Honor award

Newfoundlandscape: Landscape as Rural
Outport Regenerator

Matthew A. J. Brown, Student ASLA, University of Toronto
Faculty Advisor: Alissa North

This project uses landscape to re-envision the future of rural Newfoundland by capitalizing on its unique geographic location and existing infrastructure. Newfoundland is a province that has been plagued by outmigration and population loss due to the collapse of the traditional fishery. New renewable industries, driven by landscape, can be implemented to maximize productivity for both the people and the local ecology, regenerating these rural outport settlements: saving a people and their place.

Introduction

With the introduction of Landscape Urbanism there has been a major shift in the importance placed on landscape to inspire and create change in the environments in which we live. Over the last few decades, landscape is seen as a catalyst for positive change in urban environments, but can this paradigm change be applied to the rural outport settlements in Newfoundland?

Newfoundland enjoyed years of economic prosperity from its varied coastal landscapes, but the collapse of the fishing industry caused the Province a continuing period of economic instability and a migration off the island. With the demise of the cod fishery in the early 1990’s, people migrated from the outports to urban centres such as St. John’s, in search of employment. With a passionate attachment to their coast, rural Newfoundlanders continue to struggle to hold on to their communities, their history and their culture. To move forward, the people need to understand that change is needed to save their communities. It is only then that the outports can be re-envisioned in order to capitalize on their unique geographic locations and existing infrastructure. It is vital that new forms of industry are adapted to outports to maximize productivity for the people and the local ecology. This project provides strategies to mitigate the migration off the Island.

Analysis

The initial analysis identifies the need for a new outlook on coastal industry. Between 1950 and 1960 the government of Newfoundland promoted resettlement programs that relocating over 40,000 Newfoundlanders and destroyed over 250 outport communities. Further, the demise of the fishing industry caused another wave of population loss and outmigration that still exists today. Out of the 227 coastal outports left on Newfoundland, 213 are experiencing outmigration at an average loss of 25.5% over a 15 year period. The problem of outmigration is easily understood through the analysis of statistics but the more appropriate analysis is the potential for change.

Newfoundland built its foundation on the fishing industry, and although this industry will always play an important role in outport life, it will never again be to the same extent as the past. It is important to understand that change is inevitable and there is no better time to re-envision these communities. Six potential renewable opportunities were researched as they provide the unique ability to sustain small outports. The 6 renewable industries are Wind Energy, Tidal Energy, Aquaculture, Globalization, Tourism, and Graceful Decline (re-integrating ecologies). Each of these 6 opportunities builds a new industry that will create jobs and revenue, sustain the current population, and providing the younger generation with the opportunity to come home.

Newfoundland’s Renewable Industry Potential

Wind Energy: Newfoundland’s situation as an Island provides immense opportunity in harnessing wind energy. The Island experiences extreme winds along its coast which can be transferred to power outports, and export excess power for additional revenue.

Tidal Energy: The Canadian Maritimes holds the greatest potential for tidal energy in North America according to the Electric Power Institute of California. The tidal variation of 0.6 meters accompanied by the Labrador Current provides enough speed to harness tidal energy.

Aquaculture: With a rich history and tradition in fishing, it is apparent that the skills of the people as well as the diversity of the coastal landscape are conducive to aquaculture. The sheltered aquatic environments such as bays, harbors, inlets and coves scattered around the 20,000km of coastline make it a perfect place for this growing renewable industry.

Globalization: The scenery and sense of community in outport Newfoundland is desired by both locals and tourists. Globalization refers to the opportunity of starting businesses in these rural places. With an existing technological infrastructure, close proximity to airports and a low cost of living, outports have the potential to play a part in today’s global economy.

Tourism: Tourism in Newfoundland continues to grow with almost half a million tourists visiting last year. This strategy identifies strategic interventions in outports that will enhance their ability to compete in the international tourism market.

Graceful Decline: Not every community has the population or opportunity to maintain itself. Some communities will face extinction, but by providing public transit and linkages to other communities people can remain as long as they wish. When there ceases to be population, the communities are then are given back to the natural landscape and become recreation parks remnant of the past.

Overall Provincial Strategy

Extensive mapping of the six coastal opportunities were distilled into a diagrammatic opportunity wheel to help empower outport communities. Communities can use this wheel to locate themselves, and indentify the opportunities that are most relevant for their coastal position. In addition, two rules for each opportunity are provided, helping them identify site specific development. By doing this, the fate of the outport is handed back to its people allowing them to understand their potentials and move forward in a direction that they choose and are comfortable with.

Site Design Strategy

To best understand specific site design potentials for each coastal opportunity, Joe Batt’s Arm is used as a case study. Joe Batt’s Arm is a typical outport community in its demographics, coastal landscape and coastal urbanism. Its strategic location on Fogo Island also provides the opportunity for all six coastal renewable industries. Each opportunity is designed to maximize the efficiency of the renewable industry, but also providing a public space component that will benefit both the local community and tourist.

Impact

This project uses landscape to spark a much needed conversation in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Both the Government of Newfoundland and the people of Newfoundland need to understand that there are a plethora of opportunities for rural outport settlements. The landscape and unique coastal positioning of these communities provides exceptional promise for renewable industry that can start to re-generate and sustain outports. Newfoundland needs to stop placing all of its emphasis on the non-renewable industry of oil and look at renewable opportunities that will provide its people with the option of staying and working in their communities while contributing to the economic stability of the Province as a whole.

On a larger scale this project introduces the potential of landscape architecture to position itself in the rural context, providing renewable industries driven by landscape that could change the current dismal fate of rural North America.

American Society of Landscape Architects