Letters From Exile

This introductdry column attempts to explain, gener- ally, the ecomonic develop- ment of P.E.I. and how that development gave rise to the increasing number of "exiles' from P.E.I. to the metropo- litan centres of Canada and the U.S.

In the early sixties, pr- eceding the election of Alex. Campbell as Premier at the head of a Liberal government, P.E.I. still retained the family-farm image because the .Islandnec'qnqmwzés. still a family farm—based agricul-; tural econOmy. The Island family—farm economy,however, was incapable of sustaining itself because of the growth of monopoly-capitalism in Canada,with which it was integrally connected but unable to compete with in the market or similar comm- odities,due to the fact that these other monopolies could control the market through price—fixing, the use of la- rge scale sophisticated farm machinery, and international connections. Canadian agri- business forced the P.E.I.

farmer to either compete or ‘"go under". Many did—~at the rate of one a day-—and many still are.

In 1966 Alex Campbell, in conjuction with P.E. Trud— eau, concocted the "develop- ment plan" - in the intere: sts of Canadian agri—busin- ess. This plan provided Ifor—-and was to be nothing else but-—a scheme for the solicitation and protection of Toronto, Montreal and U.S. capital investment.

The planned result was for

» the up—rooting of the family

farm which was to be repla-

ced by large—scale corporate investment (e.g. C.M. McLean Dundas Farms, etc.), with

no consideration for the pe- ople themselves!

The disinte gration of small Island communities th- ‘us resulted in up-rooting ’the community-based school. In its place developed firsg the consplidated,and now, the regional high,school. Education was taken out of the community and placed in "convenientl centres to fac— ilitate the kind of educat- ion more amenable to foreign investment interests. Stuce this "deVelopment plan" was in the interests of foreign investors, it is not consid— émed necessary to educate ’ieland youth so they may make a contribution to the people of P.E.I. because the "development plan" is 225 for the people: it is for those who invest! It is the investors who reap the pro-

fit from Island "development;

not the pnople(except those who aid and abet these in— vestors!). If this "plan"

awas for the people, as Camp—

bell claims it is, then why

[‘is 15% of the Island work

force unemployed? Our soil is so rich we are capable of developing many varied crops to place on a world

Shades 7of the Past Thejem

market which would require a work force much greater than our population! If this "plan" was for the people, why do we have no money-—

."dependants" on welfare,

unemployment insurance, mo— ther's allowance, etc.?‘

Why do we have one of the highest alcoholic ratios in the country? Why do we have so many exiles? Because the people as a whole do not be- nefit! Furthermore, if this "development" was for the people and, since develop- ment must be primarily agri- cultural,‘then why isn't agriculture taught in our high schools and university?

_Because Island youth are ex-

pected to be educated so as to meet the requirements of capitalism in other parts

of the country—~thus getting rid of "unemployables" on the Island and clearing the way for foreign investors who, themselves, want to determine how P.E.I. will develop! ,

The increasing central— ization of prime land in the hands of corporate farmers and speculators; of social services; and of education, is to further facilitate the increasing control of Cana- dian agri—business through the auspices of its puppet:

*governmentydthe“Campbell-

Liberal government. Through the policies this government has made in the interests of foreign investment, he has rendered a sizable portion of the Island population dependent on his government— and therefore on Canadian

agri-business (the Campbell 4

government is a major emplo— yer on the Island!). To give some indication,

' as to the lengths this goVe4‘

rnment will go to protect these foreign investors from the Island people, just re- call the 1970 tractor demon-

' ups,

\

‘The Cadre, Oct. 7,“1975, page 5

rn of Stan Dalton

stration near Borden when Roy Atkinson of the N.F.U. was arrested by the R.C.M.P. The Island farmer was prot- esting Campbell's treatment of the farmer and Campbell responded swiftly with force. To follow up, the infamous Bill 55 ("Public Gatherings Act") was urged by the R.C.M.P. to Campbell, the implications of which was to supress the democratic rights of the Island people to prevent them from rising in defense of their rights (see? "The Unauthorized History of the R.C.M.P.")

A public sutcry resulted in its being eliminated.

The struggle to take back over land and put it at the disposal of Islanders, £25 Islanders characterizes one of the key struggles for the Canadian people. To educate our youth so that education is relative to their history amd future is integral to the present struggle.

For this reason it is ne— cessary for the students of U.P.E.I. to see to it that university works for them-—not for foreign cap— ital investment! This means democratization of U.P.E.I.; Canadianization of curricul- um content; Canadianization of faculty; equal represen- tation on all decision—mak— ing bodies that effect the student: senate, board of governors, tenure committee, etc.; community participat— ion through contact and sup— port of: P.E.I. federation of labour, N.F.U., women's gro- etc .

The future is yours, but you have to take it——capital will give you nothingf

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