Government of Newfoundland News

Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in this Honourable House to speak to an ongoing review of the Protected Road Zoning regulations.

Executive Council

The Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, will be available to the media at 1:00 p.m. in the Media Centre, Ground Floor, East Block, Confederation Building. The Premier will be joined by the Honourable Keith Hutchings, Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development, and the Honourable Vaughn Granter, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Transportation and Works

The Department of Transportation and Works is advising that the Placentia Lift Bridge will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10, and Thursday, December 11. During this period, work will be completed to balance the structure, requiring the bridge to be in lifted position. Vehicular traffic will be detoured to Southeast Placentia Road.

Service NL
Seniors, Wellness and Social Development

Effective April 1, 2015, all bicyclists in Newfoundland and Labrador will be required to wear a bicycle helmet when cycling on the province's roadways. This amendment to the Highway Traffic Act will be introduced today in the House of Assembly.

Education and Early Childhood Development

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has received the Canadian Red Cross Partners in Humanity Citation for its involvement in the EDGE 2013 Conference. At a ceremony held today at Memorial University, the department joined the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association and Memorial University's Faculty of Education as all three groups received the award in recognition of their commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable people within their community by assisting the Red Cross to effectively mobilize the power of humanity.

Service NL
Seniors Wellness and Social Development

The Honourable Tony Cornect, Minister of Service NL, will outline new legislation respecting bicycle safety which is being introduced in the House of Assembly today. Minister Cornect will be joined by the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development, Dr. Sandra Luscombe, Past-President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association, and Dr. Michelle Ploughman, Newfoundland and Labrador Brain Injury Association.

Education and Early Childhood Development

Tom Hedderson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, will speak at an award presentation by the Red Cross tomorrow (Tuesday, December 9). The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association and the Faculty of Education at Memorial University are receiving a national Red Cross Partners in Humanity Citation for the EDGE 2013 conference.

Service NL

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in this Honourable House to recognize the launch of the Project Red Ribbon campaign. Project Red Ribbon is Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s longest running and most well-known public awareness campaign. This morning I had the honour and privilege of attending the launch with the Premier.

Seniors, Wellness and Social Development

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the Provincial Government’s ongoing commitment to athletic excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in this Honourable House to congratulate SubC Imaging on its graduation from Memorial University’s Genesis Centre.

Executive Council

Following an extensive public engagement process across the province to develop the Open Government Initiative, the Provincial Government today released What We Heard: Open Government Initiative, a compilation of the views of residents and stakeholders on how to strengthen capacity within government and improve policies, programs and services. The Office of Public Engagement is now welcoming comments and additional feedback on this document, available at www.open.gov.nl.ca.

Executive Council

The Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador will speak at the launch of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Project Red Ribbon on Monday, December 8. Premier Davis will be joined by the Honourable Tony Cornect, Minister of Service NL.

Education and Early Childhood Development

To help make child care more affordable for parents, the Provincial Government is launching a voluntary Operating Grant Program. Through a total investment of $9.7 million, an annual operating grant will be given to eligible licensed child care centres to help offset some of the costs associated with providing child care.

Health and Community Services

The regional health forum for Happy Valley-Goose Bay will take place Monday, December 8, at the Northern Cross Baptist Church, 400 Kelland Drive, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services, and the Honourable Keith Russell, Minister of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, will participate in the event.

Executive Council

The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister Responsible for the Office of Public Engagement, is inviting Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to recognize today, December 5, as International Volunteer Day.

Executive Council

The Honourable Keith Russell, Minister of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, will participate in a candlelight vigil memorial to remember the victims of the Montreal Massacre shootings on December 6, 1989, at Montreal’s École Polytechnique. The event, hosted by the Mokami Status of Women Council, begins at 6:00 p.m. today (Friday, December 5) at The Women’s Centre, 43 Grenfell Street in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Environment and Conservation

The Honourable Dan Crummell, Minister of Environment and Conservation, will address the opening of the new Suncor Offshore Research and Development Centre tomorrow (Friday, December 5). The event will take place at 1:00 p.m. at Memorial University’s Engineering Building.

Education and Early Childhood Development

The Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, will announce the details of the Provincial Government’s voluntary Operating Grant Program for child care centres tomorrow (Friday, December 5).

Environment and Conservation

The Honourable Dan Crummell, Minister of Environment and Conservation, will speak at the Newcomer Youth Leadership and Careers in the Applied Sciences Conference tomorrow (Friday, December 5). The event will take place at 9:00 a.m. in the Cabot-Gilbert Room, Ramada Hotel, St. John’s.

Transportation and Works

The Honourable David Brazil, Minister of Transportation and Works, will speak at the Genesis Centre’s second annual Pitch101 event tomorrow (Friday, December 5). The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation, Memorial University, St. John’s.