Last of Colonialism in North America

In the country to our north, Canada,

pretty close to us here in Maine(orange), is the island of Newfoundland(red).

Just under which, as indicated by the arrow & circle

are the small islands

shown here.

The French Islands Saint Pierre and Michelon are remnants of the age of 'exploration' of the "New World" by European settlers. St. Pierre et Miquelon is a small archipelago comprised of seven islands, the three larger of which are St. Pierre, Miquelon, and Langlade. In addition to their unique geopolitical situation, St. Pierre et Miquelon have an equally interesting history.The main reason the islands have remained French over the last 50 years is because of the importance of the Cod Fishery. Saint Pierre and Michelon have been mainly under French control since the sixteenth century, except a short period when the French left the island under terms of the Treaty of Utrecht. During that time the English controlled the islands, from the early 17th century until the French regained sovereignty in 1763. The 1st European settlers were Basque fisherman and it was an important and thriving fishing center. Today it remains as the only vestige of France located in North America.
As in Newfoundland, the area suffered from over-fishing, which forced Canada to impose a quota system on Saint Pierre and Michelon which permanently impacted the fishing industry of the islands. The islands also served criminals during the prohibition era being used extensively smuggle liquor into the United States gangsters such as Al Capone himself. Life is arduous there, the climate is damp and windy with winters as hard as they are long. Similar to Newfoundland, spring and early summer is foggy, summer and early fall is a pleasant time on the islands. During this short period, the economy depends on tourism, fish farming, crab fishing and very limited agriculture.The French government also provides funding that directly supports ther economy and ensures their continued habitation. The Euro is the official means of exchange as it is the formal currency of France. Beside Saint Pierre, the bigger island of Michelon and Langlade are actually two islands that were joined by an immense sandbar during the 18th century. There are also some small islands that were used during the heyday of the fishing industry. Land on these islands is bare and rocky with the only topsoil being a thin layer of peat. The shore line is steep and the only good harbor is located at Saint Pierre.




There are roughly 6400 residents on the islands today, about 80% of them live on Saint Pierre. Approximately 2000 are permanent or long term with their family ancestry dating back roughly four centuries. The rest are employed by the French government for administrative purposes, and are sent there from one to three years of duty. Even the police are brought in for a one year tour of duty. There are only two gas stations on the island of Saint Pierre while there are approximately a staggering 4,000 cars. Religion on the islands is ninety-five percent Catholic and there is only one church on the island. Crime is almost nonexistent, power is produced from Diesel generators and there has been some testing of the use of wind generators as well.



The island of Saint Pierre is ten square miles and there is one cemetery which has family plots assigned and permits up to four burials in one plot. For years, locals erected 'summer only bungalows' on the far side of thes small island, but more recently modern homes have been constructed for year round living. Food served at the seven or eight small bistros and one bakery is decidedly French. Almost everything reflects French tradition and culture. The people of the islands have tense relations with France. They believe that France that did not protect islander's interests relative to the negotiations with Canada about their fishing rights. Once a month, a ship from France is bringing the most desired stuff: French wine, cheese and other delicacies and specialties. Everyone rushes to buy it in big quantities, first come, first served! Products like cheese, which cannot be kept a long time, are frozen. Almost all supplies are shipped from France to the islands via Halifax, Nova Scotia. France has recently relaxed regulations and now allow islander's to purchase some basic items such as eggs, milk, fruit and vegetables directly from Canada and the United States.






The ferry system is the primary means of access, although a fairly new airport on Saint Pierre can accomodate aircrafy up to the size of a Boeing 737 which are flown in from the Canadian cities of St John’s, Halifax, Moncton, Toronto and there's even one from Havana, Cuba. A longer runway is planned which will then allow direct flights to and from France. The ferries travel to the islands only from around May until October, then the only means of getting to the islands is by plane or private/charter vessel.There isn't any newspaper and television access depends on cable TV from Canada and satellite TV from France. Island schools go through high school, after which students can travel to France for a free University education.
All in all, a pretty neat little hunk of Europe, right in our neighborhood.



Until next time, take care.