The colonies of Nova Scotia (including present-day New Brunswick and PEI) and Newfoundland were notable bastions for Loyalism to the British Crown during the American War for Independence, however in the 20 years preceding the revolution, neither colony sent delegates to any of the major Congresses further south in Albany, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The economic dependence on British due to their reliance on fur/resource exports entwined with mercantilism served as an effective deterrent to revolt (not to mention the influx of Loyalists preceding and during the war), but in that twenty year period there appears to be an abscence of the Patriotism that cultivated throughout the middle and southern colonies.
As I stated before, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were absent from the Congresses in the other colonies. Newfoundland was relatively isolated, and Nova Scotia sat as a buffer between them and New England, so it is understandable that they would not send a delegation to Albany in 1754. Furthermore, the initial reason for the Albany Congress was to seek alliance with the Mohawk and other Iroquois, so the lack of a delegate from either is understandable. My question primarily pertains to the subsequent Congresses, particularly those pertaining to the Stamp and Coercive/Intolerable Acts, which would have surely impacted the business and well-being of the economically poor Northern Colonies.
I think that part of the explanation for this lies in the difference in settlement patterns between Newfoundland, and the Thirteen Colonies. Permanent settlement was not extremely common in Newfoundland until after the American Revolution. While there were permanent settlers before then, most people in Newfoundland were migratory fishermen, who would come for the fishing season, and return home when the season was over. Therefore, most people in Newfoundland did not see the island as their home, but as a place to catch fish and make money. The money they did make was largely not invested back into the development of Newfoundland (outside of the fishery). This would change in the 19th century when more people began to settle permanently in Newfoundland, and the Colony was given representative government in 1834 and responsible government in 1855. If you are looking for a good book on the development of Newfoundland, I would reccomend Newfoundland and Labrador: A History by Sean Cadigan.