Government of Newfoundland News

Executive Council
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is moving forward with new legislation that balances the right to access information with the importance of protecting privacy.

Environment and Conservation

The Department of Environment and Conservation advises the public that a five kilometre section of the Newfoundland and Labrador T’Railway Provincial Park near Dowden’s Point, Conception Bay South, is closed to all pedestrian, ATV and vehicular traffic effective immediately. This section which is between Lance Cove and Flood’s Point is closed to the public to allow Labrador-Island Link General Partner Corporation to carry out work in the area.

Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development

The Honourable Vaughn Granter, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture and MHA for Humber West, on behalf of the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development, will announce funding for the Corner Brook Port Corporation tomorrow (Friday, April 24). The event will take place at 10:00 a.m. in the R.A. Pollett Building, 61 Riverside Drive.

Advanced Education and Skills

Employers, education and training institutions, students and job seekers in Newfoundland and Labrador can now learn more about current trends in the provincial labour market through the release of the 2014 Job Vacancy Report.

Service NL

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House to inform the public that bike helmets are now mandatory on all public roadways in Newfoundland and Labrador. This amendment to the Highway Traffic Act became effective on April 1.

Advanced Education and Skills

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform residents and businesses throughout Newfoundland and Labrador about the release of the Job Vacancy Report.

Health and Community Services

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in this Honourable House today to recognize that the annual report conducted by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) has revealed that our province has achieved some of the shortest wait times for priority medical procedures in Canada. This report spans the five-year period from 2010 to 2014 and cross-jurisdictional benchmark results for various procedures including radiation treatment, cataract procedures, hip fracture repair, and hip and knee replacement.

Justice and Public Safety

The 2015 Newfoundland and Labrador Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission has released its proposal for the division of the province into 40 one-member districts. Detailed information containing the suggested name, boundary description, population and map for each of the proposed districts is available at www.nledbc.ca/proposal.

Seniors, Wellness and Social Development
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation

Wally Drake’s Trucking Ltd. of Marystown has been awarded a $134,000 contract to provide exterior and interior upgrades to two Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation properties in Burin.

Environment and Conservation: Multi-Materials Stewardship Board

The Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) and Crime Stoppers are encouraging Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to take an active role in protecting their communities and report suspicious activity related to illegal waste dumping. Through a new partnership, MMSB and Crime Stoppers have launched a public awareness campaign to deter potential offenders from dumping their garbage at unauthorized sites throughout the province.

Transportation and Works

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to talk about engaging with our partners, enforcement agencies, and stakeholders in industry on the importance of prioritizing road safety. Provincial roads and highways are used by our residents and visitors alike. Whether travelling or working on these roads, personal safety is critically important, and each of us has a responsibility to help ensure everyone’s safety needs are met.

Health and Community Services

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to recognize National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week, which is taking place from April 19 to 25. This week provides an important opportunity to highlight an issue that impacts thousands of Canadians each year.

Executive Council

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in this Honourable House to inform members about the Climate Change Summit that I attended last week.

Finance

The Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, today announced that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will deliver Budget 2015 on Thursday, April 30.

Fisheries and Aquaculture

Members of the all-party committee on northern shrimp quota allocations met yesterday with the Honourable Gail Shea, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, to present a report, titled Socio-Economic Impacts of Shrimp Quota Reductions in Newfoundland and Labrador, recently completed for the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. The review confirms the committee's position that the Federal Government's "last in, first out" (LIFO) policy relating to Northern Shrimp allocation decisions is having a devastating effect on the province's economy, particularly in rural regions.

Health and Community Services

The Provincial Government today announced $35,000 in funding to support the Pathways Foundation’s Hope Walk. The Pathways Foundation supports the healing of survivors of sexual abuse from religious institutions and aims to promote healing and prevent harm from reoccurring. The Hope Walk will create provincial awareness of the organization and the many mental health supports it provides.

Executive Council

The Office of Public Engagement will hold a technical briefing for media tomorrow (Wednesday, April 22) at 10:00 a.m. in the Main Boardroom, Department of Health and Community Services, West Block, Confederation Building.

Executive Council

The Provincial Government encourages collaborative efforts and research that will support youth volunteers in Newfoundland and Labrador. On Wednesday, April 22, staff from the Office of Public Engagement, Radhoc Youth Leadership, Memorial University's Department of Political Science, the Community Sector Council, and Memorial's School of Social Work will join forces in an interactive workshop to discuss barriers, successes and best practices to foster youth involvement in communities.

Executive Council

One hundred years ago, marching proudly in their blue puttees toward ships that would ferry them to war-torn Europe, young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians could not imagine what awaited them or what would be asked of them. A century later, we honour the far too many whose young lives were cut brutally short and the many more whose bodies and memories were scarred by what they endured. Through the “Honour 100 - First World War Commemorations”, we are telling the story of our men and women who served in the Royal Naval Reserve, Newfoundland Regiment, Newfoundland Forestry Corps and Volunteer Aid Detachment as well as those who supported the war effort at home. We will soon mark the centennial of the Regiment’s landing at Gallipoli, Turkey, on September 19. The Honour 100 initiative will include opportunities for our students and veterans to participate in the annual Trail of the Caribou pilgrimage with the Royal Canadian Legion. This year, a new Ambassador Program will provide opportunities for more youth to commemorate Newfoundland and Labrador’s role in the First World War by visiting the memorials at Beaumont-Hamel and other solemn sites where the remains of our loved ones rest. Like others before them, they will return with fresh perspectives and stories that all of us need to hear – stories to remind us of the unbearable sadness of war and the debt we owe to those who served. As students throughout our province hear those stories, they will also benefit from curriculum enhancements that tell about the people whose sacrifices we honour.

Fisheries and Aquaculture

The Honourable Vaughn Granter, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture and Chair of the All-Party Committee on Federal shrimp quota allocations, along with committee members are in Ottawa today (Tuesday, April 21) to meet with the Honourable Gail Shea, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Committee members are there to present information on the negative socio-economic impacts of the quota allocation policy currently applied to the Northern Shrimp fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador.