Union between Canada and Newfoundland 1949

The supporters of responsible government spent more of their time attacking Confederation than building a case for Newfoundland's independence, claiming that union with Canada would result in the destruction of Newfoundland's industries and fisheries and would bring higher taxes. The proponents of Confederation claimed that Newfoundland had always lived a precarious existence and that union with Canada offered a much brighter future than facing the postwar world alone. Smallwood and his supporters pointed to the social and economic benefits that Canada had to offer.

The issue of union between Newfoundland and Canada divided communities and families, and after two bitter referenda, the people opted by a slight margin to join Canada because they believed that it offered their best chance of prosperity in the postwar world.

http://www.mta.ca/about_canada/study_guide/debates/newfoundland_union.html