Newfoundland Sentinel of the Atlantic

With simple ceremony on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Newfoundlanders are welcomed as fellow-Canadians--Prime Minister St. Laurent starting off the carving of Newfoundland's coat of arms in the tenth and formerly blank shield over the entrance to the Parliament Buildings, writing in stone another chapter of Confederation. So begins this survey of Canada's tenth province, Newfoundland, its resources and how its people live. The film takes us to St. John's, Corner Brook, Bell Island, includes a visit to Labrador, and we also see the giant airport at Gander.

An account of the Newfoundland fishing industry, showing equipment and methods of fishing, is presented. The film also documents the processing and marketing of fish. A record of the problems confronting fishermen in Newfoundland during the past, it also serves as a comparison with present-day Newfoundland fishing.

Newfoundland's role in World War II, her economic structure and post-war prospects are discussed as Atlantic Crossroads surveys its barren hinterland and busy outports. The depression of the thirties is contrasted with the sudden, feverish activity of war.