222 THEISLAND ACADIANS

There was nothing unusual about the problems encountered by Acadian fishermen on the Island; they were shared by fishermen throughout the Maritimes. Because of this general malaise, in 1927 the federal government set up a Royal Commission to examine the problems of the fishing industry in the Maritime Provinces and the Magdalen Islands'*?. The Commission recommended that fishermen form co-operatives in order to have a greater influence on the industry. To facilitate the process the Commission suggested that the govern- ment help organize a campaign to educate fishermen. The government reacted favourably to this proposal and in 1929 entrusted Father Moses Coady with setting up the program. Based in Antigonish at St. Francis Xavier University, he was to be the principal originator of the Antigonish Movement, a program of economic and social development which, as we have already seen, served as a model for the development of study groups and the co-operative movement on Prince Edward Island during the 1930s’.

Father Coady and McCarthy, the lawyer from Tignish, exerted strong pressure on Island fishermen and before long they had the support of Dr. Croteau and his collaborators in the Adult Education League. Following the Tignish experiment several fishermen’s unions were founded. Acadian fishermen belonged to the unions that were formed in Mont Carmel (1931), Miminegash (1935), North Rustico (1936), Egmont Bay (1938) and Skinners Pond (1939). These unions or “co-operatives” played an important part in the life of both the fisherman and his community. He quickly discovered that it was possible to improve his lot by putting into practice the well-known slogan “unity is strength”. As soon as the fishermen had formed their associations and were operating their own factories, they received a better price for their catch. But the advantages went far beyond money matters. Thanks to unions, fishermen were able to meet to learn about economics, discuss their problems and try to solve them. This co-oper- ation amongst fishermen contributed greatly to enhancing their trade which had been scorned for so many years.

The Prince Edward Island fishing industry was stimulated by World War II. Lobster and fish prices skyrocketed. There was a strong demand for mackerel and hake. These species were packed in the canning factories and sold to an international agency that supplied European clients and war victims. This upswing in the market im-