Getting It Right: Regional Development in Canada

Maurice J. Scarlett is a geography professor at the Memorial University
of Newfoundland.

R. Harley McGee, former senior fellow at the Institute of
Intergovernmental Relations, Queen’s University, was also associated
with the Department of Regional Economic Expansion (DREE). Thus, he
brings an insider’s viewpoint to his evaluation of policy and practice
within DREE (subsequently DRIE and MSERD). He begins by placing regional
development in a Canadian perspective, and then devotes two chapters to
an analysis of DREE’s problems and achievements. Chapter 4 looks at
DRIE and MSERD, and Chapter 5 at new directions. The last three chapters
provide evaluation, prescription, and some conclusions. The references
range from a doctoral dissertation to news releases from the Prime
Minister’s Office and items in The Financial Post and other
periodicals.

McGee knows his subject well, of course, but he cannot be expected to
provide a definitive, judicially balanced evaluation of programs: he was
too closely involved with DREE, and too concerned that the move away
from the DREE model was a mistake. Nevertheless, what he has to say does
somewhat serve to fill a gap in our spectrum of commentators, and may
shed new light on issues already well debated. This reviewer, however,
would like to see a little wider perspective on some of the issues
discussed; Canadian regional development problems are not altogether
unique, and we have to grapple with difficulties that far transcend even
a North American context. But for its nuts-and-bolts view of an
important period of Canadian-development thinking, this book can be
thoroughly commended.