The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1967, Page 47

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
45
oraic structure of the area in keeping
with the enormous possibilities arising
from the accelerating tempo of tech-
nologic change.
Technology has had a marked effect
on this region. And, whenever change
comes quickly and on a large scale
as it has come to the Interlake, major
dislocations occur.
It is perhaps not generally under-
stood that technologic advance affects
primary producers such as farmers and
fishermen with particular force. But
ft is true, nevertheless. Therefore, for
the majority of the people involved
here, quite major decisions akin to
those made by the early settlers have
to be made. Food production from
the larm and from the fishery is being
done by fewer and fewer people «s
science and machines are substituted
for manpower.
This transformation has, in fact,
been so rapid that the future of the
Interlake has at times seemed to be
in some doubt. But the very impact of
the 'transformation taking place has
brought the population of this area
to appreciate the need for a compre-
hensive long-term development plan.
What we are witnessing in New Ice-
land today, therefore, is a bold experi-
ment in social planning. Nine local
area development boards in the Inter-
lake Region have been studying in a
most systematic fashion the longer
term future of the area. And what they
have learned is highly encouraging
based on comprehensive technical
studies financed by the provincial and
federal governments over the past five
years. Based on these findings, the
local area development boards will
give direction to the social and econ-
omic transformation that is now ac-
celerating.
I cannot here describe in any deLail
the findings of the studies carried out.
But on the whole the conclusions
reached bear out the wisdom of the
judgements made by the early settlers.
Education, for example ,emerges as
the number one priority and, as a
result, a most comprehensive redevel
opment of the educational system is
already under way. And, the earlier
assessment of the development poten-
tial has been substantiated — that the
region will support a dynamic and
growing economy based on its rich
endowment of natural resources.
Agriculture will retain its dominant
position in the economy as more lar '
is brought into production and its
methods are improved. The fishing
industry will be stabalized and will
continue as an important source of in-
come. The future of manufacturing is
less clear but some expansion is pos-
sible on the basis of the natural pro-
ducts of the Region and the trend to-
ward the decentralization of industrial
activity. The big unknown factor, how-
ever, is the future of the recreation
industry.
We have in this Region vast natural
resources for recreation which, in time,
will be fully exploited. But we cannot
predict with any great degree of ac-
curacy the rate at which the demand
for recreation development will grow
for this particular area. All we know
is that recreational pressures are grow-
ing steadily and that New Iceland has
an important future in this regard.
I can conclude only that the future
of this region remains as challenging
and hopeful as it wa.s when the Ice-
landic settlers first arrived and that,
whatever the final details of the ethnic
mosaic of the Interlake, I hope that
no person of Icelandic descent will
underestimate the wisdom of his fore-
bears in selecting this area as a region
of great promise.