March 31, 1999
(Executive Council)

The following statement was issued today by Premier Brian Tobin. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Fifty years ago, at 11:59 on March 31, 1949, Newfoundland and Labrador became Canada's 10th province.

The destinies of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador had long been linked before our official joining through Confederation. Aboriginal people had left their footprints across the great expanses of the northern half of the continent. Migrants had braved ferocious seas to cross the Atlantic and wrest a living from the wilderness. Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador fought together on the battlefields of Europe, and forged even stronger ties through the defence of the North Atlantic in World War II.

In 1949, we were not strangers. Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada were friends and allies. Through the exercise of democratic rights and the negotiations of two equal nations, both Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador agreed that, together, we could build a better country and a better future for all our people.

Fifty years ago, on March 31, 1949, Newfoundland and Labrador entered Confederation as a full and equal partner with the other provinces. In the words of the Newfoundland novelist Margaret Duley, "Everywhere it was change, startling change. Newfoundland would never be the same again."

Confederation with Canada indeed brought massive and positive change. It was this promise of change which so caught the heart, mind and imagination of Joseph R. Smallwood, the leader of the Confederate side. Smallwood believed passionately that Confederation with Canada would make an immediate, material and lasting difference in the quality of the lives of his fellow citizens.

Too many of us remember Smallwood for the sometimes controversial decisions he made, without an appreciation of the times in which he lived, and his lasting, positive contribution to all our lives. Everyone has an opinion of Joseph R. Smallwood because he mattered. He made a difference. He changed our lives. His actions have shaped who we are today.

It is to this legacy of Smallwood, as a nation builder, that we celebrate today on the 50th Anniversary of Confederation. What we have built, together, in Canada is something of which we can all be proud. We are part of a country which values tolerance and generosity, a society whose first priority is to fulfill the potential of our citizens. Canada invests in the welfare of all of our citizens and works hard to ensure basic levels of care and opportunity for everyone. Our country has always been able to adapt and change to meet the hopes and dreams of our citizens.

Union with Canada has not been perfect. Like any family, we have had our differences. But like the best of families, we find solutions based on mutual respect, negotiation and compromise. Before Confederation, Newfoundland and Labrador stood alone. Now we stand with the combined strengths and the support of our sister provinces and territories, including the new territory of Nunavut.

As we witness the war over Kosovo, the struggle of NATO to discipline the Milosovich regime, let us remind ourselves. There is no doubt that Newfoundland and Labrador in 1999 belongs to the best country in the world. A place of peace and security. A place where Newfoundland and Labrador stands poised to give as much back to Canada as it has gained. Canada is a land of opportunity.

This is what Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador, and all of the other provinces and territories have created. This is our treasured heritage. This is our path to an even better future.

In 1949, Newfoundland and Labrador became "one of 10." On this 50th Anniversary, I invite all Canadians to visit us during Soiree '99, our year-long celebration of the unique traditions, rich culture, vast land and unquenchable spirit that are Newfoundland and Labrador.

In closing, I want to salute the cultural community of this province. Tonight their voices, their songs, their stories will speak for all of us at the 50th Anniversary Gala Celebration. They will tell the world and our fellow Canadians that it is possible to be culturally unique, and at the same time to be a Canadian. There is no contradiction between a great love and passion for ones province and a great love and passion for ones country. No Canadian should ever be asked to choose between the two. In 1949, we chose both, Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada. Fifty years later, we are celebrating that choice.

1999 03 31                         2:50 p.m.