canadian Newfoundland and Labrador 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Who was Joey Smallwood and why is he significant to Newfoundland?
- A famous Newfoundland folk singer who popularized traditional music nationally
- The politician who led Newfoundland into Confederation with Canada in 1949 and became its first premier (Correct answer)
- A celebrated 19th-century explorer who mapped Labrador's interior
- The founder of St. John's and the province's first governor
Correct answer: The politician who led Newfoundland into Confederation with Canada in 1949 and became its first premier
Joseph 'Joey' Smallwood campaigned for Confederation and, after a close referendum victory, became Newfoundland's first premier when it joined Canada on March 31, 1949.
Question 2: What major industry collapsed in Newfoundland in 1992, causing widespread economic hardship?
- Iron ore mining
- The Grand Banks cod fishery (Correct answer)
- Pulp and paper manufacturing
- Offshore oil production
Correct answer: The Grand Banks cod fishery
The federal government imposed a moratorium on northern cod fishing in 1992 due to catastrophic stock depletion, devastating outport communities across the province.
Question 3: Which ancient indigenous culture, now extinct, once inhabited Newfoundland island before European contact?
- Dorset Paleo-Eskimos (Beothuk predecessors)
- The Beothuk (Correct answer)
- The Thule people
- The Maritime Archaic people
Correct answer: The Beothuk
The Beothuk were the Indigenous people of Newfoundland island; the last known Beothuk, Shanawdithit, died in 1829.
Question 4: What is the Churchill Falls project in Labrador?
- A major national park protecting Labrador's wilderness
- One of the world's largest hydroelectric generating stations (Correct answer)
- A controversial Trans-Labrador highway project
- A deep-water port for iron ore export
Correct answer: One of the world's largest hydroelectric generating stations
Churchill Falls is a massive hydroelectric facility completed in 1971 that generates over 5,000 MW of power, mostly sold to Québec under a long-criticized contract.
Question 5: Which offshore oil field, discovered in the 1970s, transformed Newfoundland's economy beginning in the 1990s?
- Terra Nova
- Hibernia (Correct answer)
- White Rose
- Hebron
Correct answer: Hibernia
The Hibernia oil field began production in 1997 and, along with other Grand Banks fields, turned Newfoundland and Labrador into a major offshore oil producer.
Question 6: What historic Viking settlement site in Newfoundland is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
- Red Bay
- Cape St. Mary's
- L'Anse aux Meadows (Correct answer)
- Gros Morne
Correct answer: L'Anse aux Meadows
L'Anse aux Meadows, at the northern tip of Newfoundland, is the only confirmed Norse settlement in North America and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.
Question 7: What was the result of the two referendums held in Newfoundland in 1948 regarding Confederation with Canada?
- Both referendums showed overwhelming support for joining Canada
- The first was inconclusive; the second narrowly approved Confederation by about 52% (Correct answer)
- Newfoundlanders voted against Confederation in both referendums
- The first approved Confederation; the second reconfirmed it with a larger majority
Correct answer: The first was inconclusive; the second narrowly approved Confederation by about 52%
The first referendum had three options with no majority; the runoff second referendum on July 22, 1948 narrowly chose Confederation over responsible government by 52.3% to 47.7%.
canadian Newfoundland and Labrador 4
Who was Joey Smallwood and why is he significant to Newfoundland?