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A demonstrated willingness to preserve coastal community life - but not here |
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ACCORDING TO THE Human Development Report published annually by the United Nations, Norway and Iceland are regularly among those nations leading the world as the best places to live because of their high levels of education, democracy, income and public health.
And Canada is regularly right up there on that index as well.
But, as we here continue the sombre countdown on the impending demise of many of our rural communities as their services and their populations steadily erode, it was enlightening in recent weeks to tour Norway and see first-hand how that nation is ensuring the integrity of its small coastal communities. (We saw a parallel situation during an earlier trip to Iceland.)
Norway’s similarities to coastal Newfoundland 20 years ago were
striking—remote small communities; fabulously beautiful terrain; high
dependence upon a regular coastal boat service; more people on the
water than on the roads (where roads existed); rough-hewn softwood
drying racks covered in groundfish; isolated cottages in the most
unlikely looking places; and ever-so-friendly people.
The differences from coastal Atlantic Canadian villages today,
however, were equally striking. These (sometimes tiny) Norwegian
communities are alive, bustling, well kept and clearly economically
healthy. Young people were evident everywhere.
And there is great
local pride in that fact. It was explained that “centralization” is
being studiously avoided in a national policy clearly aimed at
preserving the traditional culture and lifestyle of a sparsely
populated nation with a 25,000-kilometre coastline stretching far above
the Arctic Circle.
In one community we were shown with great fanfare
a schoolhouse with ”seven pupils—four from one family.” In another, a
schoolhouse “with only three pupils—all brothers.” Needless to say, the
health system and the other essential amenities of community life are
also intact.
Where Norway’s great fiords and towering mountain
ranges divide the land mass and might otherwise require a 500- or
600-kilometre drive around, the Norwegian government has engaged in a
massive program of bridge and tunnel construction facilitating access
up and down the coast.
Now, it must be pointed out that Norway and
Norwegians are awash in cash—oil and gas money. The Norwegians and the
Scots are the Albertans of Europe.
But they also managed to
capitalize on their offshore petroleum reserves without the obstacle of
the divisive political and jurisdictional infighting that has plagued
progress here. We can only wonder what might have been.
~ Linda & Jim Gourlay
e-mail: gourlays@saltscapes.com
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