Confederation, cartographed

A little first for this corner: an interactive map.

This map shows the results of the second-round referendum of July 22, 1948, in which the people of Newfoundland and Labrador chose between Confederation and Responsible Government. This was only the third time that the people of Labrador had the right to vote; the first two being to choose a delegate to the National Convention in 1946, and the second, the first round of the referendum in June 1948.

Each symbol shows a community location and the result on July 22nd. The two green squares are the only two places in Labrador which voted for Responsible Government. The squares in various shades of red voted for Confederation, with the Confederate side taking between 50 and 99% of the vote. The four shades, in ascending depth of colour, represent 12.5% brackets. The yellow stars are communities where 100% of the vote was to join Canada.

Click on a symbol to see the community name (as it was given in the referendum return) and detailed numerical result.


Through some historical accident or another, the poll-by-poll results of the referendum in the electoral district of Labrador survived. In most of Newfoundland, they did not. The figures shown here are drawn from the table published in the December 1984 edition of Them Days. Any errors or omissions are theirs, not mine.

If a community symbol is not in the right location, leave a correction notice in the comments.

That'll show 'em

We are not getting enough money from Ottawa in order to be autonomous and go it alone with.

Therefore, we should separate from Canada.

Such is the logically- and financially-spurious thesis of an astonishingly large number of completely spontaneous Premier-positive comments on the airwaves and the internets these past two days.

By way of example, from the Telegram's site:

Ches from St. John's writes: If we are living in a country that see's fit to bluntly harm it's citizens for exercising their right to vote, we shouldn't cooperate with that country.

Take the MPs home, it doesn't matter what party they are.

Newfoundland will NOT be allowed to prosper as a province of Canada.

Want someone to blame? Blame your parents and grandparents who sold us out for the promise of a cheque for nothing. WHERE HAS THAT GOT US? COLONIZED BY THE COLONIZED. That's where.

Posted 29/01/2009 at 12:44 PM

Ches from Newfoundland writes: Is Danny steadily working towards NL separation and to become the new Republic's first Emperor? Wouldn't doubt it. Thought that for a while now.

I hope so, it's why I support him.

What's Canada done for you lately, Shannon?

Posted 29/01/2009 at 10:48 AM

Ches from Newfoundland writes: You people saying either we the people, or Williams, are to blame for the Canadian budget really need to give your heads a shake.

Does being Canadian mean that if a population doesn't vote for the right side then you become open for wanton abuse?

I'm not ashamed or embarrased to be a Newfoundlander, but I AM DISGUSTED THAT I HAVE TO BE A CANADIAN by virtue of the fact that I was born here.

I don't want to be a Canadian anymore.
I want to be a Newfoundlander.

Give me a shot at it Williams.
Posted 29/01/2009 at 3:03 PM

And another Ches, this one posting from Canada of all places, expressing his opinion spontaneously over at the Globe and Mail, the paper which nationalist Newfoundlanders aren't supposed to care about, let alone read:

Ches Crosbie from Canada writes: Harper has confirmed what we all know.

As long as Canada owns Newfoundland, Newfoundland wil not prosper. It will not be allowed. The warnings were given in 1947-48, and were not listened to in some corners of the country. We lost our country, and now are losing our people, our children, our resources, our future.

If we are to have hope for our children's generation we must un-shackle ourselves from this unholy alliance. It must be done while there is still something to protect.
Posted 29/01/09 at 5:17 AM EST

Ches Crosbie from Canada writes: Micheal Power, if you think that nothing was coming out of Newfoundland all those years, just Canadian money going in out of the good of an Ottawa heart, you are sadly mistaken.

Newfoundland with it's 500,000 souls, has contributed FAR more to the Canadian pot than it has pulled out, since 1949.

Anyway, a PM who seems to think he is the King of Botswana has provided all the ammunition necessary to show even the most ardent Canada supporter, that Newfoundland cannot, and should not, exist as a province in Canada.

The 60 year experiment has failed, and will be concluded shortly. Just watch.
Posted 29/01/09 at 5:27 AM EST

Ches Crosbie from Canada writes: Scotty Tranna, living in Toronto you must know a lot about the third world, from listening to your neighbors.

To those who think NL's choice in the last election was about Liberal MPs vs Conservative MPs, you are way out of your depth.

The last election was to show the Govt of Canada, (of course it was going to be Conservative), that we will not be represented by those who do not represent. No Taxation without Representation.

The current crop dispatched to Canada will face the same fate should they not represent those who sent them.

The best outcome would be for the current crop to be the last. At this point, Williams has more than enough arrows in his quiver to see us bring our MPs home.

It's time to start dusting off the chairs at the Colonial Building.
Posted 29/01/09 at 7:33 AM EST

Sixty years ago today

Sixty years ago today, residents of Labrador cast a ballot for only the third time in history, in the second and deciding round of the 1948 referendum.

The previous two had been the June referendum, in which continuing Commission of Government was eliminated as an option, and the 1946 National Convention election, in which Labrador sent Confederation supporter Rev. Lester Burry as its representative.

During more than a century of responsible government in Newfoundland, the elected government of Newfoundland never saw fit to extend the democratic franchise to Labrador.

By some quirk of administrative history, the poll-by-poll results for the referendum in Labrador have survived. For the interests of posterity, they are reproduced below in modified form from the table published in Them Days 10(2), 1984.

                  Confederation     Responsible
                   with Canada       Government

L'anse au Clair          74             0
Forteau                  91             6
L'anse Amour             17             6
L'anse au Loup           60            14
Capstan Island           32             1
West St Modeste          55            10
Pinware                  46             9
Red Bay                  76             3
Barge Bay                29             0
Henley Harbour           61             6
Cape Charles             51             7
Battle Harbour           35            32
Indian Cove              36             0
Trap Cove                63             1
St. Mary's River         20             1
Fox Harbour              64             1
Port Hope Simpson        49            10
William's Harbour        24             6
George's Cove            49            16
Square Islands           17            11
Frenchman's Island       28            14
Batteau                  35            10
Black Tickle             21            43
Spotted Islands          57             5
Indian Tickle            21            17
Grady                    14            14
Cape North               12             6
Pack's Harbour           21             5
Cartwright               67             0
Independent              63             5
Old Man's Cove           19             2
Fox Point                15             0
Separation Point         30             1
West Bay                 15             0
Rigolet                  61             1
North West River        155             1
Mud Lake                 13             0
Goose Airport (Can.)     55            12
Goose Airport (US)       63           114
Hamilton River           91            13
Cape Harrison            23             0
Aillik                   38             5
Three Rapids             17             0
Davis Inlet              23             1
Voisey's Bay             19             0
Nain                     64             1
Queen's Lakes            59             3
Hebron                   86             7
Nutak                    58             7
Saglek                   30             2

Not only did Labrador vote overwhelmingly for Confederation — it had the highest Confederation with Canada vote in the June round; the fifth-highest in the second — all but three polling divisions voted for the Confederation option.

One poll was tied.

Not only that, but there were only nine polls where the Responsible Government side got more than 25% of the vote.

Not only that, but in 28 of the 50 polls, Responsible Government got less than 10%.

And not only that, but in fully a fifth of the polls, the RGL got blanked.