Pogey Beach: Work and Leisure in Just Passing Through

Abstract

Work is a complicated topic in Atlantic Canadian literature and popular culture. Atlantic Canada is a land of many stereotypes, and received images of the region are often wrapped up in ideas about work. The tourism industry brands Atlantic Canada as a space of leisure at the same time as the media shorthand “have-not” region reinforces a narrative of decline and the idea that work is scarce on the East Coast. This essay suggests that the Prince Edward Island-based web-series Just Passing Through (dir. Jeremy Larter 2013-2016⁠) provides a radical perspective on the symbolic place of work in the culture of Atlantic Canada. Just Passing Through operates in a different cultural sphere than literature and even television and film; it demonstrates no allegiance to received images of Atlantic Canada and makes no attempt to counter regressive stereotypes. Instead, it satirically glorifies pogey (Employment Insurance) fraud and presents tourism, the marketing of Maritime culture, and outmigration to the oil patch as scams that should be ridiculed and exploited.