The first part of this paper revisits the arguments of a 1980 article on structural barriers to development in Acadia in order to determine what remains relevant to the contemporary situation. In a second step, given the limitations of the notion of structural barriers, a criticism of the 1980 approach is brought forward as well as an examination of the foundations of some other types of structural barriers which were not mentioned in the 1980 article. Thirdly, a discussion is made of the option of laying emphasis on analysis of local initiatives and stakeholders’ strategies in territorial development research. This perspective matches up with the theme of self-reliant development. The conclusion tries to combine the point of view of the structural barriers approach with the stakeholders’ interests approach. As long as structural barriers are treated as contextual elements, it seems possible to articulate both points of view.