For anyone wondering, over 98% of Newfoundland's population speaks only English.
Having grown up with so much predominantly east coast originating comedy, and around so many Newfoundland diaspora, I guess it never occurred to me that there was any real negative connotation whatsoever, beyond poking a bit of fun at some of the presumably antiquated cultural stereotypical differences via self-deprecating jokes that most people from smaller places have their own versions of and don't take too seriously.
The English did force the French population out of there and down the Mississippi to become Cajuns.
And the children of the native Abenaki population were sent to English Schools.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsion_of_the_Acadians
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_school_systemI was just describing the present day, not defending whatbwas done to create it.
And the residential schools happened well after the formation of Canada, and a lot of happened at the behest of the Catholic Church (ie: French Canadians). see Vital Grandin.