Change and loss have been pervasive themes in Newfoundland's rural coastal communities over the past few decades. The fishery-dependent area of the island where La Poile is located, called the Marine and Mountain zone, has lost over 30 percent of its residents since 1991. Communities such as Petites and West Point have been vacated; others that are just holding on are losing their lifeblood—the generation that will produce the newest Canadians—to other provinces. Over 200,000 native Newfoundlanders are spending their most productive years outside their home province, many in nearby Ontario and Nova Scotia. About a quarter have been lured west to Alberta and British Columbia. Those returning home to retire account for much of the migration into Newfoundland. All of these factors came into play to make island history during the 2005-06 census year, when deaths exceeded births on the island for the first time ever.