfoundland and Labrador’s first duck species in decline. The Labrador duck
is actually extinct.
What happened to the once-common Labrador duck?
Does its extinction have any lessons for the eider?
A good place to start finding answers is Avian Web at:
www.avianweb.com/labradorduck.html
4
The Grey Islands were once inhabited, but the human community was unable to sustain
itself. One of the enduring works of Newfoundland literature is John Steffler’s The Grey
Islands (1985). In poetry and prose, it explores the abandonment of the community by its
inhabitants, and the relationship between people and nature in one of the most rugged parts
of Newfoundland.
Students with an interest in literature could use Steffler’s book to explore the reasons why
the Grey Islands were abandoned by their human population. They might also compare the
picture drawn by Steffler of the Grey Islands with the reality shown in the film.
(Selections from Steffler’s book were later set to music by Newfoundland composer Michael
Parker.)
Other Possible Research/Discussion Topics
1
Birds are economically important as a tourist attraction, both for hunters and bird watchers.
2
Newfoundland Travel and Tourism devotes a large portion of its web site to bird watching:
www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/BirdWatching/Default.aspx
The Sea Duck Joint Venture is an important international effort to gather as much information
12
as possible about the seabirds of North America. Visit their web site is www.seaduckjv.org
to explore status reports on sea ducks — including the eider — and their strategic plan for
2008–12.
UNIT 1. web.resources.summary.
1
Atlantic Canada Lobster Sustainable Lobster Fishery:
www.tastelobster.ca/eng_home.php?lang=eng1&page=6
Report of Trinity-Bonavista Bay’s sustainability:
www.fishaq.gov.nl.ca/fisheries/sustainable_fisheries_oceans/
issues_scan_ii_final_report.pdf
Eastport Lobster Protection Initiative:
www.eastportmpa.com/
Norwegian Seed Vault:
www.Seedvault.no
Newfoundland Local Sheep: Is It a Myth or a Mystery?
www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/livestock/sheep/pdf/nflocalsheep.pdf
Genetic Preservation and Development of ‘Newfoundland Local’ Sheep as a
Breed: Interim Report #2:
www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/livestock/sheep/pdf/PreserveDev.pdf
Environment and Conservation release about declining caribou herds:
www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2008/env/0207n06.htm
AbitibiBowater’s report on sustainability:
www.abitibibowater.com/uploadedFiles/Menus/Sustainability/
AbitibiBowater_SustainabilityReport_EN.pdf
Wildlife Division’s report on managing the caribou population:
www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/wildlife_research/big_game.html
Sea Duck Joint Venture:
www.seaduckjv.org/studies/pro3/pr16.pdf
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC):
www.ducks.ca/province/nl/index.html
How hunters work with DUC assisting in eider research:
www.ducks.ca/aboutduc/news/archives/prov2005/051018.html
Avian Web’s information on the eider:
www.avianweb.com/labradorduck.html
Newfoundland Travel and Tourism on bird watching:
www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/BirdWatching/Default.aspx
13
LA N D A N D S E A
Unit 2: Recreation and the Environment
2
Celie’s Story
Synopsis
Cecelia Smith is an 87-year-old great-great-grandmother from Hawke’s Bay on the Northern
Peninsula. Celie — as she is called — insists that, when it comes to work, she can “outdo any man.”
Celie is a self-taught carpenter who built her own home. She retired from carpentry at the age of 66
but continues to hunt and trap.
1.In the first part of the film we learn about Celie’s early years. Celie grew up in the Great
Depression and started doing the work of a man as a teenager. She is determined to “never
let go of the old ways.”
2.In the second part of the film we join her at her camp in the woods in wintertime, where she
traps beaver with her son and snares rabbits with her great-grandson.
Celie’s Story is a look at a once-common way of life now disappearing from most of Newfoundland
and Labrador.
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
With a partner, or in a small group,
discuss the following questions:
1. How many students hunt
themselves or know others who
hunt on a regular basis? How many
have family or friends who once
hunted but have given it up?
For Celie, hunting and trapping have both
an economic and recreational purpose.
She gets meat for the table, money from
the sale of animal skins, and a lot of
fun and satisfaction from her lifestyle.
How would you describe the hunting
experience for most of the hunters you
know? Is it about providing meat for the
freezer, or the pleasure of the hunt itself?
2. Why do those who still hunt do so?
Why have others given it up?
Activities
1
Using the list of values and benefits generated by the students at the beginning of this unit,
2
discuss to what extent Celie’s life and lifestyle demonstrate the validity of the list.
Wilderness is much more accessible today because of modern technology. Celie has obviously
embraced the snowmobile as her favoured mode of winter transportation in the woods.
What other technologies have changed the way in which people use the wilderness for
recreation? Make a list of these technologies, and indicate their positive and negative impact
on recreational wilderness use.
15
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 2
Celie’s Story
3
Many people are often surprised to learn that a substantial amount of trapping and snaring
of small animals still takes place in Newfoundland and Labrador. Like other forms of hunting,
it is closely regulated. There are nine pages on trapping in the Newfoundland and Labrador
Hunting and Trapping Guide, www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/hunting/hunttrap.pdf.
Using the Guide, prepare a short descriptive report about current trapping regulations.
Include the following information in your report:
16
Who may trap
How a license may be obtained
Animals that may be trapped
Length of the season for trapping
Protected animals
The impact of the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS)
2
Fish Enough
Synopsis
Every winter a group of men from the Avalon Peninsula trek to one of the lakes in the Indian Bay
area to ice fish for trout. Over the years, the number of trout has decreased, and so has the size
of the average trout. The decline in trout could be due to the fact that the wilderness is now more
accessible.
Winston Norris, of the Indian Bay Ecosystem Corporation, notes that snowmobiles and ATVs have
made it possible for people to more easily reach remote ponds.
As a result, many have come close to being fished out. New regulations and the cooperation of
recreational fishermen seem to have reversed this trend, and the trout in the Indian Bay area are
holding their own.
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
Fishing is one of the most popular
leisure activities in North America. A
recent poll conducted in the United
States puts it in fourth place overall
— after reading, watching television,
and gardening.
1. What are the attractions of fishing?
2. How much does the size of the
catch contribute to the overall
enjoyment of fishing?
3. Are there particular areas that are
popular fishing spots in the local
community?
4. Have there been changes in the
quality and quantity of fish over the
years?
1. What different factors — ecological,
social, and economic — are identified
in the film as important to preserving
the recreational fishery in Indian Bay?
2. What role has the private sector
played in this preservation?
3. Is the caribou hunt, as depicted in
this episode, sustainable?
4. In which ways is this hunt a
good example of sustainable
development?
Activities
1
The Indian Bay Ecosystem Corporation has made a slide presentation on the history of the Indian
Bay fishery available at the Virtual Museum. The presentation discusses a number of factors
that may have contributed to the decline in the number of fish in the area’s lakes. View the slide
presentation at www.virtualmuseum.ca/pm_v2.php?id=story_line&lg=English&fl=0&ex=
00000293&sl=3006&pos=1 and record those factors. Review the factors and identify those that
seem to be the result of human activity.
17
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 2
Fish Enough
2
As Winston Norris explains in the film, the Indian Bay Ecosystem Corporation — largely
responsible for the halt in brown trout depletion — is a local initiative. It was founded by local
development associations, and works in close partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
In Unit 1, the Land and Sea episode Ashes Island described another privately-led attempt to
save a natural resource — in this case, the lobster. Compare and contrast these two stories
to determine how and why a community effort is sometimes the best way to promote
sustainability.
Is there a similar effort underway in your own community? If so, identify and interview
those involved in that effort, and prepare a report on the aims of those involved and the
anticipated benefits of actions taken.
3
Fishing and storytelling are natural partners. The students who fish might be encouraged to
narrate their favourite fishing stories. This could be followed by a discussion on how these
stories reinforce the recreational importance of the wilderness.
Note: Students interested in learning more about sport fishing in Newfoundland and Labrador
should be encouraged to begin at the Fisheries and Oceans Canada web site at www.nfl.
dfo-mpo.gc.ca/e0004341. It includes a wealth of regional information, as well as the latest
Newfoundland and Labrador Angler’s Guide at www.nfl.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/e0005597.
18
Eskimo Caribou Hunt
Synopsis
2
Eskimo Caribou Hunt is a 1980 episode depicting a three-day, late-winter hunt by a small group of
Inuit from Nain. The film follows the men North along the Labrador Coast, and then inland into the
hills stretching toward Ungava Bay.
We learn how important caribou hunting is to the community, how the young hunt for the old
who are no longer able to hunt themselves, and how the Inuit take only as many caribou as are
needed. The round trip to the hunting grounds covers hundreds of kilometres, takes three days by
snowmobile, and sometimes proves fatal. Three Inuit died the year following this hunt; one of whom
participated in the making of the film.
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
With the Red Wine caribou herd of
southern Labrador so often in the
news, students may be unaware that
the caribou of northern Labrador are
not endangered. In fact, the George
River herd numbers in the hundreds of
thousands.
1. What are the major economic and
social reasons that continue to
influence the Inuit caribou hunt in
northern Labrador?
2. What does the film suggest is the
ecological impact of the hunt?
Before showing the video, a review of
some of the facts about the George
River herd — especially size and range
— is advisable. Students should also
understand the distinction between the
Inuit hunters in the film and the Innu of
southern Labrador and Québec.
Activities
1
Researchers from Memorial University and the University of Saskatchewan compared the 1979
hunt in Nunatsiavut with that of winter 2006–2007. The results are available in a PDF format
poster at www.msvu.ca/socialeconomyatlantic/pdfs/colleq/Natcherposter.pdf.
Share this poster with the class, and ask them to compare the two hunts. Are they surprised by
the survey results? (Note that the hunt depicted in Eskimo Caribou Hunt took place in 1979.)
19
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 2
Eskimo Caribou Hunt
2
In 2008, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador concluded the New Dawn
Agreement with the Innu of Newfoundland and Labrador in order to make way for the
Lower Churchill megaproject. The agreement provides both financial compensation and
the extension of hunting rights to the Innu. The extension of the megaproject will have a
substantial impact on the Innu nation because they are a traditionally migratory people who
follow the caribou to survive.
Students who wish to follow up on this topic could begin with the government news release
from the executive council for Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs at www.releases.gov.nl.ca/
releases/2008/exec/0926n07.htm. Highlights of the agreement and access to a full copy
are available at this site.
3
In protest against the New Dawn Agreement, some Innu from Québec have crossed into
Labrador to hunt, and have hunted in an area known to be used by the endangered Red Wine
caribou herd, which now has fewer than 100 members. This is an interesting topic for further
research.
What might motivate the Québec Innu to do this?
Why is the preservation of this herd so important?
How have the Labrador Innu and the government of Newfoundland
and Labrador responded?
Research materials are abundant, and the story has been well-covered by the CBC at
http://www.cbc.ca/nl/ .
20
2
Sunday Hunters
Synopsis
In 1863, Newfoundland passed a Sabbath restriction prohibiting hunting on Sundays. It was only
in 2006 that the ban was lifted, and Sunday hunting became a possibility. This made hunting in
Newfoundland and Labrador easier for both trophy-hunting tourists from outside the province and
meat-hunting natives alike.
Sunday Hunters looks at the annual moose and caribou hunt — with 26 000 moose and 4 600
caribou licensed to be killed — through the eyes of hunters and guides at Moosehead Lodge in
central Newfoundland.
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
1. What would you expect were the
effects of allowing Sunday hunting
in Newfoundland?
2. Who are the people who would view
this positively?
3. Who would be the likeliest to
object?
4. Are there economic and social
benefits to permitting Sunday
hunting?
1. According to the film, who are the
winners and who are the losers in the
decision to permit Sunday hunting?
2. Did the film indicate any measures
that were being taken to mitigate
some of the negative effects of
expanding the big game hunt to
seven days a week?
3. Do you think the Sunday hunting
legislation is an example of a
sustainable initiative? Why/Why
not?
5. Are there people who are negatively
impacted by this decision?
Activities
1
The Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association posts a Code of Ethics on its web site at
2
www.nloa.ca/PDF/CodeEthics.pdf. Moosehead Lodge is one of the members. Does Sunday
Hunters show Moosehead Lodge living up to that code of ethics? How or how not?
Who can get a Newfoundland and Labrador big game hunting license and how do they go
about doing it? For 2009–2010, hunting and trapping license information is available at:
www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2009/env/0401n03.htm. Additional information
is available in the latest Hunting and Trapping Guide at www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/
hnttrapfish/index.htm.
How is the process different for residents and non-residents?
Are some of the big game hunting regulations also different for residents and nonresidents?
21
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 2
Sunday Hunting
3
How important is hunting to the travel and tourism industry? Is information on big game
hunting in Newfoundland and Labrador readily available on the web? Begin with the
Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism web site at www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/
ThingsToDo/Default.aspx.
Choose six outfitters and visit their web sites. Prepare a table indicating:
Outfitter
The animals
that can be
hunted
Length of
the hunt
The guide-tohunter ratio
Success
rate
Transportation
required to
access the site
Programs
offered to cater
to non-hunters
and “adventure
tourists”
Outfitter 1
Outfitter 2
Outfitter 3
Outfitter 4
Outfitter 5
Outfitter 6
Do any of these outfitters do anything that indicates they are following a sustainable
development approach? Explain using examples.
22
Managing Our Moose
Synopsis
2
This 1989 episode of Land and Sea tells the story of the large moose population on the island of
Newfoundland, the result of a 1904 attempt by the Newfoundland government to provide a source
of fresh meat for the island’s residents.
From the original four moose imported from New Brunswick an estimated population of
140 000 has developed: more than three moose for every two and one-half square kilometres.
Managing that population has become a complicated job for the province’s Wildlife Research and
Management service.
Discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
Post-viewing discussion
1. There is about one moose for every
four residents of Newfoundland
and Labrador. How do most of these
residents feel about the moose?
1. What are the main preoccupations
of wildlife managers as they struggle
to keep the moose population stable
and healthy?
2. Is it a magnificent symbol of
Newfoundland and Labrador’s
pristine wilderness? An abundant
source of meat? A traffic hazard?
The bane of farmers and loggers?
2. What problems do they encounter if
they try to use hunting as the main
form of population control?
3. Have you had any encounters with
moose that have affected the way
you feel about them?
Activities
1
What is the job of the Wildlife Division of Newfoundland and Labrador Environment
and Conservation?
How do they determine the size of a healthy moose population; that is, what factors
do they examine?
What methods do they use to determine quotas for hunting?
Using the web entry “Big Game Management in Newfoundland and Labrador” at
www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/wildlife_research/big_game.html, prepare a brief
description --one or two pages -- of how the Wildlife Division goes about its work.
2
(a) Identify the main issues in the moose versus automobile problem:
How many collisions take place annually?
What is being done to help prevent them?
Are there additional steps that could be taken to cut down on the number of accidents
involving moose?
How useful is the government’s “Moose-Vehicle Awareness” information at
www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/moose_vehicle_awareness.html?
What methods would you initiate to reduce the number of moose-vehicle accidents?
23
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 2
Managing Our Moose
2
(b) Moose fencing along highways is one method used by some jurisdictions — New
Brunswick is one of these — to reduce the number of moose-vehicle encounters on the
roads. The government of Newfoundland and Labrador is reluctant to begin a moose fencing
program.
Debate the resolution, “Be it resolved, that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
should begin a moose fencing initiative as part of its moose management program.” (There is
a large amount of information on moose fencing and moose-vehicle accidents available on the
Internet.)
UNIT 2. web.resources.summary.
CBC, Newfoundland and Labrador
http://www.cbc.ca/nl/
Executive council for Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs:
www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2008/exec/0926n07.htm
Fisheries and Oceans Canada:
www.nfl.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/e0004341
Indian Bay Ecosystem Corporation slide presentation, the Virtual Museum:
www.virtualmuseum.ca/pm_v2.php?id=story_line&lg=English&fl=0&
ex=00000293&sl=3006&pos=1
Newfoundland and Labrador, Angler’s Guide:
www.nfl.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/e0005597
Newfoundland and Labrador,
Big Game Management in Newfoundland and Labrador:
www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/wildlife_research/big_game.html
Newfoundland and Labrador, Hunting and Trapping Guide:
www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/hunting/hunttrap.pdf
Newfoundland and Labrador, Hunting and Trapping License Information:
www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2009/env/0401n03.htm
Newfoundland and Labrador, Moose-Vehicle Awareness:
www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/moose_vehicle_awareness.html
Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association, Code of Ethics:
www.nloa.ca/PDF/CodeEthics.pdf
Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism:
www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/ThingsToDo/Default.aspx
Subsistence and the Social Economy of Nunatsiuvut, Labrador:
www.msvu.ca/socialeconomyatlantic/pdfs/colleq/Natcherposter.pdf
24
LA N D A N D S E A
Unit 3: Land Use and the Environment
3
Mining the Memories
Synopsis
For 70 years, Bell Island was the home to a number of important iron ore mines. The last mine was
closed in 1966 when its low-grade ore was no longer in demand in the international iron market.
The mining was difficult and often dangerous, but provided employment for thousands of people.
The closing of the mines resulted in a mass exodus from the town to other parts of Canada. Bell
Island’s population today is 10 000 less than it was in the 1960s.
The town, however, is very much alive.
It is a bedroom community for St. John’s, and is home to many former residents who have returned
to the island because of its quality of life. It is also a popular destination for adventure tourists; four
torpedoed World War II vessels sunk off the island are a favourite destination for divers.
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
1. What does it mean to live in a
community dependent on the
harvesting of one resource?
2. What positive economic and
social effects can this exploitation
generate?
3. What negative effects may result?
4. What happens when the resource is
exhausted, or no longer wanted?
5. Can a community prepare for such
an event?
6. Are there other Newfoundland
communities currently going
through this process?
1. What does the DVD indicate were the
main effects of the closing of the Bell
Island mines on the community?
2. How did the government respond to
these effects?
3. How has the community been able
to survive despite the setbacks?
(Students may want to explore
the current information on the
community by
visiting the municipal web site at
www.bellisland.net/. Those
looking for information on adventure
tourism can visit the Ocean Quest
Adventures web site at www.
oceanquestadventures.com/ ).
4. Is it possible for any mining operation
to be sustainable?
25
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 3
Mining Our Memories
Activities
1
An article entitled Iron Ore Mines of Bell Island — on the Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage
web site (www.heritage.nf.ca/society/bellisland_mines.html) — contends that one
reason for the failure of the mines was that the mines were always owned and controlled by
outside interests.
Prepare a short essay explaining why the authors of the article make this argument.
Include any other reasons they provide to explain why Bell Island mines were especially
vulnerable to being shut down.
2
Canada is currently one of the world’s largest producers of iron ore, and most of that
production comes from the Labrador Trough in Québec and Labrador.
How do 21st century iron mining operations compare with those on Bell Island?
A place to begin answering that question is on the Labrador West web site at
www.labradorwest.com/.
A search of this site using the term “mining” will bring up a great deal of information. Also very
useful is the Natural Resources Canada web site at www.nrcan.gc.ca, where students can
search on the terms “iron ore” and “Labrador Trough.”
Information from these sites could be used to prepare a statistical analysis of iron mining’s
importance to the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador. Visual information on the sites
also reinforce the impact of open pit mining on the environment of the area.
A third possibility for student research and presentation is how environmental conditions in
northern Québec and Labrador influence the kind and extent of mining operations that can be
conducted there.
26
3
It’s a Life
Synopsis
It’s a Life tells the story of a “retired” 77-year-old farmer named Harry Gulliver, owner of a dairy farm
on Blackmarsh Road in St. John’s. Harry has spent about 60 years farming on Blackmarsh Road, and
has watched the city grow up around him.
His sons have carried on the family business at a farm that Harry built for them in Goulds, on the
outskirts of the city. This is a modern facility, a much larger operation than Harry’s original seven
hectares. Harry continues to raise calves for his sons and helps at their barn. But he is thinking of
selling his land and joining the boys at Goulds.
Discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
It’s a Life is very much about the way
farming — dairy farming in particular
— has changed over the years. Before
watching the episode, students
could brainstorm a list of words they
associate with “traditional farming”
and “modern farming.”
Post-viewing discussion
1. Revisit the brainstormed lists that were
made before the students watched the
episode. How accurate were the lists? What
changes were revealed in this episode and
in any of the “traditional” practices still
being carried on at the new dairy barn.
2. What are the most significant changes
in dairy farming methods shown in the
contrast between Harry Gulliver’s operation
and that of his sons? How do these changes
affect the scale of the new operation?
3. Compare the attitude and approach to dairy
farming expressed by Harry and his sons.
4. Is “traditional farming” more or less
sustainable today than “modern farming”?
Activities
1
Dairy products are among Newfoundland and Labrador’s most important farm products. To
reinforce an understanding of that importance, a small group of students — or students working
in pairs — could research each of the following aspects of dairy farming, and report back
to the class on what they discovered. Possible topics include:
The size of the dairy farming industry, and its recent growth
The goals of the Newfoundland and Labrador dairy industry
Challenges to growth of the NL dairy industry
Government support and regulation of the NL dairy industry
Two good places to begin research are the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture
at www.nlfa.ca/dairy_farmers.php; and Natural Resources Newfoundland and Labrador at
www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/livestock/dairy/.
2
If Harry’s farm does disappear from Blackmarsh Road, will there be any loss to St. John’s and
its residents? How can we measure the lost of tradition? Should we?
27
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 3
The Parsons of Lethbridge
Synopsis
The Parsons are a Newfoundland and Labrador family which, in 1961, began clearing a plot of land
in the forest near Lethbridge. It took seven years before Wilf Parson had enough land cleared that he
could stop working for others and begin working for himself.
The episode was made in 1981, a year with a spectacularly good harvest, but also the year following
the worst harvest the farm had ever experienced. Life has not been easy for the Parsons, who, in
addition to their own children, have raised a large foster family. But farming is in their blood. And, no
matter how hard the work, as Wilf Parson says, “The main thing with farming is you’ve got a job.”
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
What do you think about when you hear
the term “farm”? Do you picture a small
family-owned farm catering to the needs
of a specific community? Or is it a large
“factory farm” able to produce large
amounts of food and ship it all across
Canada or even around the world?
The Parsons’ farm of 1981 is very much a
traditional vegetable farm, growing the
kinds of vegetables that are successfully
grown on the island of Newfoundland:
potatoes, cabbage, turnip, beets,
broccoli, and carrots.
How successful do you think a farmer
would be if he or she started this kind of
farm today? Would there be pressure to
diversify with new crops?
Where do you think your mental image
comes from?
Activities
1
In 1991, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Task Force on Agri-Foods determined that Newfoundland
and Labrador needed to become more self-sufficient and self-reliant in agriculture products. This
means that NL needed to start producing more of its own food to feed its own people.
In 2008, a research paper by R.D. Ramsey of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC)
was published. It explores farming in Newfoundland and Labrador, and in particular, the
Lethbridge-Musgravetown area. This is the same area where the Parsons farm. The report
is available from NSAC at http://nsac.ca/bss/rrc/PDF%20RRC%20Publications/
Research%20Paper%2030.pdf.
Using the report as a guide, identify the major impediments identified by Ramsey that
work against the expansion of agriculture in this part of Newfoundland and Labrador.
What changes and actions does the report recommend?
28
The Parsons of Lethbridge
2
3
As part of every census, Statistics Canada studies the status of farming across the country.
A summary of farming on the island of Newfoundland as reported for the 2006 census is
available on the Statistics Canada web site at www.statcan.gc.ca/ca-ra2006/
analysis-analyses/nf-tn-eng.htm.
What are the main observations on the state of the province’s farming
industry noted by the census?
What kinds of farms seem to be having the greatest successes?
3
Food fads come and go, but two trends that have become extremely popular are organic
foods and local diets for locavores — people who will only eat food grown within a certain
radius of their home.
What does it take for a farm to win the designation “organic” for its produce?
How successful is the locavore movement in your area?
What other enticements do farmers use to attract business (e.g., pick your
own produce or community farmer’s markets)? Students could be divided into
groups to explore niche marketing of food in their community.
29
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 3
The Wooddale Pioneers
Synopsis
In 1969, in an effort to develop the area around Wooddale as farmland, the government offered a
parcel of land to anyone willing to clear it and farm it. Art and Vanda Gill took advantage of that offer,
walking their 32 cows from Bishop’s Falls to their new 20 hectare location.
Art spent 20 years clearing land. Those 32 cows grew to be a herd of 250, and the property
expanded from 20 to 283 hectares. The Gills are among the most productive dairy farmers in
Atlantic Canada.
The episode also looks at the work of the provincial tree nursery in Wooddale, and the efforts of one
Wooddale farmer to expand into secondary food processing to improve his farming operation.
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
Much of The Woodale Pioneers explores
methods the farmers were using to
make their farms more productive.
What methods can the class suggest as
useful for that objective?
Wooddale seems to be a hotbed of
innovation in early Newfoundland and
Labrador farming.
What are the major ways in which the
farmers in the video have adapted and
are continuing to adapt to changes in the
market?
Activities
1
It took 20 years for Art Gill to completely clear his land. How difficult is it to clear farm
land today?
A great introduction to the topic is James Starbuck’s How to Clear Land, a description of his
personal experience clearing a large, overgrown family property in upstate New York. The article
is fairly long — 44 pages — but very readable and well-illustrated. One or more students could
read the article, and report back to the class, providing an appreciation of effort required for such
an undertaking. The article is available at www.howtoclearland.com/PDF/clear_land_all.
pdf.
The provincial government also has a publication titled Newfoundland and Labrador Guidelines
for Clearing Land on Mineral Soils for Cultivation and Pasture. It can be found on the Newfoundland
and Labrador Natural Resources web site at www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/soil_land_new/
pdfiles/Clearing_Land.pdf.
It took 20 years for Art Gill to completely clear his land. How difficult is it to clear farm land
today?
30
The Wooddale Pioneers
2
3
From this episode, we learn that one of the innovative crops being worked with at the
Wooddale Provincial Tree Nursery (www.nr.gov.nl.ca/forestry/management/
silviculture/wooddale.stm) is sea-buckthorn. Sea-buckthorn is an interesting plant
indeed, and one that has become a popular planting around the world.
Its potential as a new crop in the province has been praised by Farm Focus of Atlantic
Canada and by the provincial government (www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2002/
forest/1021n05.htm). But the government and Memorial University have also warned
that sea-buckthorn is an invasive alien species and a danger to native plants (www.env.
gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/biodiversity/invasive_alien_species/exotic_species_
poster.pdf).
Students could investigate the pros and cons of sea-buckthorn cultivation, and
debate the topic “Be it resolved that, sea-buckthorn cultivation should be banned
in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
3
The Newfoundland and Labrador government, along with other Canadian governments,
has expressed concern that some groups — especially urban dwellers and young people
— do not have a sufficient understanding of agriculture and the Agri-Food industry (www.
nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/prog_serv/agawarefact.stm).
Students could be asked to create a workable definition of the term Agri-Food, and
expand on the “key messages” that the government would like to convey about
the industry.
31
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 3
The Fruits of His Labour
Synopsis
Walter Calloway is the owner of Pinedale Farms, and the fruits of his labour are cranberries. Ralph’s
father kept hens and grew vegetables but Walter disliked the work involved with that kind of
farming.
He now grows sod where his father grew cabbages, and cranberries on his bog. These were, until
recently, unusual crops in this province. He got into the sod business in 1982 when the local golf
course approached him to see if he would grow some for their use. The cranberries came about as
the result of a government experiment to see if they could be grown commercially on the island.
They paid all his set-up costs, but the maintenance costs fell to him. The experiment seems to be
a big success, with the Indian Bay Frozen Food plant in Centreville committed to buying all he can
produce. In 2006, that amounted to about 37 000 kilograms.
Discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
1. Beyond expanding the size of their
operation, what steps can a farmer
take to increase the income that his
or her operation generates?
2. In what ways should the
government help farmers who
experiment with new crops and new
techniques?
Post-viewing discussion
Cranberry growing to date has been a
success in this province, but it makes
special demands on farmers.
1. What are some of the factors that
determine whether a cranberry
operation is a success?
2. How much of Walter Calloway’s
success is due to his own
inventiveness and willingness to
innovate?
Activities
1
Cranberry growing, once thought to be almost impossible in this province, is turning into a major
success in this province.
A recent article in Farm Focus of Atlantic Canada indicates that yields on the island of
Newfoundland match or exceed those anywhere in the world (www.atlanticfarmfocus.ca/
index.cfm?sid=199736&sc=586). Using information in that article and other information
they locate on the Internet, students could construct a picture of the cranberry industry
in the province: who the players are, what current production is like, where the harvests
end up, and what the expectations are for the future.
Students who wish to follow up on the further adventures of Walter Calloway in the cranberry
business will find an article on him in the Fall 2008 issue of Agriview, the publication of the
Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture, www.nlfa.ca/admin/agriview/pdf/
AG_Fall08.pdf.
And, as a final note on the growing interest in cranberry farming, Art Gill of The Wooddale Pioneers
has applied for permission to grow cranberries on the bog on his land.
32
The Fruits of His Labour
2
3
At one point during the episode, Walter Calloway comments that his father would be very
unhappy to see the soil on his land being lost when the sod is harvested.
Is turfgrass farming ecologically unsound?
Does it fail the sustainability test?
How much soil is lost in comparison to that lost in other types of farming?
Students might begin their research on this topic with an article from the
Turf Resource Centre in Illinois at www.turfgrasssod.org/images/
documents/040120095912308.pdf.
3
St. John’s is home to the Atlantic Cool Climate Crop Research Centre, a federal research
centre that is part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Visit their web site at www4.agr.
gc.ca/resources/prod/doc/science/pdf/ACCCRC-CRACCF_e.pdf and determine
the role of ACCCRC in assisting farmers in this province.
UNIT 3. web.resources.summary.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Atlantic Cool Climate Crop Research Centre
www4.agr.gc.ca/resources/prod/doc/science/pdf/ACCCRC-CRACCF_e.pdf
Bell Island municipality
www.bellisland.net/
Farm Focus of Atlantic Canada, “Alternative crop takes root in Deadman’s Bay,”
November 12, 2008
www.atlanticfarmfocus.ca/index.cfm?sid=199736&sc=586
Farm Focus of Atlantic Canada, “Little berries have huge potential in NL,”
February 10, 2008
www.atlanticfarmfocus.ca/index.cfm?sid=177058&sc=590
“Growing cranberries in Terra Nova,” AgriView, Fall 2008. Available online at
www.nlfa.ca/admin/agriview/pdf/AG_Fall08.pdf
Labrador West municipality
www.labradorwest.com/
Natural Resources Canada
www.nrcan.gc.ca
Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Environment and Conservation,
Wildlife Division
www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/biodiversity/invasive_alien_species/
exotic_species_poster.pdf
33
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 3
UNIT 3. web.resources.summary.
Newfoundland and Labrador, Natural Resources, Agri-Food Awareness
Fact Sheet, http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/prog_serv/
agawarefact.stm
Newfoundland and Labrador, Natural Resources, Dairy
www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/livestock/dairy/
Newfoundland and Labrador, Natural Resources, Wooddale Provincial
Tree Nursery, www.nr.gov.nl.ca/forestry/management/
silviculture/wooddale.stm
Newfoundland and Labrador, News Release on Sea Buckthorn, October
21, 2002, http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2002/forest/
1021n05.htm
Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture
www.nlfa.ca/dairy_farmers.php
Ocean Quest Adventures
www.oceanquestadventures.com/
Ramsey, R.D. (1998). Issues Affecting the Development of Agriculture
in Newfoundland: A Case Study of the Lethbridge-Musgravetown
Agricultural Development Area. Available online at
http://nsac.ca/bss/rrc/PDF%20RRC%20Publications/
Research%20Paper%2030.pdf
Starbuck, James. (2004). How to Clear Land. Available online at
www.howtoclearland.com/PDF/clear_land_all.pdf
Statistics Canada, Census of Agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador
(2006), http://www.statcan.gc.ca/ca-ra2006/analysis-analyses/
nf-tn-eng.htm
Turf Resource Centre
www.turfgrasssod.org/images/documents/040120095912308.
pdf
34
LA N D A N D S E A
Unit 4: Fishing as a Way of Life
4
Hanging On
Synopsis
Hanging On is the story of the five sons of Celie Hughes of Green Island Brook on the Northern Peninsula. The
community of Green Island Brook was hit hard by the cod moratorium of 1992. Since 1992, the population
declined from 350 to 150 residents, many of whom are seniors.
The cod stocks never did recover so residents were forced to turn to other types of work. The Hughes boys
— as Celie’s sons are called — now work hauling in lobster pots in Barr’d Harbour, about an hour’s drive away.
In previous years, they would haul lobster for five or six weeks and then fish for cod; but now their only other
source of income is from scallops, and it’s hard to find buyers offering a good price.
By the end of the episode we learn that although they did find a buyer for scallops, one of the boys has left to
work on a construction job in Nunavut; two more are likely to take the same step.
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
1. Do the students know any
people who have moved from
Newfoundland and Labrador to
other parts of Canada?
2. What were their reasons for doing
this — was it strictly to search for
work, or was it for other reasons as
well?
Between the years 2001 to 2006 Newfoundland and Labrador’s population declined by 1.5 per cent. But new research
indicates that a small increase has taken
place recently.
1. What factors might have encouraged
this population growth?
2. How permanent do you think this
trend might be?
3. Using the Hughes boys as an
example, explain how the collapse
of the norther cod fishery is a good
example of what can happen when
a resource is not exploited in a
sustainable manner.
Activities
1
Some people believe that the biggest problem with the inshore fishery is overregulation. Who
are the people who believe this? Why do they make this argument? Do you believe
the argument is valid? You might start your search for information with an article in the
December 12, 2009 issue of The Coaster, “Woodrow says inshore fishery in trouble,” at
www.thecoaster.ca/index.cfm?sc=319&sid=312959.
35
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 4
Hanging On
2
Students working in small groups could explore different impacts of the 1992 moratorium
on the inshore cod fishery. Topics that could be investigated include:
the cod fishery itself
the growth of alternate fisheries
the loss of communities
government attempts to provide assistance
the impact on government revenues
out-migration
A short article on the Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage web site, Economic Impacts of the Cod
Moratorium, gives a good overview of the topic, www.heritage.nf.ca/society/moratorium_
impacts.html.
As well, the Newfoundland and Labrador government’s official statement calling a halt to cod
fishing and outlining its two-year plan to assist fisher people is available online at www.cdli.
ca/cod/announce.htm.
3
A considerable amount of research is being done on ways in which the cod fishery might
be at least partially restored. Both the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the
Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture provide materials
describing this research.
Students researching this topic could begin with Cod Recovery Initiatives at www.fishaq.gov.
nl.ca/research_development/cod/cod_recovery_initiatives.pdf; and Nearshore Habitats:
Sanctuary for Juvenile Cod at www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/Publications/article/2008/
24-06-2008-eng.htm.
4
In 2003, G.A. Rose of Memorial University prepared a report for the Royal Commission on
Renewing and Strengthening Our Place in Canada titled Fisheries Resources and Science in
Newfoundland and Labrador: An Independent Assessment.
Students researching the history and future sustainability of the cod fishery — and many other
aspects of the NL fishing industry — would find this a useful starting point.
Students could also be asked to read and summarize sections of the report, and share their results
with the class. It is available at www.gov.nl.ca/publicat/royalcomm/research/Rose.pdf.
36
When the Stages Were Full
Synopsis
4
When the Stages Were Full takes us back 30 years to a time when the inshore cod fishery was the
important economic stimulus for those living in the town of Change Islands.
At one point when the price of cod fell, people moved away, and a resettlement program had, in the
words of one resident, been the “ruination” of the community.
But then prosperity returned, and once again the trap fishery — the mainstay on the northeast coast
for 100 years — was important again. A fresh fish plant was working at full capacity, while many of
the fishermen still salted their catch in the traditional way. But some fishermen saw danger ahead,
as “foreign fishermen wreaked havoc offshore.”
Discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
1. What do you think life was like for
families in the outport communities
in the days when cod were plentiful?
2. Have you heard any stories from
friends and families that could be
shared with the class?
Post-viewing discussion
In the film we see that some fishermen
were already worried that problems were
developing in the inshore fishery.
1. What are the problems they
describe?
2. What actions do they believe should
be taken?
Activities
1
The 2002 cod moratorium devastated Change Islands — it lost about 40 per cent of its
population. But the town fought to preserve its rich heritage as a centre for the inshore fishery.
The town web site at www.changeislands.ca/ speaks proudly of Change Islands being the
“Fishing Stage Capital of the World”.
Students interested in exploring the work of historical preservation in the outports — and the
impact such work may have on industries such as tourism — might begin by looking at an
article on the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador web site: Stages and Stores
Restores Historic Torraville Fishing Stage and Cottage, at www.heritagefoundation.ca/
docs/Success_story_NL.pdf. Additional information is available on the Fisheries Heritage
Newfoundland and Labrador web site at www.fisheriesheritage.ca/.
2
A development plan for the larger community of Fogo Island-Change Islands was published
in 2008. The authors state that: “Guided by the principle of responsible community
development, the strategic plan is characterized by development that is economically, socially
and ecologically sustainable, affordable, realistic, and achievable for the Islands.”
The development plan is available online at www.kittiwake.nf.ca/documents/fogo_SEP.
pdf. The report is a detailed examination of current conditions and recommendations for
change to achieve economic and social sustainability in the community. The report could be
divided into manageable sections, and small groups asked to examine each section
and report back to the class with highlights.
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L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 4
The Crest of the Wave
Synopsis
The Crest of the Wave is the story of Doug and Jennifer Caines, residents of Pool’s Cove near Fortune
Bay. For years they tried to develop a scallop farm in Pool’s Cove, but after investing over $100 000
gave it up as too much work for two people.
They now have turned to salmon farming, managing a large operation for Northern Harvest Sea
Farms. Many in the industry thought that the waters of Pool’s Cove were too cold for salmon
farming, but the Caines have proven them wrong.
Despite several setbacks, the Caines have persevered, and their operation now produces 1 million
fish per year. In 2007, Doug and Jennifer Caines won the Aquaculturists of the Year award from the
Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association.
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
Fish farming has become a major
industry in the Atlantic provinces .
1. Can you name some of the positive
and negative aspects of fish
farming?
1. Based on your viewing of The Crest of
the Wave, do you think fish farming
can actually replace the older inshore
fishery?
2. Are there barriers which prevent it
from doing so? If so, what are those?
2. What species have been especially
successful, both in Newfoundland
and Labrador and in other parts of
Atlantic Canada?
Activities
1
Sustainable aquaculture in Newfoundland is actively promoted by the government and private
38
industry, and supported by government and educational research. Students could research
the roles of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (www.naia.ca/); the
Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (www.fishaq.
gov.nl.ca/); Fisheries and Oceans Canada (www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/index-eng.htm); and the
Memorial University Centre for Aquaculture and Seafood Development (www.mi.mun.
ca/casd/) as well as its Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (www.ccfi.ca/).
The Crest of the Wave
2
4
Sustainable cod aquaculture is currently being attempted here in Canada and in Europe.
An article in the November 21, 2005 edition of Canadian Business Online, Aquaculture:
Cod Walloped, painted a somewhat bleak picture of its future in this province
(www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/commodities/article.
jsp?content=20060109_195533_5272&page=2). But the publication Fish Farmer
had a much more positive spin on aquaculture in the May 16, 2007 article Canada: Cod
Aquaculture on Its Way (www.fishfarmer-magazine.com/news/fullstory.php/
aid/1075/Canada:_Cod_aquaculture_on_its_way_.htm).
A research project is underway in Pool’s Cove; Jennifer Caines is the site manager.
Students could research some of the sources listed above and report on the
progress of this project, or other similar projects.
3
What happened to the scallop farming industry in Newfoundland and
Labrador after the Caines folded their operation?
Are scallops still being farmed in Atlantic Canada?
How important an industry is shellfish farming in Newfoundland and
Labrador?
What species are currently being farmed?
4
Is the development of aquaculture in Newfoundland and Labrador an example
of sustainable development? Why/Why not?
39
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 4
A Fisherman’s Daughter
Synopsis
Megan Coles is a writing student at the National Theatre School in Montréal. She also fishes lobster,
and returns home every year to help her father on his lobster boat.
Megan confesses that in her adolescence she wished her father had been something other than
a fisherman. She wanted him to have a normal, 9 to 5 job. As a university student she began to
understand the charms of her father’s lifestyle and its parallels with her own ambitions. She wants
to be a writer, a job where she, too, would be self-employed and make her own decisions.
Even with its ups and downs — high gas prices and low lobster prices being the current norm
— Megan’s father continues to fish. And every year Megan returns to stay with him in “The Hotel” on
Whale Island, and join him in hauling traps.
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
1. What makes a person want to fish or
haul lobster traps for a living?
2. What personal qualities would you
expect to find in a dedicated fisher
person?
As you watch this episode of Land
and Sea, compare your answers with
Megan Coles’ descriptions of her
father’s approach to fishing and her own
observations.
1. Megan Coles compares her future life
as an author with that of her father as
an independent fisherman. How valid
do you find this comparison? Explain
your answer.
2. Megan’s ties to Savage Cove —
despite her life away in Montréal
— are very deep. Do you think
most young Newfoundlanders and
Labradoreans have the same strong
ties to their home community?
Explain.
Activities
1
Megan Coles has written several columns for Northern Pen, a community newspaper serving the
Great Northern Peninsula and southern Labrador. These are available for interested students
online at www.northernpen.ca/index.cfm?cid=1091&sc=364.
40
A Fisherman’s Daughter
2
4
The Atlantic lobster fishery did not have a good year in 2009. Learn more about this by doing a
quick Internet search.
What difficulties did the lobster industry face?
What action did the federal and provincial governments take to assist the lobster
industry?
Are the problems of 2009 likely to be only a minor setback, or does the
sustainability of the lobster fisher in this province appear to be in jeopardy?
Explain.
3
Megan Coles speaks of the surprise expressed by many people — including some in her
Newfoundland community — when they learn that she is an active participant in the lobster
fishery. On the other hand, as we learned in When the Stages Were Full, entire families used to
participate in the inshore fishery and gender was not an issue. How would you account for
this change in popular perception of the role of women in the industry?
UNIT 4. web.resources.summary.
Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation
www.ccfi.ca/
Change Islands
www.changeislands.ca/
Fogo Island-Change Islands Socio-Economic Strategic Plan: A Shared
Vision for a Very Special Place, July 2008
www.kittiwake.nf.ca/documents/fogo_SEP.pdf
Government of Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/index-eng.htm
Government of Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Nearshore
Habitats: Sanctuary for Juvenile Cod
www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/Publications/article/2008/24-062008-eng.htm
Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, Stages and Stores
Restores Historic Torraville Fishing Stage and Cottage
www.heritagefoundation.ca/docs/Success_story_NL.pdf
Hunt, Clayton. Woodrow says inshore fishery in trouble, The Coaster,
December 22, 2009, available online at
www.thecoaster.ca/index.cfm?sc=319&sid=312959
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L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 4
UNIT 4. web.resources.summary.
Memorial University Centre for Aquaculture and Seafood Development
www.mi.mun.ca/casd/
Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association
www.naia.ca
Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
www.fishaq.gov.nl.ca
Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture,
Cod Recovery Initiatives
www.fishaq.gov.nl.ca/research_development/cod/cod_
recovery_initiatives.pdf
Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Heritage,
Economic Impacts of the Cod Moratorium
www.heritage.nf.ca/society/moratorium_impacts.html
Newfoundland and Labrador, Fisheries Heritage
http://www.fisheriesheritage.ca
Newfoundland and Labrador, Press Release — Crosbie Announces First
steps in Northern Cod Recovery Plan, July 2, 1992
www.cdli.ca/cod/announce.htm
Northern Pen
www.northernpen.ca/index.cfm?cid=1091&sc=364
Rose, G.A., Fisheries Resources and Science in Newfoundland and Labrador:
An Independent Assessment. Royal Commission on Renewing and
Strengthening Our Place in Canada, Government of Newfoundland,
March 3, 2003.
42
5
LA N D A N D S E A
Unit 5: Energy
The Mighty Churchill
Synopsis
The Churchill Falls hydroelectric project remains the largest hydroelectric project completed by a
private company. The Mighty Churchill tells two stories:
1.The first is the story of the people who came to Churchill Falls to build the infrastructure for
the project, and those who now live there and operate the hydroelectric plant. Churchill
Falls is a company town, and has exceptional amenities to attract the skilled workforce it
needs.
2.The second story explores how the government of Newfoundland and Labrador came to
negotiate a 65-year deal with Québec that continues to sell Churchill Falls power at a very
cheap rate. This is a deal that has, according to this episode of Land and Sea, left the people
of Newfoundland and Labrador with no pride in what was a truly amazing accomplishment.
Discussion
Post-viewing discussion
Pre-viewing discussion
1. How do people in this province
react when they hear the words
Churchill Falls?
2. Is there a “shared narrative” among
the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador on the decision to sell
Churchill Falls power to Québec?
As you watch The Mighty Churchill,
compare the stories you have heard with
the one told in this episode of Land and
Sea.
1. Are there any villains in the story of
Churchill Falls, or were there only
difficult circumstances and excellent
negotiators?
2. Is Hydro-Québec’s refusal to
renegotiate the terms of the 1969
deal unreasonable or just good
business? Explain.
3. Are large scale hydro electric
developments like the one at
Churchill Falls examples of
sustainable development?
Why/Why not?
Activities
1
Despite the fact that the Churchill Falls hydroelectric project flooded over 5 000 square
kilometres of traditional hunting and trapping lands, the government of Newfoundland
and Labrador concluded no agreement with the Innu, nor did it ever provide any form of
compensation.
To make way for the Lower Churchill project, however, the government has concluded the
New Dawn Agreement with the Innu of Labrador. What are the main provisions of this
agreement? Why are some Innu – especially those of Québec – unhappy with the
terms of the agreement?
43
L A N D A N D S EA
Unit 5
The Mighty Churchill
2
The Lower Churchill project is a major part of the Newfoundland and Labrador government’s
3
future energy plans. Details of those plans are in the report Focusing Our Energy, available
at www.nr.gov.nl.ca/energyplan/EnergyReport.pdf. Students researching the size and
scope of the Lower Churchill project will find plenty of information on the Internet, including
on the Nalcor Energy web site at www.nalcorenergy.com/.
A project the size of Churchill Falls is bound to have a significant environmental impact. The
Lower Churchill project is currently going through an environmental assessment process.
Students can examine Nalcor Energy’s environmental impact statement on their web site at
www.nalcorenergy.com/.
The actual review of the project is being conducted by the Canadian Environmental
Assessment Agency. Details of the review are available on its web site at
www.ceaa.gc.ca/050/Viewer_e.cfm?CEAR_ID=26178.
UNIT 5. web.resources.summary.
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency,
www.ceaa.gc.ca/050/Viewer_e.cfm?CEAR_ID=26178
Nalcor Energy
www.nalcorenergy.com/
Newfoundland and Labrador, Focusing Our Energy
www.nr.gov.nl.ca/energyplan/EnergyReport.pdf
44
LA N D A N D S E A
Appendix A: Seeing the Bigger Picture
A
As You Watch...
As you watch this Land and Sea episode, determine the social, environmental and economic
factors that impact - positively or negatively - sustainable development. Enter those factors in
the appropriate circle of the Venn diagram.
1
2
Which of these three factors has had the greatest impact?
Do the relative impacts of these three areas change over time? That is, if economic factors
3
currently have the greatest impact, might environmental factors have the greatest impact
in the future?
In which of these three areas is it easiest for us to intervene? Is it easiest to come up with
solutions to social factors, environmental factors, or economic factors?
Social Factors
Environmental
Factors
Economic
Factors
45