From Paradise to Fortune
Between 1954 and 1975, twenty-eight thousand Newfoundlanders were encouraged to abandon their traditional homes by the provincial government. They were resettled to industrial growth centers, where they were promised two jobs for every man. Some succeeded, but the promises of a better life failed to materialize for many, who felt they had traded their traditional homes and way of life for a life of poverty and displacement. Using interviews with those who were resettled and the government officials who promoted the plan, as well as extensive historical footage, From Paradise to Fortune is a thoroughly researched and moving portrait of the struggle of rural communities to adapt to the changes brought about by industrialization.