Introduction

This document that you hold in your hands is The Social and Economic Landscape for Bridging the Gap, Pilot Phase II—Port Hope Simpson. It is a key part of the evaluation of the Bridging the Gap (BTG) program. It seeks to describe the social and economic state of the communities which are taking part in this phase of the BTG pilot. It does this with the goal of allowing the Evaluation Subcommittee and the External Evaluator to better understand the broad picture of the social and economic opportunities and issues that exist in the partnering communities. The document compares information at the community, zonal, and provincial level in order to get at the larger picture. The information is further divided into 4 headings, drawing upon the analytical framework of the Strategic Social Plan of Newfoundland and Labrador.

• Educated People
• Self-Reliant People
• Prosperous People
• People Living within Sustainable Communities/Zones

In all cases, the latest available statistical information is referenced, which varies from 1996 to 2001.

To begin the landscape, some basic population information is presented below. Port Hope Simpson has followed provincial and zonal trends of population decline, but at a slightly slower rate.

Population

Note: 2001 population figures were estimated based on Statistics Canada's Census Subdivisions (CSD's). For this reason estimates are subject to revision as new information becomes available. Figures may not add to total due to rounding of the underlying data. Source: 1986, 1991 & 1996 figures, Newfoundland & Labrador Zone Profiles 2000 http://www.linkproject.nf.ca/profiles/2000.pdf . All provincial figures, Statistics Canada http://www.statcan.ca