Government of Newfoundland News

Executive Council

The Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, will be available to the media this afternoon (Thursday, January 15) at 3:00 p.m. Premier Davis will be joined by the Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

Health and Community Services

Kevin Pollard, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Steve Kent, Minister of Health and Community Services, will address the first year class of Memorial University’s School of Pharmacy as part of the annual White Coat Ceremony presentation.

Transportation and Works

The Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Honourable David Brazil, Minister of Transportation and Works, will both participate in the Heavy Civil Association of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Holiday Inn in St. John’s.

Fisheries and Aquaculture

The Honourable Vaughn Granter, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, will speak at the Corner Brook Rotary Club luncheon tomorrow (Thursday, January 15). The event will take place at 12:30 p.m. at the Glynmill Inn.

Executive Council
Health and Community Services

Over 300 health care professionals, stakeholder groups and residents are gathered in St. John’s today to discuss important topics related to the delivery of primary health care in Newfoundland and Labrador at the Premier’s Summit on Health Care. The summit follows two months of in-person and online consultations across the province. The Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, opened the event today and was joined by the Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services.

Executive Council

The Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, will participate in the launch of the annual Mount Pearl Frosty Festival tomorrow (Thursday, January 15). The event will commence at 12:00 p.m. at the Mount Pearl Soccer Hut (Team Gushue Recreation Complex), 126 Smallwood Drive, Mount Pearl.

Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development

The Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador is better positioned to promote the province’s wooden boat history and advance economic development efforts through strategic partnerships as the result of a $25,000 Provincial Government investment. Funding will be used by the museum to host and implement initiatives related to the International Heritage Boat Conference to be held in Trinity Bight in October 2016. In addition to international exposure for the museum and the province, the conference will provide an environment for wooden boat specialists to come together to share their expertise and perspectives on marketable products for both the tourism and education sectors.

Executive Council
Seniors, Wellness and Social Development

Target shooter Samantha Marsh has been named Team Newfoundland and Labrador’s flag bearer for the 2015 Canada Winter Games, taking place February 13 to March 1 in Prince George, British Columbia. The announcement was made at an athletes’ rally held Tuesday evening, January 13, at the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Centre (Powerplex) in St. John’s.

Executive Council
Health and Community Services

The Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, together with the Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services, will host the Premier’s Summit on Health Care tomorrow (Wednesday, January 14) at the Sheraton Hotel in St. John’s.

Seniors, Wellness and Social Development

Kevin Pollard, MHA for Baie Verte-Springdale, on behalf of the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development, will announce the name of Team Newfoundland and Labrador’s 2015 Canada Winter Games flag bearer at an athletes’ rally this evening (Tuesday, January 13). The event takes place at the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Centre (Powerplex) on Crosbie Road, beginning at 5:45 p.m.

Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development

A former church and registered heritage structure will be transformed into a community arts centre in Heart’s Content, with a $143,000 Provincial Government contribution. The Heart’s Content Mizzen Heritage Society plans to restore and renovate the former Heyfield Memorial United Church into a facility with a 150-seat performance area, workshop, and tea room.

Seniors, Wellness and Social Development
Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs

Applications are now available for the Provincial Government’s Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador (AFNL) Grants Program, which provides up to $200,000 annually to assist incorporated municipalities and Aboriginal governments, as well as local senior’s organizations and groups, to become more involved in creating age-friendly communities.

Executive Council

The Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, will host the 25th session of the Council of Atlantic Premiers next week, Monday, January 19. Premiers Brian Gallant, Stephen McNeil, and Robert Ghiz will attend.

Natural Resources

The Department of Natural Resources will hold a public consultation session in Grand Falls-Windsor to support the preparation of a new five-year operating plan for Forest Management Districts 10, 11, 12 and 13 in central Newfoundland. The session will take place on Wednesday, January 14, at 7:00 p.m. at the Mount Peyton Hotel.

Fisheries and Aquaculture

Fogo Island Co-Operative Society will test plant sanitation technology that is new to the seafood processing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador with assistance from the Provincial Government's Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program. The Honourable Vaughn Granter, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, announced $54,810 today to help install and test an Icelandic system that is expected to achieve cost savings while performing in a more environmentally-friendly manner than standard equipment.

Seniors, Wellness and Social Development

Eligible non-profit groups and organizations are being invited to apply for funding through the Provincial Government’s Health and Wellness Grants Program. The deadline is January 28, 2015.

Health and Community Services

The Provincial Government is holding an additional consultation session as part of the Premier's Summit on Health Care. The ideas and input gathered from the regional forums will inform the Premier's Summit on Health Care which will be held on January 14, 2015, in St. John's.

Environment and Conservation

The Honourable Dan Crummell, Minister of Environment and Conservation, has announced the following event relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.

Justice and Public Safety

In 2014, fish and wildlife enforcement officers laid almost 1,200 charges in Newfoundland and Labrador for various offences ranging from fishing and hunting violations to the unsafe use of firearms and improper use of all-terrain vehicles. The number of charges laid represents an increase of 36 per cent over the 2013 violation numbers. The public also played an important role in helping officers carry out the division’s mandate by reporting suspicious activity. Last year, 625 complaints were received.

Transportation and Works

Newfoundland and Labrador’s marine transportation system celebrated numerous milestones in 2014, with more to come this year, all of which will bring improvements for the many residents and communities throughout the province who rely on and benefit from ferry service.