A Fair Deal for
Newfoundland and Labrador
In 2004, a GRE campaign to pressure the Canadian federal government to fairly share revenue from off-shore oil drilling with the province of Newfoundland and Labrador resulted in a landmark agreement and became the most effective online movement in Canadian history. An idea born by a GRE staffer, Kevin McCann, who is a Newfoundlander, the campaign generated more than 103,000 letters to Ottawa legislators and other Canadian government officials. In the first month alone the site generated letters from more than 27,000 supporters - almost five percent of the entire Newfoundland population.
The site is at www.fairdealfornewfoundland.com.
The resulting historic settlement was worth billions of dollars to the province, and GRE and its Newfoundlander staffer were hailed by Newfoundland's Premier Danny Williams. "Let me thank you publicly ... on behalf of the government and people of Newfoundland and Labrador, for the tremendous work you have done in creating a vehicle through which our province's residents and supporters have been able to campaign for a 'fair deal' on offshore revenue sharing. I also want to thank the thousands of people who have availed of your web site to join the grassroots campaign for fairness. Together, you have been instrumental in helping us to achieve the historic Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord 2005. You have also convincingly demonstrated the power of the world-wide web to spur social and political change benefiting Newfoundland and Labrador. Well done!" he wrote.
The campaign won the 2006 Pollie Award for "Top International Campaign."
Featured Project
2004
A Fair Deal for Newfoundland
GRE makes Canadian history.
In 2004, a GRE campaign to pressure the Canadian federal government to fairly share revenue from off-shore oil drilling with the province of Newfoundland and Labrador resulted in a landmark agreement and became the most effective online movement in Canadian history.
