This power game has its own shadows of shame
Published Friday November 20th, 2009
A twinge of shame shadows the pride I generally feel as a Newfoundlander. It arises not because I'm from a place that is often the butt of jokes; you know, the ones that begin with the line: 'did you hear about the Newfie who. . .' Nor does it arise because our use of the English language is often laced with grammatical laziness.
The jokes sometimes provide me with a great laugh, and I'm actually proud of the fact that Newfoundlanders are the type of people who don't take themselves too seriously. Poor grammar frustrates me but is hardly a case for communal shame since Newfoundland's reasonable educational system provides everyone with the opportunity to speak grammatically, accent or not.
And it's communal shame that I'm thinking about these days. It's a shame born out of a failure, out of giving up and giving away. It's a shame that has its roots in 1968, when I was only six years old, but still a Newfoundlander, still a member of a society that would forever after live with the reality that we didn't have it in us to make it on our own. We had the resources, but not the resourcefulness.
In 1968 the government of Newfoundland and Labrador signed the infamous deal that gave away the rich hydro resources of Churchill Falls to Quebec. The 50-year agreement still causes rancour today because it gives Quebec exclusive access to the mighty waters of Churchill Falls, a resource the belle province has turned into huge profits by reselling it to the United States.
Newfoundlanders can look at Churchill Falls anytime they like -- after all, the resource itself has not moved, it still flows within provincial boundaries. But they can't benefit from it. They can't develop it. They can't boast about it. It's not theirs. They sold it.
Shame from the sale of a birthright is an ancient theme and all the common sense in the world cannot completely erase its reality.
As I listen to the debate about the proposed sale of NB Power to Hydro Quebec, I sense shame snaking its way into the argument. Do New Brunswickers really want to hand their resources to another province? Do we -- for I am a New Brunswicker these days -- have a choice? Is it the only way we can achieve financial stability, attract business, hold the line on ever-increasing power rates?
Ah, I think. This is what it feels like to be in the minority position; to be the weaker player at a disadvantage. Like it or not, that's our position as a province with a small population. We may not have the wherewithal to develop our resources without calling on outside assistance. And outside assistance always comes with a price. In fact, in a capitalist society, it comes with a high price. Quebec has no reason to be altruistic as it negotiates with New Brunswick. Sure, we're neighbours, even fellow citizens of Canada. But let's not kid ourselves -- we are a country where provinces come first. Quebec will negotiate the best terms for Quebec. New Brunswick will try to do the same, but as the smaller, poorer province it's hard to imagine we'll win the upper hand. Even though we are the ones with the resource.
I don't envy Premier Shawn Graham as he tries to figure out how to reduce the billions of dollars of debt NB Power carries. This deal with Hydro Quebec may well be the best option the premier can conceive of, given the circumstances of the day. He is not to be faulted for trying to find a solution.
But if the deal goes through, the premier and all New Brunswickers will not be able to live without at least a twinge of shame. I know this, for even though I was only six when the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador sold the resources of Churchill Falls, I grew up keenly aware that something happened that nobody was completely proud of.
When it comes to selling one's birthright, even the best deal will not eradicate shame. We'll learn to live with it. Perhaps, as seems to be the case in Newfoundland and Labrador and its brazen fight to retain offshore oil and gas rights, we'll even learn from it and determine never to let it happen again.
The sale of NB Power to Hydro Quebec will result in costs and benefits for New Brunswickers. We need to acknowledge that one of the costs will be shame. We must ask ourselves if we're prepared to feel just a little less sure about our ability to chart our own course, to manage our own resources. We need to be prepared give a good answer -- to ourselves and our children -- as to why this decision makes sense, even though it brings shame.
* Lynda MacGibbon is a writer living in Riverview. Her column appears each Friday and she can be reached at lmacgibbon@ivcf.ca
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Lynda brings up a very good point; it will be the same point our Grandchildren will feeling 2 or 3 decades down the road, wondering in amazement how the Government of the Day could have been so short-sighted.
One of the major questions the Grandchildren will be asking themselves is 'With all the potential PNB had, why did Grandparents let the politicans use NBPower as a 'tool' to run it into the ground creating huge debt that had to be sold for nothing just to get back on somewhat-level ground?'
Thanks for your insight Lynda, it does give us a 'peek' into the future!!
Newfoundlanders are a proud lot. Forty years ago, I remember calling Newfoundlanders Canadians and being corrected: "We're Newfies, bye," I'd hear, as the people still remembered the 1949 deal brokered that saw them enter into the Dominion.
Good column, this is, courageous too. And that's not a bad thing.
Good on you, Lynda.....................
and............PS.......
the anti Danny Willima editorial today is another sickening attempt to portray anyone opposed to this sell out as a "wing nut". I wish N.B. had someone like Williams to put THE PEOPLE first.....keep on Danny.......
Irving: "Look, I get it; you're upset about this. But it's going to happen. Newfoundland did it, and they got passed it. It's gunna hurt for a little while, but come on. You have so much more to gain."
New Brunswick: *sniffles* "Alright. Let's sell it."
Not buying it.
All the policy wonk's and consultants in the world can yammer on ad nauseum about the deal, but what gets in peoples craw is we are selling the family business.
I don't envy Shawn Graham either, but he also is cooking in his own stew. If he had been more upfront in his intentions, instead of saying one thing and doing another, time and again, we would have more confidence in his ability to make such a deal. To not tell us upfront what he was doing, until it was done smacks of old school paternalism, and so we indeed feel shame also for not seeing through his empty promises.
Unfortunately we don't really have any power or influence over this decision, only an outlet for our frustration, but no real influence. he will do what he wants, and for the sake of all New Brunswick I hope he is right.
Stop seeing all these conspiracies or stop reading the thing. Rants about who owns the newspaper are red herrings and add zero to the debate. They are meaningless, and quite frankly, make you all look rather silly.
I say the same for the people who take shots at the CBC all the time. I am intelligent enough to figure out the point of view of the information. All media add to the debate, and the knowledge we gain is worthwhile.
Mitch L., you seem to have a tendency to label this paper as "right-wing" when in fact they serve only themselves, not a specific political agenda. If anything, they are morally left and fiscally right.
Linda, thanks for adding a bit of balance. I knew you would.
I hear DW talking up the issues of Churchhill falls and Quebec, but again, correct me if I am wrong... But didn't Quebec build and pay for the power station at Churchhill falls and transmission lines? They hired local people to build and run it? So yes, NFLDers are not getting any profit from it (well much profit) what they really sold was a lease on the land... the water. But NFLD didn't pay to build it. Hydro Quebec recognizing the natural resources as a wonder, created something of nothing. I don't know, and am asking.
Isn't this entire riff between DW (NFLD) and HQ really sour grapes for a missed opportunity? One that can be simply corrected by creating your own lowerchurchill falls?
I would dare to say this is very different from the NB Power potential sale.