Issued by the Ministry of National Heritage and Defence
Republic of Newfoundland

1. The Commission of Government

In 1934, the House of Assembly voted to suspend responsible government, inviting a British-appointed Commission of Government to restore financial order. Six commissioners—three from Britain and three from Newfoundland—ruled from St. John’s under the authority of the Governor.

Though often portrayed as an act of capitulation, the move was intended as temporary trusteeship while the Dominion recovered from the Great Depression. During this period, roads, hospitals, and public works expanded under direct state planning. The government introduced unemployment relief, fisheries reform, and compulsory schooling—laying infrastructure later essential to full recovery. Yet political participation was absent, and the people’s desire for democratic voice remained unquenched.

2. The Gathering Storm

As Europe descended into war, Newfoundland’s geography regained global importance. Its deep harbours and Atlantic airfields were strategic jewels for any nation seeking to secure the North Atlantic. In 1939, following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany, Newfoundland again stood with the Allies—as a distinct Dominion, not a colony.

The Newfoundland Militia, Newfoundland Forestry Unit, and Merchant Marine mobilized immediately, while thousands volunteered for the British forces abroad. By 1940, Newfoundland was indispensable to Allied logistics. Its ports sheltered convoys; its skies became the aerial highway to Britain.

3. The Bases-for-Destroyers Agreement

In 1940, under the Anglo-American Bases Agreement, Britain granted the United States ninety-nine-year leases for air and naval bases at Argentia, Stephenville, and Goose Bay. While the deal strengthened the Allied war effort, it also transformed Newfoundland’s economy—creating tens of thousands of jobs and establishing modern infrastructure.

Roads, hospitals, and housing for American servicemen dramatically altered the landscape and connected once-isolated communities. These bases would later become vital NATO facilities under Newfoundland’s sovereign control.

4. The Atlantic Charter and the Idea of Freedom

In August 1941, aboard HMS Prince of Wales and USS Augusta anchored in Placentia Bay, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt met to draft the Atlantic Charter. This joint declaration—signed within Newfoundland waters—outlined eight principles affirming democracy, sovereignty, and the right of all nations to self-determination.

Newfoundlanders took great pride that the Charter, which later guided the formation of the United Nations and NATO, had been born in their own bay. The document’s spirit would soon inspire their own return to self-government.

5. The War at Home

Newfoundland’s contribution to the Allied cause was immense. Its shipyards built and repaired escort vessels; Gander became the busiest airfield in the world. Goose Bay hosted joint RAF–RCAF operations, and the merchant convoys from St. John’s supplied Britain through the darkest years of the Battle of the Atlantic.

Casualties were heavy but pride greater still. By 1945, Newfoundland’s soldiers and sailors were veterans once again, and the Dominion’s flag—Green, White, and Pink—had flown in every theatre of war.

6. The Question of the Future

Peace brought a new challenge: the return to democracy. Many Newfoundlanders demanded a restored legislature; others, exhausted by years of hardship, considered confederation with Canada. A National Convention was convened in 1946 to debate the island’s future.

After heated debate and two referenda, the majority rejected union and chose the restoration of responsible government. On 31 March 1949, the Commission of Government ended. Peter J. Cashin became Prime Minister of the renewed Dominion. The Union Jack was lowered over Government House; the Green–White–Pink tricolour was raised as the national flag of a free Newfoundland.

Continue Reading

Previous: ← PART III — The Dominion of Newfoundland (1907 – 1934)

Next: PART V — The Republic Reborn (1949 – 1972) →

← Return to History Index