Like the rest of British North America, the work force of the Maritimes was predominantly rural and staples oriented prior to Confederation. Seasonally split occupations involving fishing, farming and lumbering were perhaps more common than elsewhere in rural areas. During industrialization important transformations took place. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia developed an urban/industrial work force, and the service sectors became more focused. A greater proportion engaged in railways and urban pursuits rather than the seagoing trades, which stagnated, then declined sharply. Mining and metalworking were the most expansive sectors.
Rural depopulation and substantial out-migration reached alarming proportions towards the end of the nineteenth century. But concern over depopulation may have deflected attention away from the changes occurring within the existing population and the tendency of incoming migrants to gravitate towards newer urban areas. Substantial numbers of workers moved out of staples production into the new industrial zones, changing forever the shape of the community.
Courtesy: National Film Board of Canada; National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada
