Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Members' Statements; Statements by Ministers — 16 June 2010 (46th General Assembly, 3rd Session, Vol. XLVI No. 39)
2010-06-16
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
June
16, 2010 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
Vol. XLVI No. 39
The House met at 2:00 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!
Admit strangers.
Statements by Members
MR. SPEAKER: Today the Chair welcomes the following members' statements:
the hon. the Member for the District of Ferryland, the hon. the Member for the
District of The Straits &White Bay North, the hon. the Member for the District
of Baie Verte-Springdale, the hon. the Member for the District of Cape St.
Francis.
The hon. the Member for the District of Ferryland.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the hon. House today to recognize and congratulate
Shawn Kavanagh of Calvert, a student at Memorial University. Shawn is currently
in his fourth year of an honours degree in political science investigating the
effect that public opinion polling has on public policy, with a minor in
history. He has also started his honour's thesis in political science.
Shawn has been awarded the Leida Finlayson Memorial Scholarship. This fund
was established by relatives and friends of the former general manager of the
Newfoundland Historic Trust. The scholarship, valued at a portion of the accrued
interest is awarded annually to Memorial University of Newfoundland
undergraduate student beyond second year, studying political science and/or
history.
Based on scholarship standing and financial need, the scholarship is awarded
to a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador, a person who has maintained
permanent residence in the Province for a minimum of twelve months immediately
prior to entering the university. The scholarship is awarded by the senate
committee on Undergraduate Scholarships and Financial Aid based on a
recommendation from the Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a pleasure as MHA for Ferryland to congratulate
Shawn on his award, as he is one of many young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
who are embracing the opportunities that exist in our post-secondary
institutions and certainly beyond.
Mr. Speaker, I would ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating Shawn
on being awarded this prestigious scholarship and wish him all the success in
his future endeavours.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White
Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate Mr. Selby
Noseworthy, Principal of Canon Richards High School in Flower's Cove, who
recently received the Coaching Service Award at the School Sport Newfoundland
and Labrador Annual Awards Banquet held in St. John's on June 4.
Mr. Noseworthy has dedicated fourteen years to Canon Richards High School
sports. He has spent a lot of his time with teams after school and on weekends
to ensure that athletes reached their full potential. In the nomination prepared
by vice-principal, Marsha Genge, she stated that Mr. Noseworthy understands that
sport and team participation are essential to the holistic development of each
student and he supports the journey of becoming a successful person, not only in
high school but in life.
In addition to Mr. Noseworthy's award, Canon Richards High School achieved a
gold level Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Star designation. This is given to a
school that displays outstanding performance, participation and sportsmanship.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join with me in
congratulating both Mr. Noseworthy and Canon Richards High School on their
achievement and wish them well in future endeavours.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Baie
Verte-Springdale.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. POLLARD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am extremely proud to rise in this hon. House today to recognize and salute
a true hero.
Mr. Speaker, Beachside native, Warrant Officer Dale Verge, son of Doyle and
the late Catherine Verge, received the Medal of Military Valour in Ottawa on
November 13, 2009.
On March 30, 2008, while commanding a group of Canadian soldiers and Afghan
Police members, Warrant Officer Dale Verge and his contingent faced a fierce
attack on the Afghan Police substation.
Despite sustaining significant injury early in the battle, Warrant Officer
Verge neutralized the insurgents and was successful in repelling the surprise
attack and prevented the substation from being overtaken.
His hometown of Beachside, his family, his friends, and indeed the whole
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, along with the Nation of Canada, are very
grateful and proud of Dale's heroic actions, thus saving lives.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all colleagues in this hon. House to join me, along with
his first cousin, the Member for Lewisporte, in applauding Warrant Officer Dale
Verge for his outstanding courage, tactical acumen and extraordinary bravery for
which he was awarded the Medal of Military Valour.
Congratulations!
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Cape St. Francis.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KEVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is indeed an honour to stand in this House today to recognize an
individual whom I have had the opportunity to play hockey with, and under, as he
was head coach of the Flatrock Flyers. On May 28 of this year, in Montreal, Mr.
Joe Maynard received the Order of Merit Atlantic Award from Hockey Canada. The
last winner of this award from Newfoundland was the late Marv Ryder from
Bonavista, in your district, in 2004.
The Hockey Canada Order of Merit Atlantic Award was established in 1960 to
honour individuals whom for many years have served amateur hockey faithfully,
participated as a player, and served as coaches and association members. This
award is presented annually to recipients in three regions of the country:
Western, Central and Atlantic.
Joe has been a member of Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador's Board of
Directors for six years. He has served both on the ice and off the ice. That
includes playing with the Flatrock Flyers from 1967 to 1985, winning five league
championships and four scoring titles. Joe captained the team for seventeen
years, winning one MVP, and still holds the record for scoring the most goals in
a season. He served as president of the Avalon East Hockey League for ten years,
and treasurer for five.
Mr. Speaker, Joe volunteered and coached for the Pouch Cove and Area Minor
Hockey for many years. There is no doubt, when it comes to hockey in my area and
the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Joe Maynard has played a huge part.
I ask all hon. members in this House to join with me in congratulating Mr.
Joe Maynard on his outstanding achievements.
Thank you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.
Statements by Ministers
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the wildlife resources of Newfoundland and Labrador belong to
the people of our Province. It is a public trust that we in government hold, to
wisely manage these resources in a sustainable and responsible manner. That is
why we recently announced a number of initiatives pertaining to the management
of moose populations in the Province. This includes an increase in the
availability of moose licenses for provincially registered charities and
non-profit organizations.
The program, introduced last year, Mr. Speaker, allows community-based groups
access to big game meat and, in turn, they utilize the harvested meat to cook
meals to support local fundraising events and other charitable activities.
Approximately 300 applications were submitted in 2009 for the 150 available
licenses. We received very positive feedback from organizations throughout
Newfoundland and Labrador that were successful in receiving a licence. For the
2010-2011 season we have increased the number of licences in this program to
200. This will provide additional opportunities for the charitable groups that
do tremendous work in our communities to access the harvested moose to support
their endeavours.
Mr. Speaker, applications for these charitable moose licences are now being
accepted. Organizations interested in applying for a licence in any one
individual moose management area are required to submit an application to the
wildlife division of the Department of Environment and Conservation by June 30.
The applications are available at all provincial wildlife offices. To qualify
for a licence, Mr. Speaker, charities and community groups must be incorporated
as non-profit organizations and there is no cost associated with these licences.
If demand exceeds availability on a regional basis, a random draw will be
held and the licences will be awarded until that regional allotment is
exhausted. A licence will be issued directly to the non-profit organization
which, in turn, can designate not more than two qualified big game hunters at
any one time to hunt on its behalf. All regulations pertaining to the hunting
and subsequent use and distribution of big game in the Province apply to this
program.
Mr. Speaker, there are many valuable organizations throughout our Province
that work diligently to fundraise for many worthwhile causes. I am very pleased
that we have developed a program that will help facilitate the work of these
groups, and I encourage their participation on this year's program.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the minister for an advance copy
of her statement and to say that, to begin with, I have to say it is a good news
story for the registered charities and non-profit organizations here in our
Province because they do a tremendous job and this is a means where they can
raise funds to help their various charities.
Mr. Speaker, I have to say this just does not cut it. Only yesterday we had a
bill that was passed, Bill 30, where we were talking about nuisance animals, and
I have to say this animal has become one of the biggest nuisances in this
Province. Last year, Mr. Speaker, there were over 800 vehicle and moose
accidents and people are losing their lives. We have to say that, I almost think
- the way the minister started her statement, she said, "It is a public trust
that we in government hold, to wisely manage these resources in a sustainable
and responsible manner." I say you are treating the moose almost like it is an
endangered species - 800 accidents of people losing their lives.
I would say it is time for government - I know they have started some
initiatives, it is time to listen to the people, the group Save Our People
Action Committee, and bring in some initiatives that will really take care of
the moose because here in this Province now, Mr. Speaker, our forests are almost
becoming like farms there are so many moose travelling through them.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement.
I guess I am going to echo a lot of what was just said by the Member for Port
de Grave. I do think that having the program whereby harvesting can be done to
help the charities is a great program. I wonder why the minister did not up the
number to match the number of licences that she had last year - I mean
applications. Last year, there were 300 applications and the numbers just went
up to 200, so why not up it to the demand that was there?
We do have a moose population problem. The reality is that part of it is
because of development going further out into uninhabited areas where moose have
been happy to roam, but another large part of it though is that population
itself is growing. We do have to take bigger steps to control the moose
population in the Province. If we are doing this program for the charities as a
way of getting at the moose population, it is not going to go very far. If we
are doing to help the charities that is good, then I say help more of the
charities.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?
Oral Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Early Childhood Educators, or ECEs, provide an invaluable service to the
children of our Province. There is a severe shortage of Early Childhood
Educators and daycare centres say it has reached a crisis level. The early
learning child care supplement was set up by government to provide monetary
support to Early Childhood Educators and an incentive for upgrading and
retention.
I ask the minister today, Mr. Speaker: Why is government demanding that these
half-dozen barriers that have been identified by daycare operators remain in
place given the severe shortage of Early Childhood Educators today?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with the association that represents
the owners of the various child care facilities in Newfoundland and Labrador. We
certainly spoke about the initiative and the incentive that was set up by
government to provide increases, I guess, to the wages, or the wage base, that
are paid to people who are Early Childhood Educators in Newfoundland and
Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to the wages that they earn while working at the
centre, there is an incentive as well, based on whether or not they hit a
certain level of certification, that we actually increase their wages by $6,000
a year.
When I met with the operators, they certainly felt that it was a move in the
right direction to be able to supplement the income of the Early Childhood
Educators, but they felt that the supplement should go to the child care centres
as opposed to the workers and that they would then pay the workers the
supplement.
We certainly took their recommendations and the issues they brought forward
seriously. We are looking at the recommendations and the impacts that may have
if we change the policy. It is not something we have rejected at this point.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition Leader.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Some of the daycare centre owners, because there is a shortage today of Early
Childhood Educators, what they are saying is that there are barriers, at least a
half a dozen different barriers that impact these Early Childhood Educators from
obtaining the supplement.
I ask you minister: If you have met with them, you must know what those
barriers are, and are you prepared to address them?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader and Minister of Child,
Youth and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As I was saying, yes, we have met with them. That is how we pay out the
supplement. That would be the maximum, based on certain levels, and there is
more to the policy than just that.
We did listen, we did take their issues seriously, we will go back and look
at it and see if there is a way that we can improve the system so that there is
less impact overall, but yet the workers still get the supplement that
government created in order to support them. What we feel is important is that
we need to support this area, which we do through this supplement, and that if
there is a better way to distribute the supplement, we are certainly interested
in doing that.
We have not got the full analysis done from our meeting, but we did take all
the recommendations, we will look at it, and as long as we are satisfied that
the supplement is being paid to the worker who deserves it, who we set it up
for, that we will certainly make sure we streamline our processes so that we
work co-operatively, with not just the workers, but certainly the owners as
well, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Lots of detail, but the minister did not answer the question.
Again, Mr. Speaker, if she met with them, she also knows that this particular
supplement is not off-setting the disincentives to attracting people to be Early
Childhood Educators, to having them remain in the field, or to upgrade. In fact,
Minister, they have told us that this supplement has become an established part
of the income of child care staff.
So I ask the minister: Does your government have plans to enhance the
supplement to help with the recruitment and the retention of a qualified
workforce for our Early Childhood Education centres?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, we do provide up to $6,000, which whether they see
it as a supplement, or I do not how else you would see it, but it is certainly
more money to their income, based on the wages that are paid, in order to help
retain people in that system. So we certainly support the workers and provide a
supplement in addition to their wages. So that is an incentive, there is no
doubt about it.
The operators would like to see it dispersed in a different manner, and we
will look at that, and we may actually do that once we get our analysis done.
Bottom line is, we certainly have contributed to the wages of the Early
Childhood Educators in the Province, and we will continue to do so.
The other thing that we have also done to help people move into this field of
work, and certainly we did this in conjunction with the Department of Education
through the College of the North Atlantic, is that we have offered the Early
Childhood Education program online so people who are in the field are able to
upgrade their level of certification. As they do that, certainly they get more
of the supplement that we pay to them. It also allows people who are not living
in the major centres to be able to go in and do courses in this area as well. So
that has certainly been able to help (inaudible).
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Again, it comes back to the issue that many of these cannot access the
supplement because of the barriers that are there. We know today, Mr. Speaker,
from the June 2009 report, that over 50 per cent of the daycare centres said
they had difficulty recruiting staff and what was more alarming is that 80 per
cent said they had difficulty in recruiting qualified staff. Mr. Speaker,
daycare centres today are closing spaces within their licensed centres because
they do not have enough qualified staff. Meanwhile, there are wait-lists
everywhere for child care services.
I ask the minister: What is government doing to address that growing problem,
because surely she is aware of it?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader and Minister of Child,
Youth and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS BURKE: As I have said, Mr. Speaker, we have expanded the opportunities
for people to upgrade their skills so that they are able to avail of the
supplement. The supplement is based on their skill level, with the highest being
the $6,000. We have certainly made that more accessible to the people who work
in the field.
Mr. Speaker, we also have initiated a capacity initiative within the
Department of Child, Youth and Family Services, which started under Health and
Community Services, where we work in areas where there will not be a child care
centre operating for profit based on the numbers or based on the dynamics of the
community. Therefore, under this initiative we have been successful in being
able to establish hundreds of new spaces for children in communities where
otherwise there would be no child care centre. That initiative is continuing,
Mr. Speaker, and we anticipate, as it rolls out, there should also be probably
hundreds of more spaces in communities that otherwise would not have child care
centres.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am glad the minister brought up the training programs for early childhood
educators because we know that these programs are offered at the College of the
North Atlantic as well as at private institutions. However, Mr. Speaker,
students who have tried to transfer credits from private institutions to the
College of the North Atlantic were not allowed to under the policy. Yet, the
Department of Education accredits the programs in both private colleges as well
as the College of the North Atlantic.
I ask the minister today, once the Department of Education accredits all of
these Early Childhood Education courses for colleges in the Province: Why is it
that the public college is denying the transfer of credits from private
colleges?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, that is a very good question, and I say to the
member opposite, I will endeavour to get the information. I am not aware that
that indeed has happened. We accredit programs and we try and facilitate the
cross transfer of credits. We use prior learning assessment in the department to
give credit for prior activities that were not formally completed in a
post-secondary institution to ensure that we recognize the experiences and the
credit that individuals have attained, not only in early childhood but in all
occupations and all skilled areas, Mr. Speaker. So I am certainly not aware that
that exists but I will certainly endeavour to get the information for the member
opposite.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the minister for agreeing to do that.
Mr. Speaker, on June 14 representatives from the Geophysical Services
Incorporated announced that they are cancelling their 2D Seismic Project off the
Coast of Labrador. This project was to map 10,000 kilometres at a cost of $10
million. They had previously employed thirty-five people in the Province prior
to cancelling the program. This action was taken in protest to the minister's
announcement that government would be releasing free-of-charge proprietary data
previously collected by this company.
I ask the minister, if she can explain to me the reason for this decision and
if this is standard procedure in other oil exploration jurisdictions?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources and Deputy
Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we have legislation in this Province governing the release of
seismic information. Mr. Speaker, seismic information that is gathered
exclusively by companies can be held by those companies for five years.
Speculative seismic, Mr Speaker, that is done in the offshore, can be held by
the person or the company that does that work for ten years. Then both of those
bodies, Mr. Speaker, have to make that information available to the public. Mr.
Speaker, but now they are only required to do it in paper format. Mr. Speaker,
this regulation was put in place a long time ago. We have all evolved
technologically, greatly since then, and that has rendered a paper format almost
useless. We are proposing a change from paper format to digital format, Mr.
Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, we all know that the oil industry is a sector
where information is critical to the success, knowing exactly where to drill and
how deep means the difference sometimes between millions spent on a dry hole I
guess, and billions in profits and royalties.
Mr. Speaker, I guess my question to the minister would be: Are there any
legal consequences of the decision, and does our legislation currently permit
government to distribute this in a digital form or are there legislative changes
required?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources and Deputy
Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: As I said, Mr. Speaker, in my former answer, companies are
required to release this data, either after five years or ten years. The
requirement now is, Mr. Speaker, that they release it in paper format. That does
not work any more, Mr. Speaker, in this technological world. So what we have
proposed to our co-regulator in the federal government and to the C-NLOPB is
that we have a policy change that will now require the data to be released in
digital format, Mr. Speaker. This is in keeping with jurisdictions such as Nova
Scotia, for example, Mr. Speaker, and places like Norway.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is hard to overstate the value of seismic work to the local oil industry.
The change to a productive project is very well established and seismic leads to
exploration, which leads to oil and gas discovery, and as I said, leads to
profitable projects. We know that oil companies, as well as other companies do
perform their own seismic and that without this particular work to point out
potentially new wells, exploration work could slow down.
I ask the minister: What would be the effect of this decision on the sales of
land parcels for exploration off the Coast of Labrador?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Deputy Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we understand fully the importance of seismic work to the
development of our offshore. That is why this policy change is being recommended
and advanced by this government. Mr. Speaker, what this does is encourage
exploration by making important information available after a reasonable length
of time to others who might be considering activity in our offshore. It is
designed to enhance exploration and development in our offshore, Mr. Speaker,
not to delay it.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White
Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the staff of the air ambulance program were advised a short time
ago that they must move to Happy Valley-Goose Bay if they want to keep their
jobs, and they have been provided with temporary housing assistance in Goose Bay
for three months. This is hardly a sufficient time frame to undergo a major
relocation such as they are involved in.
I ask the minister today: Have you taken into consideration the personal
stress of this move that it is having on the employees, and are you willing to
provide any additional assistance to help them with their move?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.
What we have done in relation to this move, as outlined by the member
opposite, there has been a three-month period where there have been the
following arrangements. Rent free accommodations during their scheduled shifts,
and accommodations have been arranged through Labrador-Grenfell Health. There
has been, Mr. Speaker, or there will be provided airfare to and from St. Anthony
to Happy Valley-Goose Bay once their
schedule rotations are complete. They will
be given per diem allowances during scheduled rotations. The moving allowance,
Mr. Speaker, will be in accordance with Treasury Board policy and all the staff,
I understand, have been provided with a copy of this policy.
So what we have done here, Mr. Speaker, is consistent with what is done in
other moves. They have been provided and they were told, I think, on the day
that the move was finally, the plane was actually being moved, what they would
get, and that has been in their possession, I think, for at least a number of
weeks now, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White
Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, this is more than a move; it is a relocation of a complete
service. So it is not like an employee applying for a position within government
at another location. Giving the employees and their families a couple months to
sell their houses and uproot their families and move their belongings to another
region of the Province is somewhat unreasonable when it is kind of just given in
a days notice so to speak. Spouses are being forced to resign from their jobs,
look for new employment in Goose Bay, and the logistics of such a major move is
far more difficult than the short period of time that has been allowed.
I ask the minister: Will you provide temporary transitional funding to these
employees for up to a year to allow them to organize their affairs in a more
compassionate manner?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, the Treasury Board policy is clear in relation
to the relocation of people who relocate for jobs, whether it be from
out-of-province or within the Province. I do not have a copy of the policy here
with me, but I do know that these individuals have all been provided with a copy
of the same. They will be entitled to the same benefits that other individuals
who are subject to move will make, Mr. Speaker.
I will note that there was never any discussion with me. There was no one
ever approached me in terms of prior to this move. The air ambulance employees
associated themselves quite, it appears, intentionally with the Mayor of St.
Anthony. They lodged their protest.
I would suggest to the member opposite that the time to have come and discuss
this with me was prior to the move having been made, and they did not do so.
There were no attempts made, Mr. Speaker. Everyone continued to protest.
Unfortunately, the Mayor of St. Anthony and the member opposite, none of them
came to me and said: Is there anything else we can do?
So the Treasury Board policy applies, Mr. Speaker, and they are entitled to
what other employees are entitled to.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White
Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, I continue to get the same sympathetic ear and the
same spin continues to happen on this whole issue.
I would suggest that normally they would have someone at their administrative
level, or at least at their board level to intervene for them. I am not sure if
that has happened or not, but these people are being forced to move. It is a
forced move. It is not one that they want to do. It is not that they have
applied to do. They are being forced to move and sell their homes while market
conditions have weakened in St. Anthony just simply because of this move. The
employees fear that they will have trouble selling their houses for be forced to
take significant losses in their life investment. In addition, housing in Goose
Bay is currently at a premium and the same house in that region will cost
significantly more.
Mr. Speaker, government has purchased houses in the past for health care
professionals in various regions of the Province, and I ask the minister: Would
government be willing to purchase the employees houses in St. Anthony at
appraisal value so the air ambulance staff are not impacted financially by the
government's decision?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, as I indicated the Treasury Board policy
outlines what we will and will not do in these circumstances. It is important
that these matters apply to individuals throughout government. They have been
provided with a copy of the policy.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I reiterate, as opposed to the protesting and everything
else that was done, if the member opposite or the Mayor of St. Anthony or
someone else had come, sat down and had a sensible conversation with us and
tried to reason their way through this, we would have certainly been in an
opportunity to have discussions with them and to listen to them. All we got, Mr.
Speaker, from them was the protesting of the air ambulance. They did not attempt
to work with us and now that the move is made they coming saying: Now, will you
help us out?
Mr. Speaker, the message to the Mayor of St. Anthony, the message to the
member opposite is perhaps they should have thought about these employees when
all of this was going on and not coming now after it is all over, when the
Treasury Board policy is there, it does apply, that is what they are entitled
to.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White
Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the minister that I did think
about the employees, as I am sure did the mayor. I would wonder how much he
thought about the employees in this whole transition. Just for the record, these
employees did meet with the health boards to discuss this on several occasions
for sure.
Again, given the uniqueness of the move, given that it is a forced move,
given that it is something that is a total relocation of a service I ask the
minister again: Would this government be willing to consider greater financial
support because of the difference in housing they are leaving and the housing
they are going to?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, people within government move all the
time. People move from one area of the Province to another. People move back
from outside of the Province into this Province. It is important that we have a
consistent policy that is applied to everyone equally.
The Treasury Board policy, Mr. Speaker, is very fair and generous. We are
providing rent-free accommodations during their scheduled shifts right now. We
are providing airfare to and from St. Anthony. We are providing them with per
diem allowances. What we are doing, Mr. Speaker, we are providing them with the
benefits that other members of the public service get when they are moving from
one place to another, and that is what they are entitled to, and Mr. Speaker,
that is what they will get.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
During the Estimates Committee meetings in March 2008, one issue which came
under discussion was the matter of ATVs which have a factory installed two-up
seat. While the regulations prohibited two persons on an ATV, this seat is
designed by the ATV manufacturers to carry a second passenger.
The minister stated that he was aware of the issue, and that after he became
minister, he asked for a review of the policy around the use of ATVs and the
two-up seats. I ask the minister: What is the status of that policy review?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Government Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. O'BRIEN: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
I am certainly aware of the issue and concerned about the issue, but it is a
challenge in regard to coming up with a solution actually to the issue. The
two-up seat is actually not a passenger seat; it is actually classified by the
manufacturer as comfort seat. In regard to the comfort seat, then in there lies
liabilities in regard to the classification of the seat itself. It is actually
meant as a comfort seat to the driver.
In the meantime, Mr. Speaker, I am quite aware of the actual issue. We are
working with the industry, we are working with the manufacturers, we are working
with our officials, and hopefully we will come up with a solution that is best
for all and does not entail any liabilities to the Government of Newfoundland
and Labrador, nor to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I was hoping the comfort seat was so that I
could take someone with me.
Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time that this matter has been brought to
the attention of the minister. During Estimates Committee meetings in May of
2009, the minister was asked about the status of this policy review, and he
stated then that he was exploring the issues with the Department of Justice.
I ask the minister: Has the Department of Justice dealt with the issue of
liability to his satisfaction, and will dirt bikes come in under the same review
process?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Government Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. O'BRIEN: Yes, Mr. Speaker, the one thing I can say to the hon.
member, I will not be getting on an ATV to give him any comfort. I will not be
taking any rides tomorrow.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. O'BRIEN: Mr. Speaker, yes we did consult with Justice, and there is a
challenge in regard to the classification of the seat. If we classify it and
allow, under legislation, people to ride on that seat, legally-wise, we entail
liabilities concerning that particular seat.
We have been working with the manufacturers in regard to that seat to see if
we can get it reclassified, and the specifications to that seat would be
classified in that it can carry a passenger. We are working through it. It is
taking a long time. It is a process, and I know it was back in 2009 when the
hon. member asked me the questions in Estimates, but sometimes the solution
takes a long time. I wanted to assure the hon. member that we were well aware of
it, I am well aware of it as a minister. I have an ATV myself and certainly I
would like to find a solution (inaudible).
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, in the same Estimates Committee meetings in May
2009, the minister stated that he expected the public consultations were to
commence shortly.
I ask the minister: What is the status of those public consultations and when
can the public expect to have their say?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Government Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. O'BRIEN: Mr. Speaker, I still intend to have the consultation process
when the time is right to have the consultation process commence, but until I
can get the issue resolved in regard to the manufacturer, I do not see any
reason to have a consultation process to the public when I cannot come with a
solution to legally, a solution to the problem. So until I work out that
solution or get some resolution to the solution in regard to the manufacturer,
then I will consider doing the consultation process.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the residents of Virginia Park, which is in my district, were
very upset yesterday when they learned, after years of waiting for a replacement
for their building, that the Eastern School Board may be making a decision
tonight to move the school totally outside their community.
Mr. Speaker, in this year's Budget government promised funding to support
their commitment to build a new school to replace Virginia Park Elementary,
supposedly to replace the school at its current location. Mr. Speaker, the
Eastern School Board is entertaining an option for the new school that is not
the choice of the parents. They have evidently refused to listen to them.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Education: Was he aware of this about-face
by the Eastern School Board District?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of an about-face by the Eastern
School District. As a matter of fact, I am not even aware that a decision was
made to submit a location for the new school to government. What I am aware of
is that there is a proposed or planned board meeting occurring tonight.
I will say to the member opposite, that what this government did commit to
was a new school. What we did not commit to was the location of the school. The
member opposite would know, because I have talked to her about this, that there
is a process in place for determining a site for a new school. The school board
has followed that process. They have sought available properties in the area, in
the neighbourhood, in the zone of the school. They have consulted with the
parents and the school council. The normal process is that the board will then
submit a list of recommended sites with a preferred site to government and at
that time we will take that under consideration and make a decision and the
process will move forward.
Mr. Speaker, there has been no decision made that I am aware of, unless it
was made before the meeting that is scheduled for tonight, Wednesday night.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure the minister must be aware, and if he is not I am
telling him now, that yes, the school board did come up with four sites, which
was a surprise to the council when they got it because they thought the sites
they were looking at were sites that were in a report that came prior to this
being presented to them. They went through a process, they made their choices
and the choice that they made was to ask the school board to have the school
maintained somewhere in the original site of the current school. They were told
yesterday by a member of the school board that - and I do not know if it was
dropped accidentally or what - the choice that is coming to the board tonight is
the one thing that was rejected by the school council.
I would like to know what the minister has to say to that?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I actually have quite a lot to say about that. The
first thing I have to say about that is, it is why we have school boards in this
Province. There is a trustee represented, elected to represent the zone in
question that the member is talking about, and the people of Virginia Park and
area elected that person to represent them and their views at the board table.
That is democracy, Mr. Speaker. That is how it operates.
I will also say to the member that I find it extremely disappointing today
that the member opposite, after weeks upon end coming at this side of the House
and the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Natural Resources about
environmental issues, today, would be arguing that government build a new school
on a site that has identified contaminants and environmental risk associated
with it. Because, to use the member's own language, Mr. Speaker, she ought to be
aware if she is advocating for that area - she ought to be aware that a study
has been done that indicates to us that there are environmental issues
associated with that site. Now I am not aware of what the recommendation is
going to be from the school board but I can tell you, it will be a long time
before I bring a recommendation forward with my support that says we will build
a new school for children
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I am well aware. I have worked closely with the school council. I am totally
aware of the issues. I am also aware of the fact, Mr. Speaker, that the
contamination is not something that cannot be remediated, it can be. So instead,
what this school board is considering is a school in a district - or far away
from where they are, where there are no sidewalks on the road, where children -
95 per cent of the children in Virginia Park School currently can walk to
school. It is a community school.
What is this minister going to do in making his voice heard about maintaining
a school as a community school, Mr. Speaker?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Let me ask the member opposite to clarify a couple of points
for me in my response, Mr. Speaker, if I may.
First of all, I would like to have clarification whether or not she is
advocating that this government spend $8 million, $10 million, $12 million, $14
million to build a new school for children of her district on a contaminated
site? That is the first thing I would like to know.
The second thing I would like to know, Mr. Speaker, if she cares to listen to
me, is whether she condones this stereotypical language used by the chair of the
school council who makes very, very strong assertions against what they term as
the rich people, the rich people of that area, and whether she agrees that we
should be discriminating based upon rich and poor? Because that is not what I
hear in this House on a daily basis when that member opposite stands over there.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The time allotted for questions and answers has expired.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Tabling of Documents.
Tabling of Documents
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Pursuant to
section 26.(5)(
a) of the Financial Administration Act, I am
tabling four Orders in Council relating to funding pre-commitments for the
2011-2012 fiscal year.
MR. SPEAKER: Further tabling of documents?
Notices of Motion.
Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Orders of the Day.
Orders of the Day
Private Members' Day
MR. SPEAKER: This being Private Members' Day and the regular business of
the House up to Orders of the Day being concluded, the Chair now calls on the
hon. the Member for the District of Topsail to present his private member's
resolution.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to begin this afternoon by reading into the record the private
member's resolution which I first brought forward on Monday of this week. It is
moved by myself and seconded by the hon. the Minister of Transportation and
Works, the following private member's resolution:
WHEREAS archaeologist Bill Gilbert and his team from the Baccalieu Trail
Heritage Corporation in 1995 discovered the original site of John Guy's 1610
Cuper's Cove Plantation and, since that time, more than 145,000 artifacts have
been catalogued and important 17 th century structures have been
identified; and
celebrating its 400 th anniversary this year; and
WHEREAS in November, Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The
Duchess of Cornwall visited our Province to launch the year-long Cupids 400
celebrations; and
WHEREAS the Provincial Government last June announced an additional $1.8
million to help fund the construction of the Cupids 400 Legacy Centre, bringing
the Province's total commitment to the Cupids celebration and related
infrastructure to over $3.8 million; and
WHEREAS this Legacy Centre will house more than 110,000 artifacts uncovered
since the discovery of the original site, and will also include a
history/genealogical resource centre, a multi-purpose hall and an archaeological
lab where visitors will learn about the process of archaeology; and
WHEREAS events throughout the year, culminating in the week of August 17-22,
will inject an estimated $15 million into the provincial economy while providing
important and enduring tourism benefits to Cupids and the entire region;
BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Assembly congratulates Cupids on this 400 th
anniversary and invites the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and tourists
from across Canada and around the world to join the people of Cupids in
celebrating this important historic occasion, strengthening our tourism industry
and providing lasting benefits to many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in the
process.
Well, Mr. Speaker, as mentioned in the resolution, Cupids was first founded
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador are marking its 400 th anniversary, a significant milestone
that we are using as an opportunity to celebrate our culture and heritage, and
to encourage visitors to come to Newfoundland and Labrador and join in the
celebration with us.
Cupids, initially known as Cuper's Cove pronounced Cooper's and quite often
spelled Cuper's was established in 1610 and for a time was home to John Guy
and a small group of colonists. Now, John Guy was a brave merchant in his time,
from Bristol, England, and is widely regarded as the father of Cupids. Following
a successful scouting mission in 1608, Guy told stories of a land that was
previously untouched and notably rugged and challenging.
Mr. Speaker, Guy again set off across the Atlantic in 1610, accompanied by
the group of thirty-nine men. Their goal was to secure and make safe the trade
of fishing, and their location of choice for this settlement was the unassuming
coastal pocket of Cuper's Cove. These daring pioneers faced a rugged landscape
and an unpredictable environment an unpredictable environment that is very
well known to us. Guy returned to England in 1613, but the importance of John
Guy's colony and the remarkable legacy it left behind cannot be overstated.
Mr. Speaker, the plantation site was occupied for several decades, I believe
to be about fifty years, and a core group of settlers remained in Conception
Bay, in Cuper's Cove, and became the ancestors of many Newfoundlanders today.
Mr. Speaker, this 400 th anniversary of Cupids is an event of
provincial, national and international significance. While it is important that
we mark the occasion with a major celebration, it is equally important that we
use this opportunity to continue to build a legacy for the people of Cupids,
this region, and the entire Province. The events around the 2010 celebrations in
Cupids are projected to inject $15 million into the provincial economy, and
while that amount is impressive its long-term benefits from this project are
equally exciting.
As we move closer to the culmination of the formal Cupids 400 activities
which are scheduled to take place August 17-22 this year, the eyes of Canada and
the world will be on us. Mr. Speaker, this summer's celebrations include
re-enactments, guided tours, family-themed activities, community meals, family
reunions and evening soirees, just to name a few.
Mr. Speaker, the Cupids 400 organizers have published and are distributing an
official celebration program. It is a beautiful, colourful and informative
production that outlines many facts and activities involving the celebrations.
It contains dozens of photographs and graphics depicting life in Newfoundland
and Labrador today and from the years gone by.
There is no doubt about it, Mr. Speaker, Cupids, the District of Harbour
Main, the surrounding area, will be the place to be this summer. We expect, Mr.
Speaker, that Cupids will play host to thousands of provincial, national and
international visitors this year, and as well for visitors to visit us in years
to come. There is no doubt that the residents of Cupids and area will enjoy the
lasting benefits of these exciting celebrations.
Mr. Speaker, co-ordinating this year-long itinerary of hundreds of events was
certainly no small task. It required the work and commitment of a large and
exceptionally dedicated team. I take this opportunity today to acknowledge the
Cupids 400 organizing committee and the work that they have done to make this
celebration an event to remember for many years to come. Much of that work has
been done by dedicated volunteers such as the Cupids 400 Chair Mr. Roy Dawe, and
Vice-Chair Lloyd Kane, and we thank them for their efforts.
Mr. Speaker, this government recognizes the true significance of this
historic site and, as a result, has invested heavily in Cupids. The provincial
government has provided $3.5 million toward the construction of the Cupids
Legacy Centre, which will serve as a tangible long-term benefit to these
celebrations. Investment in Cupids is an investment in the economic future of
surrounding areas as well, and an investment in our people. I think that speaks
to our understanding that is not just a one-shot deal for us. It is not just a
party. It is a golden opportunity to capitalize on a major milestone in our
history, a golden opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to capitalize on our history, and to
use it to build a better awareness of our history and our culture, as well as a
brighter economic future. This facility, this legacy project, will be an anchor
attraction in this region, and the opportunities to benefit from the increase in
visitors are endless.
The foundation has been laid, Mr. Speaker, for a strong tourism future for
Cupids and the surrounding areas. The Cupids Legacy Centre, which is now open to
development of Newfoundland and Labrador and to Canada. It tells the story of
international significance of Cupids. We expect to see, this year, an influx of
visitors during the summer, who will take the opportunity to visit the legacy
centre, take the opportunity to tour the Cupids archaeological site, take in
live theatre productions, participate in activities throughout the region, and
visit other areas of this great Province.
Mr. Speaker, the Cupids Legacy Centre is a fantastic facility and, as noted,
while it is now open to the public, it will be officially opened during a
ceremony scheduled for August 17. Mr. Speaker, it will take place where visitors
from this Province, the rest of Canada, and from around the world, will come to
learn about the history of Cupids, the Baccalieu Trail Region, and the early
I am sure, Mr. Speaker, that the Cupids Legacy Centre will be the beginning
of some very positive changes for Cupids; changes that will provide long-term
benefits and increased economic opportunities for the community. It is built on
the current site of the United Church Hall and former school, and includes
exhibits on the John Guy colony, the history of Cupids, and the historic
connections between Cupids and other communities in the Northeast Avalon region.
Mr. Speaker, it will also house an archaeological laboratory and house more
than 130,000 artifacts uncovered since archaeologist Bill Gilbert discovered the
coin ever found in Canada, along with ceramics, household goods, and so much
more. The centre will also house a history/genealogical resource centre, and a
multi-purpose hall.
The Cupids experience will allow visitors to explore the actual
archaeological site and, through the use of interactive technology, will allow
schools across the Province to visit Cupids via video Web casting an
opportunity for hundreds of children to enjoy the site from their own hometowns.
Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, this is a major project and we expect it to
result in a major benefit on many levels. An investment in such historically
relevant communities as Cupids not only helps to protect our heritage resources
for future generations, it also presents opportunities to enhance our culture
and tourism industries.
Cupids 400 is definitely a significant milestone in the history of our
Province one that we expect will boost tourism and generate future economic
opportunities. This is a chance for us to showcase to the world the rich
history, the heritage and the culture which exists in Cupids and throughout the
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, I will close my comments at this time, and I am sure my
colleagues on both sides of this hon. House would like to make some supportive
remarks on this motion, as we congratulate Cupids on their 400 th
anniversary and invite everyone everyone in Newfoundland and Labrador,
everyone in Canada, and everyone throughout the world to celebrate this
historic occasion with us.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER (Kelly): The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I want to say it is a pleasure to be able to take my place today and have a
few words with regard to the private member's resolution that was put forward
with regard to the 400 celebration in Cupids.
I was thinking about putting an amendment forward, but I do not think it
would pass. I would love to have the site moved to the District of Port de Grave
even though it is close, but I do not think they would go for it.
Mr. Speaker, all jokes aside, Cupids was a part of the Port de Grave district
back a few years ago before they redistributed the boundaries for the provincial
districts. I have to say that I was working with the member for that district at
that time back in 1995 when the first artifact was found. The people there
always knew that there was a site there, they handy about knew where the site
was, but it was not until Mr. Bill Gilbert, a gentleman who was very persistent,
he read all the documents that he could find in the various archives and he
decided that he would start in this particular area.
I remember the tremendous work that he had to do, and the residents and the
people on the committee, what they had to do, because it came to the point when
they started to expand the site it came out on private property and so on. There
were many issues that came forward to try to take over the full site. I have to
say it was an issue that affected many residents in that particular area.
Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend, leading off, he mentioned about when John Guy
came here and his first trip here was in 1608. One of the main issues that he
stated when he returned again in 1610 with the thirty-five men, plus when he
brought the livestock and the grain with him, and he made it very clear, he said
that his main aim was to secure and make safe the trade of fishery in this
Province.
Mr. Speaker, here we are, we are even still debating about the fishery some
400 years later. John Guy, I am sure everybody is aware of it, but he was very
similar to us only he was 400 years earlier. He was the Mayor of Bristol,
England. After that, when he returned, he became a Member of Parliament in
England. He was truly a solid politician and hopefully got his grounds right in
the community of Cupids, which they called at that time, Cuper's Cove.
Mr. Speaker, I guess when he came here at that time, and when he returned in
1610 that is when they came back - and in 1611 that is when he brought back the
first females to Cuper's Cove. There was only just the thirty-nine of them here.
From history, he had a very difficult time because he had the infamous Peter
Easton, who was also in the Conception Bay area and Carbonear Island, and the
story goes that he used to have to give livestock to Peter Easton so he would be
able to keep his settlement intact and they would not attack them.
Mr. Speaker, also 100 years ago there was a tremendous celebration in Cupids,
back in 1910, some 4,000 people came to that community to celebrate the 300 th
anniversary. We have to remember at that time the means of transportation, the
means of communication were not the same as what they are today, but people came
from all over this Province, they came from throughout Canada, and, yes, people
even came from England to have the celebrations. This year, the people of
Cupids, the tremendous people who have worked so hard at this, there are
estimating, hopefully, that they will see upwards of 30,000 this year for the
celebration. It is a tremendous impact not only on the community of Cupids but
the full surrounding area, Mr. Speaker. Not only that, but for the full
Province.
You cannot help but once you attend one of those celebrations - I remember
travelling to the Northern Peninsula up to L'Anse aux Meadows when we celebrated
the Vikings and as we saw the ship, or the boat that they had, the
Islendingur , as it came into the harbour, you could only imagine what
it was like back when they were celebrating 1,000 years. I think it was the
1,000 year anniversary. I am sure the people when they come to Cupids this year
they will as well envision what it was like when John Guy made that first trip
up through Conception Bay into that area.
Mr. Speaker, this is really a salute to the people and the organizations that
made this celebration possible. This is their year to shine, Mr. Speaker,
because I can assure you having been involved since 1995 knowing that this site
was there and being a part of it in some small way, and I am sure the hon.
Member for Harbour Main will be very proud this year to know what is happening
in his district in the community of Cupids.
Mr. Speaker, as I said this is a year for the people to shine and I want to
pay tribute to their fifteen members on their board of directors who put a
tremendous amount of time into this. Their hon. patron is His Honour Mr. John
Crosbie, the Lieutenant-Governor of this Province. Their hon. chair is Dr. Alton
Smith, whom I am sure the Member for Harbour Main knows full well, and their
chairperson, Mr. Roy Dawe, what a tremendous amount of work Roy and the people
of that community have put into it.
They also have an advisory committee which consists of eight organizations
and just to name a few of them: the involvement of Canadian Heritage; the
Tourism, Culture and Recreation here in our Province; ACOA; Parks Canada;
Industry, Trade and Rural Development; and the list goes on.
I have to say, Mr. Speaker, and I know my hon. colleague mentioned the
funding that the Province put in, but since 1995 the federal government as well
has put a tremendous amount of money. I can remember when that first artifact
was found, the next year, a lot of people did not pay much attention to it, but
Mr. Bill Gilbert, he wanted more funding, another small grant to continue so
that he and others could continue on because he knew that he had found something
that was not only going to be a great benefit to the people of Cupids but also
to all of Conception Bay and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, if I am not mistaken, the federal government has put in
approximately $5 million over the last few years to go along with the money that
the Province has put in because this is a tremendous undertaking, a tremendous
project. This year, and probably last year as well, they also have a staff of
nine people who are very involved to make sure that everything goes the right
way.
Mr. Speaker, I know I am not allowed to use a prop, but this is the booklet
that they have designed for this year. It is a forty or fifty page booklet
outlining the history, outlining the past, outlining all the events.
AN HON. MEMBER: Show me the prop.
MR. BUTLER: I will show it again, yes, Sir.
One of the main things that came out of this, we finally got the Prime
Minister and the Premier on the same page together. So with all of the money we
have invested, 400 years of celebration, I think it is a wonderful beginning.
Mr. Speaker, congratulations are in order to those people. I am going to
conclude with that, Mr. Speaker, because this is a team that worked hard to see
this come to reality. Not only are they to be congratulated but this will become
a part of, I think, one of the greatest celebrations in our Province.
I have to say to government, and I think other people have said it probably
in other debates, the money that we put into something like this is money well
spent. I think when you size up all the other smaller festivals that we have in
our Province, if they could be given a few dollars to help them expand; it just
increases the revenue that comes into our Province.
I know in my hon. colleague's district, we have the Blueberry Festival, which
is next door to Cupids. The thousands of people who come there for a two or
three day event not only in our own Province, but people outside in the United
States and throughout Canada come to that event.
Mr. Speaker, the only thing I hope that comes from all of this, outside of
the tremendous celebrations that we will have this year, is that both the
provincial and the federal governments will continue to put money into this
project. It is fine that we have this beautiful Cupids Legacy Centre there, and
it is a beautiful facility. I have not been in it yet, but I will be going there
for sure. Just to look at it on the outside, what a tremendous facility.
Mr. Speaker, I think and I am sincere in what I am going to say, and I am
sure the minister will agree with what I am going to say, this is in his
district. I think the provincial and federal governments should continue to put
thousands and millions of dollars into this project because I see this here in
our Province as being another Fort Louisbourg, like is in Nova Scotia. This
can be a similar situation as what is in Fort Louisbourg, where the settlement
can be rebuilt to look like it was back at that time. You could have dozens of
people hired on where people could go and see what it was like, and how they
lived and how they dressed at that particular time.
So, Mr. Speaker, I know it has been noted that there are some 140,000-plus
artifacts. According to their booklet, now it is up around 150,000. That is a
tremendous amount of items that people can go and look at. I have seen some in
the past. I have not seen any of the ones they have found recently. They found
coins, plates, pieces of pipes and what have you, and uncovered the formation of
the various buildings that John Guy used at that time.
Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I can assure you that we in the Official
Opposition extend hearty congratulations to the people of Cupids and all those
who were involved from the outside that helped them to bring this project to the
point it is today. I, as well as thousands of others, look forward to travelling
to that site and taking
part in their celebrations as this year unfolds.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The Chair recognizes the hon. the Minister of Transportation
and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Of course, I have been in this House for, I guess going on a little more than
a decade, and I would have to say, Mr. Speaker, this is one of my prouder
moments to be able to stand and support a private member's motion with regard to
a fantastic celebration that, even as we speak, is unfolding.
a small community in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is part of the rich history,
not only of our Province but it is part of the rich history of a nation. We can
even go further and talk about how it has great significance internationally as
well.
It is about Cooper's Cove, or Cuper's Cove some call it. We call it, in
modern day terms, Cupids. It is about a voyage, not necessarily of discovery but
of settlement. It was a voyage that happened 400 years ago and it was an event,
of course, that changed the course of history in many different ways. That story
of John Guy coming in with, I guess, his merry band of men at first, and later
followed by females, that this planned settlement was indeed to spur settlements
throughout, not only Newfoundland and Labrador but Canada as well.
Mr. Speaker, it is a celebration of a historical event. An event that did
change the course of history, but it is also a celebration of the tenacity, the
determination, the toil, the foresight and vision of a company, the Bristol
Company in the form of John Guy. Of course, their vision and insight was spot
on, as we here stand on basically the same soil today, a very vibrant, a very, I
guess forward-thinking jurisdiction in the nation of Canada. Of course, we
understand very well that these sorts of things do not come easy.
So, when we talk about the celebration and it is the celebration, as well,
Mr. Speaker, not only of that beginning of John Guy and his people, and that
planned community whose story is recorded now in prose and the journals that he
left, in song and historical documentation, but it is also a story that a more
modern group of voyagers took upon themselves to make sure that it was
celebrated and not only celebrated, but also to give an indication that those
early settlers left a great legacy. That legacy has not been forgotten, nor has
it been ignored, in the sense that the settlers who were to stay there and
prosper and grow during those 400 years have given way to a community now that
is strong, that is vibrant, that is prepared to celebrate with the world, this
tremendous, tremendous event.
Mr. Speaker, it is not only about the event, it is about bringing together or
unearthing aspects of the story that may have been forgotten or lost. Of course,
we can attribute a lot to the archaeologist, Mr. Bill Gilbert, who, has already
been mentioned, in 1995 really indeed did the first discovery. It was a cellar
pit about twenty feet by seven, and that was the first indication of where the
plantation was located. Mr. Speaker, you see, it was not an easy find because
even though the description of the plantation was included in the journal of
John Guy, the location of it and the changes because it was obviously a
community that was forested when they came in I guess the changes that
occurred over time really hid where that plantation was originally, so it was a
great discovery in 1995. The cellar pit was followed by a homestead. The
homestead, of course, was not standing, but as in all digs, basically, you look
for something that would withstand the ravages of time and in this particular
case it was a chimney and a fireplace, followed by a third building that was not
as intact but the floors were intact and by the investigation that was probably
a storehouse.
As well, following that there was a discovery of a two-foot wide stone wall
that was perhaps the outer boundary that would have replaced the wooden
structure that was originally there and the wooden enclosure. The latest find,
Mr. Speaker, is even a more interesting one because it is - I think it was just
last year when they were moving a stack of wood just to make room for something
else, they discovered the top of a headstone. As they now have and that is
ongoing, they have discovered something like nine graves. So it is very, very
likely, but not yet proven, that is probably where the original grave sites of
the original settlers would have been and that will certainly give rise to
further investigation.
But again, 150,000 artifacts later, we found as well, and the member has
it is an Elizabethan silver four pence that was minted in the Tower of London
the oldest gold coin, and of course, we have dig site now that certainly
indicates to us where it would be.
We have to take our hats off to Mr. Gilbert. He has done not only the dig
itself but, academically, he has spurned, I guess, a great resurgence of
interest in early colonization in North America, especially in Canada. Some of
his findings have certainly changed the recording of history because some of the
artifacts that he has unearthed point to different directions that have already
been recorded. So not only, Mr. Speaker, are we celebrating but we are also
reinterpreting the historical events that happened associated with colonization.
As well in February of 2002 we had a small group of individuals from Cupids
who basically put together the current Cupids 400 Inc. and that was headed up at
that particular time something like fifteen members by Mr. Roy Dawe, a
lifelong resident of Cupids. He was instrumental as the chair to carry out and
that was about eight years ago. Their mandate was to make sure that the
celebration was an appropriate one.
We do find that, when we look at it, this group this Cupids 400 group
have obviously put together an absolutely fantastic year, which has always been
referenced. We are looking forward me, as the MHA for the particular area of
the District of Harbour Main-Whitbourne are looking forward to a great influx
of visitors. I might add, Mr. Speaker, that already there have been any number
of events that have been carried out since the new year and even prior to the
new year with the visit of royalty to kick it off back in, I believe it was,
November, and throughout this year.
As well, I am very, very happy to report, the Legacy Centre and this is a
big piece because this is what is going to carry us well beyond 2010. Basically,
this legacy piece is a very important component and I am very, very pleased to
say that was put together. Mr. Speaker, it is a new building to some degree, but
it incorporated the old school. It is very, very interesting when you do visit
which I am sure many of our members will do that you can see that the
architect was able to basically build on the old and into the new.
It is really a fantastic layout, one that I do not have the time right now to
describe. In the middle of the building is the cornerstone of the old school,
and clearly, it gives the impression, which it is meant to give, of how we have
progressed through time and that we have not forgotten what has gone before and
have incorporated that into where we want to go into the future. As well, you
will find the modern technology, the modern displays and the interactive
displays, which are so crucial today in getting forth the
interpretation of that
particular dig site.
Again, when we look at this particular group of individuals, originally the
Cupids 400 Inc., they were, I guess, under the same direction that the council
of London and Bristol Company wrote to Governor John Guy when he came and I
quote, " There shall be no wasting of victualles" - or vittles, I guess,
as we would call them - "nor time misspent in idleness but all industrious
courses shall be practiced to set forward this particular enterprise." Not only
did John Guy take that upon himself as, I guess, his direction but this legacy
group have certainly done so as well.
When we look at the Cupids 400 then and what has unfolded, we see it truly as
a place, this Legacy Centre, where the present meets the past. I just alluded to
that with the old and the new, a place where visitors are encouraged to explore
the exotic nature of our landscapes, our waterscapes, our cultural heritage, our
people, a place where visitors are encouraged to pause and reflect on their
heritage and in the process to discover something about themselves.
I think this is where, I guess, our marketing campaign with regard to getting
people to come in that they can perhaps come here in Newfoundland and Labrador
to lose themselves but in losing themselves, as they would down in the Legacy
Centre, they will find something about themselves.
So, Mr. Speaker, again the Cupids Legacy Centre will illuminate the rich
tapestry of history and culture that has defined Cupids' place at the core of
Canadian history. The centre will be the permanent home of a vast heritage that
echoes in every field and cove in this Province.
Mr. Speaker, I have referenced Mr. Gilbert, I have referenced Mr. Roy Dawe,
but that is really the chair and the archaeologists. There are many people that
I could reference today but time does not allow me to do so, but I will
reference the Curator of the Cupids Museum, the current Curator, Ms Linda Kane,
who has done an absolutely fantastic job and will go on as Curator of the Legacy
Centre, but she has put together such a wonderful display that I am sure will be
to everyone's satisfaction.
Again, the official opening of the Legacy Centre will be on August 17. I say
to you, Mr. Speaker, given the people in Cupids, they have already opened that
centre and they are open for business. Anyone that is down around that area, I
would certainly encourage them to drop by.
In saying that, too, Mr. Speaker, there is the meeting of the old with the
new, and that seems to be the theme. I will reference the 300 th year
celebrations, obviously 100 years ago, carried out, and my hon. colleague has
already mentioned that it occurred - a great outpouring from not only the
country of Newfoundland at that time, but all around Canada and especially Great
Britain. There was one particular character there that is in the picture - and
you will see that picture when you go down to Cupids - there is a gentleman
there with a top hat on and obviously dressed for the occasion, as you would at
any occasion like that. That top hat still exists, and it is on display at the
legacy centre. What is interesting is that, I guess it was Captain Smith who was
that gentleman in the picture, and his grandson, Dr. Alton Smith, who is now the
honourary chair of our celebrations, who happens to a ninety-two-year-old
resident of Cupids, Dr. Alton Smith will also be on the viewing stand for the
opening, for the celebration, and he will have on his head his grandfather's
hat. Again, a great combination of the old with the new, pointing out, Mr.
Speaker, that again
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I remind the hon. member that his time for speaking has expired.
MR. HEDDERSON: Just one minute just to clue up?
MR. SPEAKER: Leave to clue up?
AN HON. MEMBER: Leave.
MR. SPEAKER: Leave to clue up.
MR. HEDDERSON: Again, just to continue on with that, Mr. Speaker, that is
the type of people that we are dealing with in Cupids: people who have worked
through the years to keep alive the story of Cupids, to make sure that is passed
on as a legacy to those who come after us.
Again, I take my hat off - be it a top hat or whatever, I take my hat off -
to the numerous people, our municipal politicians, to the provincial government,
for making sure that they were there to assist the people of Cupids in bringing
forth this wonderful celebration this year.
Again I join with, I am sure, everyone in this House, this hon. House, in
wishing them all the very best in the years to come - not only the year to come,
but the years to come - and encourage each and every one of you, as well as
anyone in Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond, to make sure that they make this
a must-see this summer.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I am glad to stand and speak to this private member's motion today on the
Cupids 400 th anniversary, and I was quite happy to give leave to the
minister as he clued up his comments.
It is something to celebrate, there is no doubt, the 400 th
North America. The work that has been done there is actually equal with any
archaeological work that has been done anywhere. That is why I am so glad that
the speakers to this moment, all three speakers before me, have recognized the
work of Mr. Bill Gilbert and his team from the Baccalieu Trail Heritage
Corporation.
I remember, just a few years after they began the work, I was quite excited
to know that this work was going on. I remember going to visit, and hearing from
Mr. Gilbert how he became convinced of where the site was, and the work that he
had to do to convince others that he was not just following a pipe dream. He so
very, very carefully went over the documentation that was there, and so very
carefully mapped out where he thought the site was; and, while it had to be
proven by doing the dig, deep in his heart he really felt that he knew that
where he was, was exactly the right spot that he was going to find what he
found.
It is quite exciting when one goes to some of these sites in our Province and
becomes immersed in our history. I find it, and I found it, really interesting
to go to the Colony of Avalon in Ferryland and then go to Cupids and then
compare archaeologically things like even the stone walks and how the stones are
laid, et cetera. Of course, these two communities happened close in time to each
other, and the similarities of what has been found in one and in the other is
very interesting, from an archaeological and historic perspective. So we do have
a lot to celebrate, when it comes to celebrating the 400 th
anniversary of the community that was founded by John Guy in 1610.
We also have to stop and think, in this Province, too, when we celebrate
these communities for example, Ferryland as well, and Cupids that we are
talking about the beginning of the Europeans well, not totally because we did
have the Norse come over but the Europeans from the U.K., come here to these
grounds and to actually come as colonizers. Of course, they are called colonies;
Cupids was a colony. Ferryland, where the community is in Ferryland, was a
colony. These were colonizers. The reality of those colonizers coming, while one
of the realities is the Province that we now have today, another reality was an
encroachment on the land that was already lived on by Aboriginal people; and, of
course, in this area it was the Beothuks.
We all know the history. Some know the history better than others of what
happened to the Beothuks. There has been a lot of work done. The colonization of
the Island meant for the Beothuks, ultimately, their total disappearance, the
end of those people. It was not that it was deliberate. It was not that people
came over intending to have them totally disappear off the face of the earth,
but that was the reality, partially because of conflict, and partially, and in a
big way, because of the Aboriginal people on this Island not being able to cope
with, basically, the germs that were being brought over from England. They were
not able to withstand the diseases that they had never been exposed to before.
Their bodies could not adjust to the new diseases to which they were exposed.
Also, in different places on the Island, for example, up in the Boyd's Cove
area, as the colonization continued, the Beothuks were cut off from the water
because of where the colonies were being set up. So, over time, some of them
actually starved because of lack of access to food sources that they were used
to having access to at different times of year.
So, I find that when we are celebrating something like the 400 th
without recognizing also the loss that meant as well. I do not know what is
being planned in these celebrations in Cupids. I do not know if there will be
any recognition of Aboriginal existence prior to the British colony of 1610. I
will be interested to see if that is there, because we have an obligation, as
people in this Province, people who came as intruders - we are the descendents
of intruders - we have an obligation to always remember who walked that land
first.
There is a custom that goes on in various parts of this country - and it has
started in some places here in Newfoundland and Labrador, though it is not
constant where, where when a meeting is happening on a piece of land where we
know it is recognized that a group of Aboriginal people first lived on that
land, in the opening ceremony or the opening meeting, whatever, recognition is
given to the Aboriginal ownership of the land on which one stands. I experienced
that quite frequently in Ontario. I have experienced it in British Columbia, in
Saskatchewan and in Manitoba.
I do not know if it is being planned that way but it certainly would be
wonderful if that was part of what happens in Cupids at the big celebration;
that recognition of Aboriginal ownership, recognition of Aboriginal life that
something for us to think about. I put it out as something that I think we have
a responsibility to think about. We have been in the habit here in this Island
of forgetting the Aboriginal people who are here.
We know the struggle, for example, that the Conne River Mi'kmaq went through
in trying to get recognition of their existence as Aboriginal people and their
rights as Aboriginal people in the Province. We know the struggles that the
Inuit and the Innu have gone through in Labrador. We know what the Indian bands
of the West Coast have gone through. There are people on this Island who still
maintain that they have a direct line to Beothuks. Even though pure blood
Beothuks may no longer exist, there are people who I do not know how well they
can prove it, but obviously it is rational to think that there were people who
were left who were part of mixed blood, who were a combination of perhaps
are people who claim direct line to Beothuks.
So, I think it is extremely important for us that while we celebrate this
anniversary that we also recognize what the cost was to Aboriginal people in
Newfoundland and Labrador. It is a moment - I am glad to have this motion to
speak to it, because it is a moment to think about that and it is a moment to
think about the different places on the Island that need to be highlighted when
it comes to places to visit. One place, for example, is Boyd's Cove, which has
such a wonderful display and wonderful centre with regard to the Beothuk. It is
a magical place to go to, just like Ferryland is, and just like Cupids is too. I
do find these places really, really special to go to, but it was even more
special when I went to Boyd's Cove and experienced there the magic of imagining
what it was like for the Beothuks as they lived there in the summer months and
fished in the summer months and lived in their community there, which again, you
have an archaeological dig indicating exactly where the community is.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The Chair is having difficulty hearing the hon. member speak, so I would
appreciate your co-operation.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that.
So, this moment of the 400 th anniversary gives us pause to think
about a lot of things that we have to celebrate and recognize in our Province.
We do have a wonderful Province. We have a wonderful history, but at this moment
let's remember the context of this celebration that we are having.
I would also while I still have time, because I still have over four
minutes like to speak about the broader tourism picture that we have here in
our Province. I think we have great potential with regard to more tourism
involving archaeological sites. I think there is a lot more to be discovered in
our Province with regard to archaeological sites, but if we are going to
continue looking at tourism as something that is good to do in and of itself,
and something that is good to do from an economic perspective, then we have to
look at some of the things that we need to put in place to make these happen.
There are going to be a lot of people coming to this Province and wanting to go
to the Cupids 400 celebration. I ask the question: How easy is it going to be
for them, for example, if they fly into the Province, to rent cars to go to the
Cupids 400 celebration? How easy is it for them, if they do not rent cars, to
find another way to get out to Cupids?
We have terrible transportation problems in this Province once we get outside
of urban areas, and even some of the urban areas have problems. When it comes to
transportation in rural Newfoundland, we have a real problem, and if we are
going to make our Province more accessible to tourists then we have to make sure
that we are building an infrastructure.
Now, I know we have spoken in this House about the whole thing of the need
for rental cars, particularly in the summer, and it is in the summer that the
real issue happens, and affordable rentals, Mr. Speaker. I rent everywhere in
this country and I find there is nowhere where the cost of rental cars is as
expensive as here in Newfoundland and Labrador. Now I know the Minister of
Tourism, Culture and Recreation is speaking with Tourism Newfoundland and
Labrador with regard to issues. We are aware of the latest report that has come
out from Tourism Newfoundland and Labrador telling us that the lack of
affordable rental cars or the lack of rental cars period is one of the major
barriers for the tourism industry when it comes to attracting people to the
Province. So if we are going to make Cupids accessible, make Ferryland
accessible, make Boyd's Cove accessible, then we have to make sure that the
government is working very, very closely with the industry to come up with
potential solutions to the whole issue of the rental cars.
Another issue, Mr. Speaker, for tourists is if they come here, they want to
know that they are safe and secure. We, Mr. Speaker, have a very serious issue
because of the fact that we do not have E911 services in rural Newfoundland and
Labrador. Tourists coming here who may run into problems on a highway or on a
less known road in the Province when travelling around, and who dial 911 expect
that they are going to be able get emergency services. Mr. Speaker, the issue is
they cannot.
We have been raising this issue in the House now for a long time and
government seems to be proceeding at a snail's pace in addressing the issue. I
understand all the issues that are involved. I understand that we have to get
ways of identifying houses and places rurally, but with the new GPS technology,
Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that we should be able to be moving much more
quickly in this Province with regard E911 services. I have been over two years
now speaking about this in the House and we are no closer, as far as I can tell,
to having E911 services than we were when I first started. Mr. Speaker,
tourists, if they are going to come here if they find out there is no E911
that is something that is a block for them coming in.
Mr. Speaker, the last thing I would like to mention, if we really are going
to bring tourists here, do you know what they want? They want rural
Newfoundland. That is what they want to see. They want to see historic sites.
Even when they come to St. John's, they want to see the historic sites and they
want to see rural Newfoundland. They want to see fishing villages. Yes, they are
going to want to see Cupids and they are going to want to see Ferryland, but
they want to see active villages too. I am hoping that this government is going
to take very seriously the needs in our fishing industry, in particular, to make
sure that we maintain communities that are alive, communities that are
economically viable, working in the industry that was the very first industry of
this Province, so these are three major issues, Mr. Speaker.
I know I have one second; if I could clue up, just two or three sentences,
please?
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
Does the hon. member have leave to clue up?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Yes.
MR. SPEAKER: Leave to clue up.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much.
I just want to rename those three points, Mr. Speaker, or four points, I
guess, that I want to leave everybody thinking about. One, let's use the Cupids
this Province but also to think about the wonderful history of Aboriginal people
in this Province, especially the Beothuks, and the things that we need to put in
place if we are going to bring tourists to Newfoundland and Labrador:
transportation that they are going to be able to use; E911 services so they will
feel safe here in this Province; and a real intent, Mr. Speaker, to make sure
that rural Newfoundland and Labrador in this Province does not die, and that the
only thing that tourists will have to come to in the future is to see historic
sites on our coasts, not live communities.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The Chair recognizes the hon. Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la
Hune.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS PERRY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is a pleasure for me to rise in this hon. House today to speak to the
Cupids celebration this year. I am going to talk a little bit more today about
the Guy plantation and the archaeological efforts that took place.
The cellar pit that Bill Gilbert and his team uncovered in 1995 was fairly
large. It measured twenty feet wide by seven feet deep, and the base of these
cellar stone walls is clearly visible on the site today, so certainly it is
going to be quite a remarkable site, I guess, for everyone who is going to be
visiting there this summer. There is going to be a lot of historical buildings
that are going to be great to see, and it will be able to bring us back in time
to how they used to live 400 years ago.
Establishing this crucial structure enabled the settlers to concentrate on
the construction of two additional buildings, and one of those buildings was the
homestead. An exploration by the archaeologist of the remnants of the dwelling
floor indicated that the house was divided into two main rooms: one with a
cobblestone and flagstone floor, and another with a wooden floor.
The archaeology team also discovered an additional structure attached to the
southern end of the homestead, and that third building measured approximately
thirty feet and was roughly about thirteen feet in width. The condition of the
third structure was almost entirely lost when this building collapsed, but again
the foundation is still visible for people to see this summer and in the years
to come. The archaeological team determined that its location in relation to the
cellar meant that it was probably a storehouse back 400 years ago.
In 2003, while working at the Cupids dig site, they uncovered a two-foot-wide
stone wall that appears to have formed part of the boundary of John Guy's 1610
enclosure. Facing Cupids harbour, the wall did not cover the complete northern
boundary of the site and this led to speculation that it was actually the
unfinished replacement of an earlier wooden wall that was vulnerable to the
threat of pirates in this early settlement period.
Meanwhile, some late season housekeeping on the archaeological site in 2007
uncovered an astounding find. When they moved a stack of wood to bury some
leaves that had fallen over the site, it was revealed to be the top of a
headstone. As the hon. Minister of Transportation and Works, and the Member for
Harbour Main just said, they actually turned out to find nine graves. The narrow
width of three of these graves indicates that they were dug in the seventeenth
century. Though too early to state categorically, there is a strong probability
that this is a cemetery that was established by John Guy's party in 1610, and if
this proves to be the case it will be the oldest cemetery in Canada - oldest
From the work of the archaeological team, and the artifacts and relics they
uncovered, we know that this plantation site was occupied for nearly fifty
years. From these same artifacts it was determined that a catastrophic fire
destroyed several of the original plantation building structures in about 1660.
The plantation site itself was thought to have met a violent end, where it is
speculated that marauding French raiders destroyed the buildings during its
infamous raids in the winter of 1696 and 1697. No doubt, as the archaeologists
continue their work, there are going to be many more artifacts to be found which
are going to tell us a whole lot more.
We have quite a remarkable history here in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr.
Speaker, and it is something worthwhile for us to visit as we take our summer
vacations, this summer and in the years to come. I certainly recommend that
everyone get out to the Cupids celebration, which is going to be quite the
event, but also to take the time to explore the Province as a whole, and
everything we have to offer right here in Newfoundland and Labrador.
I would like to talk a little bit about the heritage facilities in my
district as well. Certainly, the preservation of our heritage and culture has
been increasingly important to us as Newfoundlanders in the last fifteen or
twenty years, and thank goodness we have recognized the need to preserve what we
have in our history and make sure that it is going to be there for generations,
decades and centuries to come as well.
In Harbour Breton we have facilities like the Elliott Premises, for example,
Sunny Cottage, and this year, in addition to, I am sure, many places and
districts across this whole Province that will be having special occasions, in
Harbour Breton we are celebrating the 100 th anniversary of Sunny
Cottage, which is also another quite prestigious building that reflects a way of
life from earlier days of the fishing merchants. There is even a widow's walk
that you can get up on, and everything in the home is still pretty close to its
original state. You can get a real appreciation for the way of life. Certainly,
someone who wants to tour this Province, they can start in Cupids, see where we
very initially began 400 years ago, and then work our way up through the
centuries and really map out and depict our way of life over four or five
centuries here five centuries, certainly, in this great Province.
Other facilities that we have in my district, for example, include Piercey
House and Cluett House. We certainly have taken advantage of our musical
heritage, and that continues to be quite strong. As many of you know, Mr. Sim
Savory passed away earlier this year. They are going to be having their
twenty-fifth anniversary of the South Coast Arts Festival, which is probably one
of the oldest and among the original folk festivals to ever have taken place,
actually, in Newfoundland and Labrador, because it was about twenty-five or
thirty years ago that we, I guess, really grabbed on to the preservation of our
heritage and culture. There are some great special occasions in my district, and
I am sure many of the members here today could talk about special events and
celebrations that will be happening in their districts as well.
The hon. Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi talked a little bit earlier about
the Aboriginals, and I am quite proud to say that in the Coast of Bays region we
are home to the Conne River Band Council, the Miawpukek Mi'kmaq people of
Newfoundland and Labrador. We are so proud of the efforts they have taken to
preserve their culture and heritage, and their way of life. It is certainly
phenomenal to see what is happening down there in that community as well.
They kick off our summer festivals, actually, in the Coast of Bays, starting
with the annual powwow the first weekend in July, and then every single
community in my district has a festival from the first weekend of July right on
through to August 17. So we will be able to wrap up festivals there and probably
head on out to Cupids and take in the end of the summer there with their great
celebrations.
The Rum Runners Festival in Hermitage is the last one, actually, that takes
place in my district. This year, the Town of Hermitage-Sandyville, which hosts
the Rum Runners Festival, will also be celebrating a Come Home Year, so we
anticipate having a lot of visitors. In my hometown of St. Alban's we are going
to be celebrating a Come Home Year as well, Mr. Speaker, so it is going to be
quite an interesting summer for us.
Other festivals we have include things like the Belleoram Iron Skull
Festival. We have huge cancer benefit concerts there in the summer, and we
generate anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 which is used to help local
residents support and subsidize their travel expenses as they have to leave the
region for cancer care.
So, all of these things tie together I guess, and these festivals and events
like Cupids are certainly a great deal of work for our volunteers and our
organizations here in the Province. We are quite rich in history, and I would
like to also mention that in addition to these historical places, like Cupids
400 years ago, we still have communities in Newfoundland and Labrador that live
the traditional way of life. In my district alone, there are four. Places like
Franois, McCallum, Gaultois, and Rencontre East. You can go there, it is like
going back in time. It is such a beautiful feeling, and it is living history.
Still very much fishery dominated economies attached to the fishery. They have
no roads, they have no cars. They still have the original trails and paths that
people used to walk on years ago. We still have the saltbox homes and all the
original colours of paints. It is absolutely beautiful. You go into anybody's
home at any time of day and you are offered a cup of tea or some scalded buns or
a slice of homemade bread, and it is certainly absolutely wonderful to visit
these communities as well.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk a little bit now about how these great
festivals happen. They certainly would not take place without the partnership of
government and people. I congratulate Mr. Bill Gilbert and his team, the
Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation, the Town of Cupids and surrounding areas
and the many, many volunteers for their outstanding commitment and hard work for
this monumental occasion as we celebrate the Cupids 400 th anniversary
this year.
the work that they have done there in Cupids to bring awareness to this, not
just here in Newfoundland and Labrador but certainly across Canada and across
North America. I encourage not only visitors from here at home to come visit,
but certainly visitors from abroad. Many of us have a British heritage. I
understand I have a combination of British and Irish. We have a lot to learn
about where we have come from, and certainly knowing about our past makes us
stronger as we move into the future.
There is a huge amount of work bringing something like this together. I am
sure the volunteers and the committees have spent years getting to this point,
and the amount of hours I am sure they have worked at nights and weekends over
the last few months and what they will be working throughout the summer is
absolutely astounding. Again, I congratulate the people for their phenomenal
efforts in making things like this happen here in Newfoundland and Labrador.
To clue up, Mr. Speaker, I will say it is certainly an honour for me to stand
here today and applaud the people of Cupids for what they are doing in
preserving our heritage as a people in Newfoundland and Labrador. I, for one,
certainly look forward to visiting Cupids to see their artifacts and their
museums and I look forward to how they are going to grow this facility and what
it will become in the years to come as well, Mr. Speaker. So, a job well done,
and we look forward to oh, I did also want to say before I clue up though. The
first time I ever went to Cupids myself, I was about I would say eighteen or
nineteen. I was doing my silver Duke of E and we -
AN HON. MEMBER: That was only a couple of years ago.
MS PERRY: It was not very long ago.
We drove up, our guider brought us to Cupids and we pitched a tent in the
minister's yard. From there we spent three days hiking from Cupids to Brigus and
going through the old trails that I am sure are probably hundreds of years old
themselves, walking along across the tops of fields and we encountered sheep,
which we had no idea were going to be there. So as you can imagine, we had quite
a run across the top of a few of those hills up there. It certainly was a
beautiful place, still rich in history today; beautiful, friendly people there,
great food.
So I encourage everyone to get out to Cupids this summer, have a great summer
and congratulations to all of you for the job well done as we celebrate this 400 th
anniversary.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The Chair recognizes the hon. the Minister of Tourism,
Culture and Recreation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FRENCH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is certainly an honour for me to stand up today, Mr. Speaker, and talk a
little bit about the Cupids 400 celebrations and I guess help celebrate the
I realize the economic impact this is going to have on the Province as we are
hoping that this is going to inject some $15 million into our provincial economy
as both residents and non-residents help to celebrate Cupids from the week of
the seventeenth to the twenty-second, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to taking
part myself personally.
Mr. Speaker, just let me say, I want to congratulate first from the outset
the Chairman, Mr. Roy Dawe, and the Vice-Chair, Lloyd Kane. It is remarkable
what this group has done. They put together a committee. They dotted all the
"i's", crossed all the "t's", Mr. Speaker. Most of the community are involved in
the celebrations in some way, shape or form and I want to acknowledge the
contribution that they are making as a group of volunteers, not only to their
own local community but certainly in helping to promote the Province and
promoting us as a destination of choice, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity in the last short period of time in
visiting Cupids on two occasions. The first time was with my daughter who was
doing a project for school. It was a great way for her, and actually as it
turned out, there were several students in her school who did projects on Cupids
and the Cupids celebration.
So, Mr. Speaker, not only is there a tourism piece to this, there is an
educational piece. It is good for our local students and local kids to learn
the opportunity to visit the dig site with her and unfortunately the
interpration centre, the legacy centre was not open at the time but we did visit
the salt water pond and we had a great discussion while spending the afternoon
together, we had a great discussion of what it must have been like some 400
years ago when a boat rowed in through the seas and arrived at Salt Pond, as the
locals refer to it. Certainly, we had a chance to visit and have a look at some
of the places they had built a number of years ago. It was an educational piece.
I want to, again, thank the people of Cupids for doing exactly what they are
doing.
Of course, Mr. Speaker, just before I go on to talk a little bit about my
second trip out there, I want to acknowledge as well that Their Royal Highnesses
too, were out there to help kick off the celebration of Cupids. There was great
excitement in the area and throughout many of the local towns to have the Royals
there and have the Royal visit a couple of months ago.
Mr. Speaker, the second occasion I went out to visit Cupids was for the
kickoff of Tourism Week. June 7 was Tourism Awareness Week activities, it was
launched in Cupids. I had the privilege of going out there with John Dicks, who
is Chairman of Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Speaker, the idea of
us helping them kick it off was to acknowledge and thank the many tourism
operators throughout our Province. Certainly, there are more than just in the
Cupids area, but throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, which we have a great
tourism potential in Labrador, but we have to acknowledge the people who are
currently in the industry in an area of our Province, Mr. Speaker, that has so
much potential.
Of course, Mr. Speaker, this industry now is a $850 million industry in our
Province and one that a number of years ago, I do not know if floundering would
be the correct word, but we certainly were not achieving the peaks and the highs
that we are achieving today. I always say this, I remember a few years ago there
was a huge celebration in our Province - I do not know if celebration would be
the correct term but there was certainly an acknowledgment of the fact when the
fishery became a billion dollar industry. Mr. Speaker, I am certainly not
suggesting that the tourism industry will ever replace the fishery, nor should
it, but I will acknowledge that we are headed in becoming a billion dollar
industry. That is very, very significant, Mr. Speaker, in that a number of years
ago very little was done. In 2010 alone, is certainly shaping up to be a great
year. Let me just say that is certainly not by accident.
As a government, when we started off in 2003, I believe we had a $6 million
budget in tourism. Today we have a $13 million budget, a significant increase
over the last number of years. This year alone, to start off the first quarter
of this year, we see our non-resident visitors to this Province up by 7 per
cent. Phenomenal numbers, Mr. Speaker, when you think that we are at the tail
end of a recession, and even last year, when we were in the middle of a
recession, what you saw happen was a decline in visitations not only in Atlantic
Canada but certainly nationally and internationally. Some of the hottest travel
destinations in the country were down significantly and you saw our Province,
Newfoundland and Labrador, with a slight increase. That just talks a little bit
about the product that we have here.
Mr. Speaker, one way that I always compare us, or I feel that we should
compare us, is against our other provinces that are of equal to us, and of
course Atlantic Canada is where you would find those. Mr. Speaker, over the last
seven years we have had a total growth of 14 per cent in our tourism numbers
here in the Province. When you compare that to what is happening in the rest of
Atlantic Canada, Mr. Speaker, it is amazing to be totally frank with you. What
you see, you see Nova Scotia down 5 per cent over that same period. You see
P.E.I. down 20 per cent over that same period, and New Brunswick down 23 per
cent. It is obvious we are certainly doing something right here.
Again, we are talking about tourism week, and I have to acknowledge the
people in the industry, the people who work at it day and night, the people who
make a living at it, but also in doing so promote this Province and make it the
travel destination of choice.
Mr. Speaker, another point I would like to talk about, from our tourism
perspective, is that I talk about this as not being - it did not happen by
accident. Again, to go back to the tourism industry, the professionalism that
has grown in the tourism industry alone is remarkable. I had a privilege
recently - of course I have had since I have been minister - of visiting a
number of sites around this Province for different things, and I have to say the
level of professionalism now on the tourism side - and yes, of course, we will
always have work to do, but I can tell you right now we have a product in this
Province that is comparable to anybody else, Mr. Speaker, indeed in the world.
Mr. Speaker, one of the other things that we have done, we talk about Cupids
and so on and the importance of having celebrations in our Province to enhance
our tourism. One of the things I recently had the opportunity to announce here
is the extension of our tourism seasons. Obviously, most people are aware,
certainly, the favourite two weeks of the year is the end of July and the first
week of August. That is certainly a significant time for travellers and people
who come to our Province. Of course, of late, our summers have been very, very
busy. We call it summer, we would like to think it is summer, I am not so sure
the weather always co-operates, but June, July and August has traditionally been
our tourism season.
Mr. Speaker, what we have been working on recently is tourism extensions. I
just recently had the opportunity to visit Trails, Tales &Tunes in Norris Point
with my colleague from St. Barbe. I spent a couple of days up there; I was there
for their opening and their kickoff. I have to say, Mr. Speaker, it is
remarkable what is happening. This was prior to May 24, which is really early in
the tourism season, really before the tourism season begins. We saw the small
community in Norris Point, Mr. Speaker, with all of its places booked cabins,
hotel rooms, whatever available was booked. We saw musicians throughout the
week. We saw cultural events. We saw many people there walking trails. So it was
a full combination of three areas, obviously, the Trails, Tales & Tunes.
Mr. Speaker, you hear things from people in the industry - there was one
instance I heard one person tell me that four or five years ago, they used to
have this dinner once throughout the festival. Now, Mr. Speaker, they have
expanded that to, I believe, it was either four or five nights, a dinner with
fifty people in their business, in their restaurant, and certainly making it
work.
There was another instance, another venue there, Mr. Speaker, they told me
that in one day, they had the equivalent sales of what they would normally take
over a week to find. These are the kind of things that are happening, because
this is outside the tourism season. You would not believe the number of people,
who, just by a small amount of money - a reasonably small amount of money, I
should not say a small amount of money, but we provided $14,000 as a government
to that event. Mr. Speaker, we got that back many, many times over, and
certainly the local people were so thankful that we were a partner. That is all
we were. There was no giveaway here, we were a partner. We played a vital role
as a partner for that event, and we would certainly acknowledge the people up
there, and again, the effort that they made.
Mr. Speaker, that is not the only season extension we are working. Of course,
there is the Feather & Folk Festival on the Southwest Coast. We have the Humber
Valley Spring in your Step Festival. Both of which, Mr. Speaker, the provincial
government contributed to $19,000 in the first instance, and $10,500 in the
second instance.
My colleague across the way, Mr. Speaker, certainly heard of the Iceberg
Festival. As a government, again we contributed to that area. The hon. member,
like I said, is aware, and I am sure he is after taking
part in events in his
district. It is good to see. Again, it is about increasing the tourism business
in our Province and expanding what has traditionally been a very, very narrow
window and something that we continue to work on.
Mr. Speaker, you talk about, some people we get knocks sometimes from the
Opposition and they like to tell us that we do not do anything in rural
Newfoundland. Mr. Speaker, I have to that is one of the biggest myths, yes, that
has been distributed about this Province. I am sure the Minister of
Transportation and Works could stand here now and go on for hours, the Minister
of Municipal Affairs could stand here and go on for hours, the Minister of
Labrador Affairs could stand here and go on for hours about the commitments we
have made outside the overpass. The Minister of Education could go on for hours,
Mr. Speaker, about the contributions and the money we have invested.
Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to go to Twillingate Island with
my colleague, the Member for the Isles of Notre Dame
AN HON. MEMBER: Fogo Island.
MR. FRENCH: Fogo Island, sorry, with the Member for the Isles of Notre
Dame. We out there and visited a project with Shorefast limited and seen exactly
what the contribution of $5 million in one instance, and I think it was $2
million in the other instance, that we have contributed, and about to turn
around a very much rural area of this Province. There is a lot of money being
spent out there. There is a beautiful hotel, a $16 million hotel out there.
Again, it is a piece of this government promoting our tourism product and
promoting it in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. It is an $850 million industry,
Mr. Speaker, employing 13,000 people, I might add, many of them in rural
Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, it was certainly a delight to go to Fogo Island and be part of
believe, to be in Canada. As well, of course, we are part of the rock turning
for the Fogo Island Inn. I do not know if they have selected a title for it yet,
but you have to witness where this is going to be. It is built on it would
remind you of a fishing stage, much what it is like the way the legs are shaped
for this hotel. It is going to be, I believe, a twenty-four or twenty-five-room
structure. It is certainly going to be a high-end facility. They even have
models of the rooms built whereby you will be able to get in a room and see
nothing but water, water breaking over islands and rocks. It is remarkable
scenery and certainly one to behold. They are doing it very much in the
traditional way. There will be very little landscaping done, it will be all left
to its natural turf. I have to say, it was certainly phenomenal to see.
Another piece they are doing, Mr. Speaker again, all related to our tourism
season, of course, is they are opening six art studios. I had the pleasure of
being there for the opening of the first one. Again, Mr. Speaker, it one of
these places I am certainly no artist. I am certainly not a visual artist. I
certainly cannot paint, and I cannot do anything when it comes to the arts. Mr.
Speaker, let me tell you, to stand in these studios and look out through the
viewscape' that you have, it would almost make you believe that anybody can
paint. It is a remarkable place. I am sure that artists from around the world
will appreciate these six new studios as they become available.
Mr. Speaker, just before I clue up, I just want to speak for a minute on the
vehicle rental study that was mentioned previously by my colleague, the Leader
of the NDP. Mr. Speaker, this was a study that was done last year; we started
it, called A Driving Need. We realize in this Province as a government we
realize that one of the major issues that we have, or one of the issues that we
have, was the car rental industry. Not the industry, but the availability of
cars, especially during the peak times and on the shoulder season, Mr. Speaker.
The report was done and it came back. Mr. Speaker, I have to tell you, out of
all the things that came out of the report one of the things that I enjoyed most
about it was the fact that now what we have we have five vehicle rental
operators are part of Hospitality Newfoundland, Mr. Speaker. That never happened
before. All of a sudden we see many industry players becoming a part of our
hospitality organization, becoming members of Hospitality Newfoundland. Not only
are they members, one of the rental operators is actually on the Board of
Hospitality Newfoundland; so that coming together alone.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to clue up here now, but there are many, many good
points to the vehicle rental study including next year's forum. Hopefully, Mr.
Speaker, we now have the groundwork set to help alleviate some of the issues in
the vehicle rental issues that our tourism people have.
So just before I sit down, again, Mr. Speaker, good luck to Cupids, and I
encourage all of our residents from around the Province to go see it, certainly
take your kids. There is a week long of activities. With regard to what you are
looking for, it wi