Parliamentary Relatives: Representing the Place of Spirits

Article 7 / 7 , Vol 45 No. 2 (Summer)

Parliamentary Relatives: Representing the Place of Spirits

The Newfoundland and Labrador electoral district of Torngat Mountains encompasses the whole northern portion of Labrador. It is the largest district geographically; covering approximately 28 per cent of the province’s total land area. Containing six Indigenous communities, none of which are accessible by road, the district is named for the awe-inspiring Torngat Mountain range. The name Torngat is derived from an Inuktitut word meaning ‘place of spirits’, and the entire region is an Inuit homeland.

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The Smallwoods in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly

Article 1 / 13 , Vol 43 No 4 (Winter)

The Smallwoods in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly

In a place known for asking “who’s your father?” in order to determine where you fit in the fabric of the province, it’s no wonder that our House of Assembly has seen so many examples of family ties between Members since the first sitting in 1833. The present Assembly alone has at least 9 out of 40 Members who have familial relationships to current or past Members. One of our earliest post-Confederation relationships was between the Smallwoods.

Across Newfoundland and Labrador, the surname Smallwood brings a clear image to mind – complete with dark-rimmed glasses and a colourful bowtie. Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador from 1949 to 1972, Joseph R. Smallwood remains a household name and a pop culture icon. What may not be as well-known is that his son William R. Smallwood followed in his father’s footsteps in 1956 when he became a Member of the House of Assembly at the age of 28 in Smallwood’s Liberal government.

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Specialized Resources for Parliamentary Libraries

Article 9 / 15 , Vol 43 No 1 (Spring)

Specialized Resources for Parliamentary Libraries

Parliamentary libraries are specialized environments, requiring dedicated and unique resources to support their client-centered reference service. Staff add value to collections and information sources using their knowledge and understanding of the local parliamentary context. Examples provided from Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador highlight the customized products and tools developed by these libraries to meet the needs of parliamentary library clients.

Heather Close and Andrea Hyde

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Sketches of Parliament and Parliamentarians Past: Trailblazer: Canada’s First Female Clerk

Article 14 / 14 , Vol 40 No 3 (Autumn)

Sketches of Parliament and Parliamentarians Past: Trailblazer: Canada’s First Female Clerk

Newfoundland and Labrador was the last province to enter Confederation, but it boasts an important Canadian first – Bettie Duff, who served as Clerk of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador from 1977-1991 was the first woman to hold this position in the country. In this special edition of the Canadian Parliamentary Review celebrating 100 years of Canadian women parliamentarians, it is fitting that we are also able to honour one of the trailblazing women working within parliamentary institutions that support parliamentarians’ ability to fulfill democratic responsibilities.

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