Government of Newfoundland News
Seniors’ Advocate Recognizes World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a day to raise awareness about elder abuse and neglect, and to promote the dignity and respect of older adults.
Ageist attitudes and beliefs are often linked to elder abuse and social isolation, which is why the Office of the Seniors’ Advocate launched a social media campaign for the month of June to address ageism. By combating negative stereotypes about aging, the Office of the Seniors’ Advocate is highlighting the positive contributions, vast array of interests and many possibilities that come with aging.
Elder abuse can be emotional, physical, sexual, financial or psychological, and may also take the form of neglect or self-neglect. Seniors may experience abuse from family, friends, neighbors, caregivers or professionals. Therefore, it is important to spot the signs of elder abuse and report it by calling 1-855-376-4957 or contacting your local police department/detachment.
Potential signs of abuse include:
- Agitation or fear of being alone with a specific person.
- Isolation from family and friends or social gatherings.
- Unexplained fractures, bruises, burns, scars, accidents or injuries.
- Appearing dirty, underfed, dehydrated, over or undermedicated, or otherwise not receiving required medical care.
- Insufficient money despite apparent adequate income.
- Sudden withdrawal of money, or changes in banking information.
- Unexplained or forced changes to legal documents including property titles, will, powers of attorney or advance health care directives.
Quote
“Addressing ageism is an important piece of combatting elder abuse. Ensuring that seniors are connected within their communities, with access to social supports and services, is also crucial in protecting against elder abuse. As a province and as a society, we must continue to work towards age and dementia-friendly communities that support all seniors in Newfoundland and Labrador. We must remember that under the Adult Protection Act, we all have a legal responsibility to report suspected abuse.”
Susan Walsh
Seniors’ Advocate Newfoundland and Labrador
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Media contact
Arlene Mullins
709-729-6603, 1-833-729-6603
seniorsadvocate@seniorsadvocatenl.ca
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Public Advisory: Marystown Resident Pleads Guilty to Firearm-related Charges
A Resource Enforcement Division investigation into moose hunting and discharging a firearm within the community of Mooring Cove on the Burin Peninsula on October 9, 2023, has resulted in a fine and hunting prohibition for one individual.
Gerard Bonnell of Marystown pled guilty in Provincial Court in Grand Bank on January 10, 2024, to charges of discharging a firearm within 1,000 metres of a playground and not exercising reasonable care for the safety of others.
Mr. Bonnell was fined $1,000 and is prohibited from moose and caribou hunting for five years. The high-powered rifle used in the offence was forfeited to the Crown. An adult male moose was also seized.
The public is encouraged to report suspected illegal fishing and hunting activity. Information from the public plays a significant role in assisting investigations. Report suspicious activity anonymously at any time by calling 1-877-820-0999 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. Anonymous reports can also be submitted online at www.nlcrimestoppers.com or www.stoppoaching.ca.
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Media Advisory: Minister Osborne to Make Health Care Infrastructure Announcement
The Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services, will be available to speak to the media tomorrow (Friday, June 14) regarding new health care infrastructure on the site of the former Grace Hospital.
Minister Osborne will be joined by the Honourable John G. Abbott, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure; Dr. Pat Parfrey, Deputy Minister, Health Transformation; Paul Davis, Executive Director, The Gathering Place; and Geoff Davis, Board Chair and Interim Executive Director, Choices for Youth.
The availability will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the former Grace Hospital Site on Lemarchant Road, St. John’s. Media attending are asked to enter at the Pleasant Avenue entrance.
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Canada’s Premiers to Meet in Halifax July 15-17, 2024
As Chair of the Council of the Federation, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston will host the 2024 Summer Meeting of Canada’s Premiers from July 15 to 17, at the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax.
Media Accreditation
Media representatives who wish to cover the 2024 Summer Meeting of Canada’s Premiers must register online by July 9, 2024. Individuals will be screened to ensure they are official media representatives.
Media Accommodation
Media representatives are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. A limited number of rooms is available at the Courtyard by Marriott Halifax Downtown, 5120 Salter Street, Halifax NS, B3L 0A1.
Standard room rate: $279/night
Reservation deadline for group rate: Wednesday, June 19
To make a reservation, please click here or call 902-428-1900 and quote group code “Media Room Block.”
Media Centre
A media centre will be set up in the Commonwealth Ballroom A, located on the Convention Level of the Westin Nova Scotian on Monday, July 15 through Wednesday, July 17. A unimic will be available in this location. The room will be equipped with wireless internet access and power outlets.
Preliminary Media Program (All times and events are to be confirmed)
All times are Atlantic Time (AT).
Monday, July 15
9:00 a.m. Media registration and media centre open
Commonwealth Ballroom A, Convention Level, Westin Nova Scotian
6:00 p.m. Media centre closes
6:45 p.m Media Photo Opportunity
Queen’s Marque Courtyard
Tuesday, July 16
7:00 a.m. Media registration and media centre open
Commonwealth Ballroom A, Convention Level, Westin Nova Scotian
9:45 a.m. Media Photo Opportunity
5:00 p.m. Media Availability with Premier Houston
6:00 p.m. Media centre closes
Wednesday, July 17
7:00 a.m. Media registration and media centre open
Commonwealth Ballroom A, Convention Level, Westin Nova Scotian
1:30 p.m. Closing News Conference
6:00 p.m. Media centre closes
The Council of the Federation comprises all 13 provincial and territorial Premiers. It enables Premiers to work collaboratively, form closer ties, foster constructive relationships among governments, and show leadership on important issues that matter to Canadians.
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Media Advisory: Premier Furey to Recognize 2024 Recipients of the Public Service Award of Excellence
The Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, will recognize this year’s recipients of the Public Service Award of Excellence at a ceremony tomorrow (Friday, June 14). Premier Furey will be joined by Krista Quinlan, Clerk of the Executive Council.
The ceremony will take place at the John C. Perlin Arts and Culture Centre, St. John’s, at 3:00 p.m.
Media who wish to attend are required to RSVP by contacting Jillian Hood at jillianhood@gov.nl.ca by 12:00 p.m. on Friday, June 14.
The event will be livestreamed on YouTube.
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Provincial Government Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Republic of Korea to Support Early Childhood Education
Today, the Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Education, announced further commitments for child care services through a partnership on early childhood education with the Republic of Korea.
Through a five-year Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Education, the South Korean Ministry of Education and the College of the North Atlantic, eligible Korean students are able to participate in an early childhood education work placement program in Newfoundland and Labrador. The program is managed by the department and College of the North Atlantic.
The first group of 14 students have arrived in Newfoundland and Labrador and have started their work placements in child care centres in the St. John’s area. The Department of Education is coordinating with work placement sites to ensure continued programming and supports for students during their time in the province.
The Memorandum of Understanding is the result of working relationships established during a visit in fall 2023 by Minister Howell and representatives from the early learning sector to support mutually beneficial educational opportunities. Delegates from the Republic of Korea recently visited Newfoundland and Labrador to tour early learning and child care centres and to learn more about the province.
Quotes
“I am excited about this partnership with the Republic of Korea and I am pleased to welcome the first cohort of students to our province. This agreement is another tool that helps address our need for early childhood educators so that we can provide access to affordable child care and early learning spaces for families. We know parents and guardians are eager to have more spaces available as quickly as possible. The work placement program demonstrates our commitment to working with other international jurisdictions to find solutions to help families here at home.”
Honourable Krista Lynn Howell
Minister of Education
“I extend a warm welcome to the first group of early childhood education students from the Republic of Korea. Together, it is my hope that while working to address labour demand challenges in the care of children, we are able to share and learn from each other’s cultures, continue to enrich our communities and build on this growing relationship, while once again showing Newfoundland and Labrador as a welcoming place to live, work and raise a family.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills
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Learn more
Ministerial Statement: Minister Howell Welcomes Korean Delegates to Discuss Education Opportunities
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Minister Parsons Announces Funding for Health Research Equipment
The Provincial Government is supporting Memorial University in its purchase of a state-of-the-art piece of equipment not widely available in Canada which will give researchers the ability to support innovative health research in the province. The equipment is essential to conduct cutting-edge studies and further explore the potential causes of chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis. This infrastructure will not only pave the way to treat such diseases but also assist health researchers in identifying areas of pharmaceutical importance.
The Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, today announced an investment of $453,676 from the province’s Research and Innovation Fund towards the purchase of an Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry system. The Provincial Government’s investment helps to leverage a further $695,578 towards the purchase of this equipment.
The equipment will enhance Memorial University’s research capabilities for future generations through the establishment of a Multidisciplinary Metabolomics Laboratory at the Core Sciences Facility. Through the project, researchers plan to train upwards of 45 professionals over the next five years, including laboratory technicians, postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students, thereby increasing the number of skilled personnel in the field.
The creation of the metabolomics laboratory is being spearheaded by Dr. Shyamchand Mayengbam, Dr. Kapil Tahlan, and Dr. Guangju Zhai, who specialize in biochemistry, biology and biomedical sciences. They have also worked extensively and contributed towards metabolomics-based studies in the area of nutritional biochemistry, microbial metabolism, and clinical settings. Their objective is to study small molecules of biological origin which are of critical importance to human health, microbiology, agriculture, and aquaculture, with hopes of laying the foundation for the development of new dietary interventions and the discovery of novel microbial metabolites and antibiotics.
Quotes
“Our support for this new laboratory will help our scientists conduct groundbreaking research while also training our next generation of scientists, technicians and researchers. This will bring world leading infrastructure to Memorial University and will progress research programs specific to obesity linked diseases, chronic diseases, and osteoarthritis.”
Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC
Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology
“Our Provincial Government is modernizing a health care system that was designed in the 1960s. We are creating modern environments and settings for today’s heath care professional. An investment in a Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry system is an investment that helps ensure our province’s health care professionals have modern technology, which will help improve the care they provide to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Health and Community Services
“This funding will facilitate the establishment of a laboratory for identifying and quantifying small molecule compounds of biological origin, as well as understanding their roles in chronic disease development. Additionally, it will enable the investigation of microbial metabolites to uncover novel compounds with potential therapeutic applications.”
Dr. Shyamchand Mayengbam
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland.
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Public Advisory: Caution Advised Against Fraudulent Nomination and Endorsement Certificates
The Department of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills is cautioning the public concerning the circulation of fraudulent documents that claim to be issued by the department’s Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism.
These fraudulent documents may include:
- Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) nomination certificates.
- Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) endorsement certificates.
- Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) endorsement certificates.
- Letters of support for work permits from the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism or the provincial Department of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills.
Please stay vigilant and protect yourself from immigration fraud.
How to identify genuine documents and protect yourself from fraudulent activity.
- The Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism always emails NLPNP nomination and AIP endorsement certificates as password-protected PDFs.
- As an applicant to a provincial immigration program, create your own profile under the Immigration Accelerator using your personal email and password. Login details should not be shared with others, including immigration consultants, recruiters and other third parties.
- If a third party has created an Immigration Accelerator account in your name, obtain your log-in details from them and ensure that you verify all documents.
- If you would like to change/update your email address used for your Immigration Accelerator account, please contact pnp@gov.nl.ca or immigration@gov.nl.ca.
- All Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism programs are free. The office does not request any payments, including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada fees such as the Right of Permanent Residence Fee. All office certificates and letters are issued free of cost.
- The office offers free navigation services for individuals considering applying to the NLPNP or AIP. To access support, please contact immigration@gov.nl.ca to be connect to a Navigator.
Using a third-party representative will not expedite your application, draw special attention to it, or guarantee its approval.
To protect yourself from fraudulent representatives, please visit the following resources:
Protect Yourself from Immigration Fraud
Important information on using immigration or citizenship consultants – Canada.ca
Learn about representatives – Canada.ca
How to choose an immigration or citizenship representative – Canada.ca
Find out if your representative is authorized – Canada.ca
Add, change or cancel a representative – Canada.ca
File a complaint against a representative – Canada.ca
For any questions or concerns, contact the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism at pnp@gov.nl.ca or immigration@gov.nl.ca.
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Public Advisory: Forestry Officials Continue Efforts to Control Wildfires in Labrador West
Forestry officials are encouraging residents in the Labrador West region to be vigilant as recent prolonged dry conditions and high temperatures have resulted in an elevated wildfire risk. The Fire Weather Index (FWI) forecast is HIGH for parts of Labrador today.
The public are reminded burning permits are invalid when the FWI is HIGH, VERY HIGH or EXTREME and open or outdoor fires are not permitted when the FWI is VERY HIGH or EXTREME. To report a wildfire, call 1-866-709-FIRE (3473).
There are currently two active wildfires in the Labrador West region. One fire is burning in the Menihek Dam area, 160 kilometres north of Labrador City at a location near the Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro Menihek Hydroelectric Generation Station, and is estimated to be about 950 hectares in size. This fire is currently impacting railroad travel that runs through Labrador West and into Schefferville, Quebec. Waterbombers and helicopters are continuing to action this fire today.
The second wildfire is burning in a remote area near Milner Lake West and is estimated to be 5,900 hectares in size. This fire does not pose a threat to people or property and forestry officials continue to monitor.
The public are encouraged to view real-time active wildfire information, including maps identifying the location of fires, on the new online NL Active Wildfire Dashboard.
There are currently three waterbombers based in Labrador, two at Happy Valley-Goose Bay and one in Wabush, and one waterbomber located in Deer Lake. Waterbombers are regularly repositioned in response to the forecasted wildfire risk.
All residents of the province should exercise caution when planning outdoor fires. The public is reminded a permit to burn must be obtained from a provincial forest management district office to burn vegetation, wood and paper products during forest fire season. A permit is not required for backyard fires, recreational campfires and boil-ups on forest land, or within 300 metres of forest land, on condition the fire is prepared in accordance with strict Provincial Forest Fire Regulations.
Anyone planning outdoor fires should first check the provincial online forest fire hazard rating maps to determine the level of forest fire risk. Fire hazard maps can be viewed at the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture website and are updated daily.
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Unknown Soldier Memorial Wreath Grants Now Available to Communities
The Honourable John Haggie, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, today announced memorial wreath grants are now available for communities to commemorate repatriation of the unknown First World War soldier on Memorial Day, July 1, 2024.
These grants are available to municipalities, Inuit Community Governments, and local service districts throughout the province to assist in purchasing a memorial wreath to be laid during local Memorial Day ceremonies.
Further information on memorial wreath grants can be found online. The deadline to access grant funding is July 12, 2024.
The repatriation of the unknown soldier’s remains is a historical day for Newfoundland and Labrador as it recognizes the collective contribution and sacrifice of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who served, fought, and died in all branches of the military and respective support services. The unknown soldier may have hailed from any of the many communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador whose residents fought bravely and lost their lives in conflict.
Memorial Day, July 1, 2024, will mark the 100th anniversary of the unveiling and dedication of the National War Memorial. On that day, the remains of our unknown First World War soldier so recently repatriated from Northern France, will be entombed on the plateau of the National War Memorial in St. John’s, to represent all those Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who lost their lives in conflict, especially those with no known graves.
More information on the Newfoundland National War Memorial and the commemorative events can be found here.
Quotes
“This year’s Memorial Day presents the opportunity for communities in our province to commemorate the return of our unknown soldier. He represents all those Newfoundlanders and Labradorians from every part of our province who lost their lives in conflict, but especially those with no known graves. I encourage communities to reach out to my department to avail of funding to help purchase a memorial wreath for their commemorative events.”
Honourable John Haggie
Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs
“I am pleased to see the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs provide this funding. This project will assist communities in commemorating the 100th anniversary of the National War Memorial in St. John’s and the repatriation of our unknown soldier.”
Honourable Steve Crocker
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation
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Progress Continues on the National War Memorial Refurbishment
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Premier Furey Welcomes Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne to Newfoundland and Labrador
The following statement is being issued on behalf of the Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:
“As Premier, and next of kin to the unknown soldier, I am honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, to Newfoundland and Labrador, as we mark the commemorative events associated with the Centennial of the Newfoundland National War Memorial.
As the Colonel in Chief of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Her Royal Highness’s presence will be especially symbolic as we gather to pay tribute to an unknown First World War soldier from this province who will be entombed on the plateau of the Newfoundland National War Memorial. Soldiers from our province fought so bravely in the storied battlefields of the First World War that their Regiment earned the honour of “Royal” in its name.
Together, we will remember the strength of those Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who served, fought, and died in all branches of the military and respective support services, especially those who have no known grave.
This will be Her Royal Highness’s first visit to Newfoundland and Labrador since 2016, a visit that comes at a momentous time in our province, as we mark the 75th anniversary of Confederation with Canada.
I look forward to extending a warm Newfoundland and Labrador welcome to Her Royal Highness and share with her our province’s rich culture and resilient people, as we come together to mark this historic moment.”
For more information on the commemorative events associated with the centennial of the Newfoundland National War Memorial, please visit here.
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Provincial Government Announces Expanded Mental Health Programs Through Strongest Families Institute
The Provincial Government is investing $500,000 in the Strongest Families Institute to expand its stepped-care programming to provide more free, mental health services to families.
The Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services, made the announcement on the expansion today. Minister Osborne was joined by Dr. Patricia Lingley-Pottie, President and CEO of Strongest Families Institute, and Brad Glynn, Executive Director of Lifewise NL.
Strongest Families Institute is widely recognized for its high-quality, accessible and award-winning programs that improve the mental health and well-being of people of all ages from highly skilled coaches and innovative technology. Its programming has served thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians since 2015, with children and youth programs having a 90 per cent success rate and adult programs having an 88 per cent success rate in resolving their presenting concerns.
Since 2018, the Provincial Government has invested more than $3.8 million in the institute. The expanded programming will complement Stronger Families Institute’s existing Parents Empowering Kids program.
The funding will be used to expand the institute’s Chase Worries Away Program, which educates parents and children, ages six to 11, about anxiety and relaxation skills and the Defeat Anxiety Program, which helps youth ages 12 to 17 learn skills to overcome, control and gradually face their anxiety.
Children and parents may be referred to the programs by the mental health and addictions system, health providers and teachers. Parents can also self-refer for an assessment. To learn more about access to these services, visit StrongestFamilies.com, call 1-866-470-7111 or visit nl.bridgehtegapp.ca online.
The funding helps build upon the work of Towards Recovery: The Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador to improve the quality and availability of mental health services in the province.
Quotes
“Our government is happy to make the expanded Strongest Families Institute programming available to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. These programs provide another way for children and their families to receive needed supports and care, while reducing referrals and wait times in the traditional system.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Health and Community Services
“We are so grateful to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Public Health Agency of Canada for their commitment to improved mental health and wellbeing. The Stepped Care model means we can equip more families with valuable skills to promote, prevent and improve mental health and well-being in the broader population. Most people report that Strongest Families skills have been life changing. With these new enhancements we can bring these life-changing skills to children, youth and families when they need us. We are proud to partner with the government to bring these and our adult mental health (ICAN) program to residents at no cost. We welcome people to make Strongest Families skills part of their mental fitness routine.”
Dr. Patricia Lingley-Pottie,
President and CEO, Strongest Families Institute
“The continued partnership with Strongest Families and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador provides needed resources for young people and their families who may be experiencing a mental health issue or diagnosis with a mental illness. We’ve heard from many peers that use Lifewise’s services that the programs offered by Strongest Families are helpful to them, their children and their wider networks in promoting positive mental health and solutions for when someone is struggling. Connecting Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to resources that are accessible, free and effective is critical in supporting individuals with lived and living experience in our province, and today’s announcement is another step in the right direction.”
Brad Glynn
Executive Director, Lifewise NL
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Provincial Government Providing Funding to Support Mental Health Services
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Premier Furey in Vancouver for Meetings with The Government of British Columbia
The Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, is in Vancouver today for meetings with British Columbia Premier David Eby for discussions on energy, housing, and mental health and addictions.
Today, media are invited to join Premiers Furey and Eby for a tour of Bob and Michael’s Place, an affordable housing project in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
A media availability will be held following the tour.
The event takes place today, Thursday, June 13, at Bob and Michael’s Place, 58 West Hastings, Vancouver, B.C. The tour begins at 2:30 p.m. NT and the media availability at 3:15 p.m. NT.
Livestream: https://youtube.com/live/J1Xi_F9GiNk?feature=share.
Media dial-in information:
From anywhere in B.C. and Canada, toll free: 1-888-892-3255
Participant pass code: 095200
Media are requested to dial in 20 minutes prior to the announcement and have the participant pass code ready. Failure to do this may mean a delay for you or others joining the call. Media planning to join the tour must arrive on site by 9:45 a.m. PDT
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Media Advisory: Minister Osborne to Announce Expanded Mental Health Programs
The Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services, will announce an initiative to improve mental health services for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians tomorrow (Thursday, June 13).
Minister Osborne will be joined by Dr. Patricia Lingley-Pottie, President and CEO of Strongest Families Institute.
The event will take place at Lifewise NL, 70 The Boulevard, St. John’s, at 9:00 a.m.
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Media Advisory: Minister Davis to Bring Greetings to Event Celebrating EcoSchools Certification
The Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, will bring greetings to an event celebrating École St. Matthew’s School’s Gold Certification through the EcoSchools Canada Program tomorrow, Thursday, June 13.
The event will take place at the École St. Matthew’s School, 119 Cowan Avenue, St. John’s, beginning at 1:00 p.m.
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Public Advisory: Updates to Respiratory Activity Dashboard
Changes are being made to the schedule of updates to the Respiratory Activity Dashboard, which reports on the activity of circulating respiratory viruses, including COVID-19 and influenza.
The dashboard will now be updated every two weeks starting Friday, June 14. The reporting schedule will further shift to monthly updates in the coming months.
Weekly reporting is anticipated to resume with the start of the 2024-25 influenza season in the fall of 2024.
Similar to the public reporting on COVID-19, the frequency of updates may vary depending on the higher/lower levels of activity of respiratory viruses. Since February 2024, Newfoundland and Labrador has recorded a decrease in the level of overall respiratory activity.
Public Health will continue to collect and monitor disease trends.
Please note that the dashboard may be temporarily unavailable while being updated.
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Office of the Auditor General – Auditor General Releases Performance Audit of the Oil and Gas Corporation
The Auditor General of Newfoundland and Labrador, Denise Hanrahan, today delivered a performance audit report on the Oil and Gas Corporation (OilCo) to the House of Assembly. Today’s report contains findings and recommendations regarding OilCo’s employee compensation and benefits, operating expenses, as well as adherence to conflict of interest policies and legislation.
The Office of the Auditor General issued two performance audits on Nalcor Energy in 2022 – the first focused on discretionary expenses, conflict of interest, and embedded contractors; the second focused on employee compensation. However, because OilCo was not a separate entity at the time of the Nalcor audits, a separate audit was necessary to assess the new organization against the same audit areas.
The audit of OilCo concluded that OilCo did not manage employee compensation in accordance with government direction. The audit found that they did not ensure the best possible use of public money. The report also identified several areas of concern around operating expense and oversight processes, as well as issues where OilCo’s conflict of interest processes could have been strengthened.
The full report as well as an audit overview can be found by visiting. www.ag.gov.nl.ca.
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“As a public sector corporation, it is incumbent on OilCo to pursue prudent practices regarding public money and that it follow government direction. OilCo’s refusal to align its employee compensation and benefits policies and practices with government whenever possible, has meant the corporation has incurred unnecessary and excess expenses.”
Denise Hanrahan
Auditor General of Newfoundland and Labrador
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Media Advisory: Minister Crocker to Bring Greetings at the 2024 Travel Media Association of Canada Conference
The Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation, will bring greetings at the 2024 Travel Media Association of Canada Conference tomorrow (Wednesday, June 12).
The event will take place in the Emera Conference Room at Memorial University’s Signal Hill Campus, 100 Signal Hill Road, St. John’s, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
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Public Advisory: Provincial Government Encouraging Residents to Register for the Personal Health Record
The Department of Health and Community Services is encouraging people 16 years of age and older to register for access to their personal health record through MyGovNL.
The personal health record is an online service that allows residents to view their health information, enabling Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to be more involved and knowledgeable about their health. It provides access to laboratory results, dispensed medications, radiology reports, and allergies.
Residents must register for Personal Health Record on MyGovNL to access their health information. For enhanced security, registrants will receive a personal identification number via regular mail within two weeks to complete the registration process. This activation code is required for the first time you log in to your personal health record.
You will need to have a government-issued photo identification card and your MCP connected through MyGovNL as well as an email address.
To register for the personal health record:
- Log in to MyGovNL.
- Click Personal Health Information.
- Submit the registration form.
- Enter the personal identification number when you receive it in the mail.
Currently, there are over 23,000 people with access to their Personal Health Record through MyGovNL.
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Atlantic Ministers Concerned How Federal Workforce Funding Cuts are Hurting Atlantic Canadians
In light of the detrimental impact of the $625 million cut to Labour Market Transfer Agreements (LMTAs) on workers and employers, Atlantic Workforce Ministers met on June 6 and are demanding the Federal Government reverse this cut.
Federal Budget 2024 brought an unexpected reduction of $625 million in workforce development programs that help people find and maintain jobs in sectors facing critical labour shortages such as construction, early learning childcare, and healthcare. These programs support persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, women and newcomers, helping them to get the training and supports necessary to secure meaningful work, while also assisting employers to meet their labour demands.
With this cut, LMTA funding will revert to pre-2017 levels at a time when inflationary costs continue to have profound impact on citizens. Provinces and Territories were not notified of this cut prior to the release of the Budget on April 16, 2024.
Coming mostly from the Employment Insurance (EI) account that Canadian workers and employers pay into, this decision means a $62.3 million annual reduction in funding for skills training and employment initiatives in Atlantic Canada. The federal government has yet to clarify where the funding taken from LMTAs is being spent.
Atlantic Ministers highlighted the negative impact the cut to this funding will have on the 120,000 individuals and 8,500 employers and organizations that have benefitted annually from these programs throughout Atlantic Canada. Not restoring this funding will inevitably limit the region’s capacity to be responsive to current and emerging labour market opportunities and challenges. Ministers are committed to working together to ensure Atlantic Canadians have the programs and services they need to prosper now and into the future.
Ministers also raised concern with the Federal Government’s misleading assertion that there are other funding sources to replace the cuts to LMTAs, such as claiming the introduction of capital gains revenues will allow provinces and territories to replace the $625 million in LMTA cuts. This statement is disingenuous, as the capital gains money will not be fully accessible until a year or longer. In the meantime, the future of essential LMTA programs and services that Canadians rely on remain in peril, with no resolution in sight.
Atlantic Ministers remain resolute with all Provincial and Territorial Ministers that worker training is a national priority under Provincial-Territorial jurisdiction and continue to advocate fiercely for workers and employers.
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Learn more
June 12, 2023, Council of Atlantic Premiers Communiqué.
July 11, 2023, Council of the Federation Communiqué.
March 27, 2024, letter from Council of Atlantic Premiers to Prime Minister.
April 18, 2024, letter from the Chair, Council of the Federation, to Prime Minister.
April 23, 2024, Provincial and Territorial Labour Ministers Call on Federal Government to Reinstate the $625 million in Labour Market Transfer Cuts in Budget 2024.
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