Government of Newfoundland News

A Resource Enforcement Division investigation into overfishing has resulted in convictions, fines and prohibitions from fishing inland waters for two individuals.

Nathan Macey of Red Bay and Perry Savoury of Middle Arm were convicted and fined in Provincial Court in Wabush on March 19, 2024, for altering fish and exceeding the possession limit, contrary to regulations under the Fisheries Act, the Newfoundland and Labrador Fishery Regulations, and the Fishery (General) Regulations.

Mr. Macey was fined $500 for alteration of fish and is prohibited from fishing for one year. Mr. Savoury was fined $500 for alteration of fish. He is prohibited from fishing for four years and was fined $3,000 for exceeding the possession limit.

Items seized during the investigation have been forfeited to the Crown and include more than 30 pounds of ouananiche fillets and ouananiche with heads and entrails removed.

Resource Enforcement officers apprehended the individuals at Emeril Station, 55 kilometers east of Labrador City, on August 4, 2023. Officers were acting on information received of potential overfishing in the area of Menihek Dam.

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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The Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, will announce sponsorship funding from the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board’s (MMSB), in support of the 2024 Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games, tomorrow (Thursday, July 11).

Minister Davis will be joined by Derm Flynn, Board Chair, MMSB, and Judy Morrow and Neil Kearley, Co-Chairs of the NL Summer Games Host Committee.

The event will take place at the Wilbur Sparkes Recreation Complex, 12 Station Road, Bay Roberts, beginning at 12:30 p.m.

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The Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner, Jacqueline Lake Kavanagh, has released her Report A-2024-033 under authority of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015. A summary of the Report is included below.

To view the Report in its entirety, please go to www.oipc.nl.ca/reports/reports/.

Report:  A-2024-033 Report Date: July 8, 2024 Public Body: City of St. John’s Summary: The Complainant made an access request for the amount the City of St. John’s paid in legal fees on opposing the release of certain records. The City provided the Complainant with copies of its relevant legal invoices, but redacted some information, including the total amount of legal fees it paid, under section 30(1)(a) of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015. The Commissioner found that the City was entitled to withhold this information under section 30.

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Media contact
Sean Murray
Director of Research & Quality Assurance
709-729-6309

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A tender has been issued by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure for the completion of the Team Gushue Highway.

The Honourable John G. Abbott, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, will be available to speak to media to provide an update on the project, as well as other major provincial highway and road infrastructure projects, today (Tuesday, July 9) in the East Block lobby, Confederation Building, at 11:30 a.m.

The Team Gushue Highway project involves the completion of a north-south arterial highway route in St. John’s and Mount Pearl. The end of the Team Gushue Highway will be connected to the Pitts Memorial Drive (Route 2) and Robert E. Howlett Memorial Drive (Route 3) interchange using a roundabout corridor. This will involve extending the paved highway from Topsail Road—where the Team Gushue Highway currently ends—to the Commonwealth Avenue, Brookfield Road and Heavy Tree Road area.

The project also includes installing drainage culverts, an overpass structure and auxiliary access roads, as well as re-aligning a section of Brookfield Road. Once completed, this project will alleviate traffic congestion, improve safety and enhance access to and from the cities of St. John’s and Mount Pearl and the surrounding urban and rural communities.

The department anticipates construction starting later this summer. Information on tenders issued and awarded by the department and other public bodies is available by visiting www.merx.com/govnl.

Quote
“I am very pleased that we are moving to the next stage of this important project. Once completed, it will provide an alternate and more efficient route for residents on the southern Avalon to access key provincial services and social infrastructure, including the province’s largest health care facility, an international airport and post-secondary institutions.”
Honourable John G. Abbott
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

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Today, the Honourable Elvis Loveless, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, and the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, announced the creation of a new Priority Place for Species at Risk: the Limestone Landscapes of the Great Northern Peninsula Priority Place in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Priority Places are areas of high biodiversity value that are seen as a distinct place with a common ecological theme by the people who live and work there. These places have significant biodiversity, concentrations of species at risk, and opportunities to advance conservation efforts. Focusing on these areas allows us to conserve and restore habitat that benefits many species at once.

This is the 12th Priority Place to be identified in Canada and the first one in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The new Priority Place encompasses unique ecosystems on the Great Northern Peninsula of the Island of Newfoundland, such as limestone barrens and outcrops, limestone coasts and islands, and limestone highlands, forests and wetlands that support high biodiversity. This area provides habitat for approximately 40 federally and provincially listed species at risk. It is also an important stopover site for many at risk migratory birds.

Priority Places are collaborative initiatives. The Federal and Provincial Governments are working with Indigenous Governments and Organizations, environmental non-governmental organizations, and other partners to support and fund on-the-ground recovery actions, capacity building, and adaptive management within the Limestone Landscapes of the Great Northern Peninsula Priority Place. More information is available in the backgrounder below.

Quotes
“Limestone barrens are a unique habitat that support many highly specialized and rare plant species that live nowhere else in the world. The Limestone Landscapes of the Great Northern Peninsula Priority Place will build on the important work set out in the provincial Limestone Barrens Species at Risk Recovery Plan, which maps the road to recovery for several at-risk species and the conservation of many more rare species. Thank you to our federal counterparts for sharing our vision for this very special place.”
Honourable Elvis Loveless
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture

“Collaboration is key to protecting biodiversity and species at risk. Priority Places for Species at Risk allow us to work with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous Peoples, and other Canadians to protect important habitat and unique ecosystems such as the limestone barrens found on the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador. Together, we can implement effective conservation projects that help halt and reverse biodiversity loss.”
Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change

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Priority Places for Species at Risk

Overview of the Pan-Canadian approach to transforming species at risk conservation in Canada

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BACKGROUNDER

• Priority Places for Species at Risk are identified under the Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada. This approach shifts from a single-species approach to conservation to one that focuses on multiple species and ecosystems.
• Funding for Priority Places for Species at Risk was first established under the Nature Legacy’s Canada Nature Fund in 2018 and expanded under Enhanced Nature Legacy in 2021.
• The 11 previously identified Priority Places for Species at Risk cover nearly 30 million hectares, including 2 million hectares of critical habitat for species at risk. More than 300 species at risk can be found in these places, many of which have more than half of their range in a priority place.
• The Government of Canada is providing $2,294,978 over three fiscal years to Limestone Landscapes of the Great Northern Peninsula Priority Place partners. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is contributing $1,256,550 to this initiative.
• Identifying the limestone landscapes as Newfoundland and Labrador’s priority place will build on goals and strategies outlined in the provincial Limestone Barrens Species at Risk Recovery Plan, released in July 2022.
• The province’s Limestone Barrens Species at Risk Recovery Plan includes recovery measures for 10 plant species designated and listed under the Endangered Species Act and identifies critical habitat for seven species.
• In addition to the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the many partners involved in the new Priority Place include Miawpukek First Nation, Qalipu First Nation, Intervale Associates Inc., Limestone Barrens Species at Risk Recovery Team, Wilder Institute, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Memorial University, Stewardship Association of Municipalities, Birds Canada, and The Rooms.

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The Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced interim changes to his Cabinet.

Effective immediately, the changes are:

• The Honourable John Hogan, KC, Minister of Health and Community Services (acting).

Minister Hogan will continue in his portfolio of Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General. He is also Government House Leader and Minister Responsible for Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Office.

A biography of the minister is included in the backgrounder below.

Quote
“I would like to thank Minister Hogan for his continued leadership and outstanding contribution to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. We are fortunate to have someone with his keen intellect and work ethic provide direction to both the Justice and Public Safety portfolio as well as Health and Community Services.”
Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

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BACKGROUNDER

Biography
Mr. Hogan is a graduate of Memorial University and Dalhousie University. Mr. Hogan was called to the Ontario bar in 2004 after completing his articles at a Toronto law firm. He then returned to Newfoundland and Labrador where he was called to the bar in 2005 and worked at a multi-service firm in St. John’s. In 2014, Mr. Hogan started his own law firm, WPH Law (now known as Peddigrew Wade Law). He has served as an elected Bencher of the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador and on two occasions served as an elected member to the Memorial University Board of Regents. He was named King’s Counsel in 2020. On April 8, 2021, John Hogan was sworn in as Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General. He represents the District of Windsor Lake in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly.

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The Provincial Government today issued an invitation to tender for the demolition of 32 existing long-term vacant units in the Crestview Avenue area of Corner Brook to make way for the construction of 50 new provincially-owned homes.

As part of record provincial investments in housing in Budget 2024, the Provincial Government announced $20 million to construct new homes in the area that are modern and energy efficient, with universal design features incorporated throughout.

On May 30, Inflector Environmental Services LP was awarded a tender to undertake abatement of the existing structures, valued at $429,300. The abatement process is ongoing and was required to safely remove materials containing asbestos and any other environmental concerns from the buildings prior to demolition.

The invitation to tender issued today includes the demolition of four vacant buildings in the Crestview Avenue area, as well as the safe removal of debris from the site and preparation of the site for new construction.

It is anticipated that an RFP for the construction of the new buildings will be issued in late-summer or early-fall 2024. The project will include multi-unit buildings that feature a combination of one- and two-bedroom homes, the greatest area of need in the current social housing portfolio.

Quotes
“I am pleased to see continued progress on our commitment to construct 50 new homes in Corner Brook. As a government, we continue to prioritize initiatives that will increase access to stable, safe and affordable housing for individuals and families in the western region.”
Honourable Fred Hutton
Minister of Housing

“This is the next step and a welcomed step in our government’s decision to move forward with the construction of 50 new homes for 50 families in our city. This multi-million-dollar investment is being made by our government and demonstrates the priority that we are placing on housing throughout the province.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills and MHA for Corner Brook

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Provincial Government to Build 50 Homes in Corner Brook

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Today, the Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced the 2024 recipients of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board’s (MMSB) Community Waste Diversion Fund. Grants totalling over $162,000 have been provided to 17 projects, in support of sustainable waste management in communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Town of Harbour Main-Chapel’s Cove-Lakeview, which received $21,683 from the Community Waste Diversion Fund, hosted today’s event. The Town highlighted how funding from MMSB will help support the launch of a community curbside organic waste collection program.

The Community Waste Diversion Fund provides funding to municipalities and local service districts for the implementation of community initiatives that create opportunities to divert more waste from landfills. This year’s recipients include projects focused on: food waste diversion, community composting, yard waste diversion and reduction of single use plastics.

A full list of the 2024 recipients is available in the backgrounder below.

Quotes
“We have a shared responsibility to protect the environment by making greener choices every day. Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the Community Waste Diversion Fund, for their dedicated efforts to help make our environment cleaner and more sustainable for future generations. I look forward to visiting some of the various communities this summer to learn more about their projects.”
Honourable Bernard Davis
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister Responsible for the MMSB

“MMSB congratulates the 2023-24 recipients of the Community Waste Diversion Fund for their dedication to reducing waste in Newfoundland and Labrador. We are proud to support initiatives that demonstrate strong community engagement, sustainability, and a significant impact on waste management. We look forward to seeing the results of this year’s funded projects and we encourage other communities and organizations with creative waste diversion ideas to apply for future funding opportunities.”
Derm Flynn
Chair, MMSB

“We are excited for this funding which will allow us to engage with a consultant to lead community engagement and plan for the launch of a curbside organic waste collection program in our Town. Engaging in environmental practices contributes to the economic benefit to our community and moves us towards our goal of diverting 100 per cent of organic waste, recyclable plastics and paper in our community before 2030.”
Mike Doyle
Mayor, Town of Habour Main-Chapel’s Cove-Lakeview

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Community Waste Diversion Fund

Waste Management Trust Fund

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BACKGROUNDER

2024 Community Waste Diversion Fund Recipients

Town of Bauline – $16,954
Funding will support a small-scale curbside organics collection program.

Town of Englee – $5,139
Funding will reduce single use plastic water bottles with the installation of two water stations.

Town of Fogo Island – $9,400
Funding will support the purchase of a woodchipper to enable the implementation of a leaf and yard waste diversion project.

Town of Gander – $15,000
Funding will support a food waste diversion pilot project.

Town of George’s Brook-Milton – $3,451
Funding will support Phase 3 of their community composting project.

Town of Glovertown – $6,130
Funding will support the purchase of a woodchipper to implement a leaf and yard waste diversion project.

Town of Grand Falls-Windsor – $6,376
Funding will support the purchase of a woodchipper to implement a leaf and yard waste diversion project.

Town of Harbour Grace – $10,000
Funding will support the purchase of a woodchipper to implement a leaf and yard waste diversion project.

Town of Harbour Main-Chapel’s Cove-Lakeview – $21,683
Funding will support the launch of a community curbside organic waste collection program.

Town of King’s Cove – $12,400
Funding will support a leaf and yard waste diversion project with the purchase of a woodchipper.

Town of Mainland – $9,507
Funding will support the introduction of an upcycling share program as well as the purchase of a water filling station to reduce single use plastics.

Town of Port Saunders – $6,656
Funding will support efforts in reducing single use items with the purchase of a dishwasher and dishes for use by renters at the Town Centre.

Town of Rocky Harbour – $3,187
Funding will support a community composting program.

Town of Small Point-Broad Cove-Blackhead-Adam’s Cove – $7,152
Funding will support the purchase of a woodchipper to implement a leaf and yard waste diversion project.

Town of St. Lunaire-Griquet – $10,000
Funding will support the purchase of a woodchipper to reduce yard and wood waste from trail maintenance.

Town of Torbay – $9,480
Funding will support a community re-education program to divert more recyclables from waste.

Town of Trinity Bay North – $9,625
Funding will support the implementation of community composting with the purchase of a woodchipper and large compost bins for their four communities and waste site.

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This morning, the Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, announced plans for a new multiplex provincial recreational facility in Galway.

The facility is intended to house multiple sporting surfaces, including ice rinks and curling sheets, and will support regional and national sports competitions.

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the functional design of the facility. Information on tenders issued and awarded by the department and other public bodies is available by visiting www.merx.com/govnl.

With $500,000 allocated through Budget 2024, this investment supports the Provincial Government’s commitment to transforming sporting and recreational infrastructure within our province’s growing communities, ensuring all residents have opportunities to meet their own health and well-being goals. This facility will also bolster the province’s ability to attract large-scale sporting events, providing economic benefits to the tourism and hospitality industry and Newfoundland and Labrador communities.

Quotes

“I am proud to announce $500,000 through Budget 2024 for the functional design of a new multiplex provincial recreational facility in Galway. Our vision for this multiplex is a facility that provides multiple sporting surfaces, including new ice space. Government of Newfoundland and Labrador continues to invest in the province’s sport and recreation infrastructure as we are work toward meeting our goal of becoming the healthiest province by 2031.”
Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

“The new multiplex provincial recreational facility is a great addition to our sport and recreational infrastructure. It will give Newfoundland and Labrador the ability to host regional and national sporting events – something that we are currently lacking capacity for – bringing benefits to our tourism and hospitality industry.”
Honourable Steve Crocker
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation

“Investments in infrastructure not only benefit a city, town or community’s sense of belonging, but also generate employment opportunities and economic benefits. This facility will be a much-needed asset for the local sporting community, and I look forward to overseeing its construction.”
Honourable John G. Abbott
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

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The Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner, Jacqueline Lake Kavanagh, has released her Report A-2024-032 under authority of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015. A summary of the Report is included below.

To view the Report in its entirety, please go to www.oipc.nl.ca/reports/reports/.

Report:   A-2024-032 Report Date:  July 4, 2024 Public Body: City of St. John’s Summary: The Complainant made an access request for the name of a City of St. John’s snow plow operator. The City denied access, claiming sections 33 (workplace investigation) and 40 (personal privacy) of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 and later claiming section 37 (disclosure harmful to individual or public safety) as well. The Commissioner found that section 33 did not apply to the information, that section 40 does not require the City to withhold the names of its employees, and that the City did not meet its evidentiary burden in its application of section 37. The Commissioner recommended that the City disclose the name of the Operator to the Complainant.

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Media contact
Sean Murray
Director of Research & Quality Assurance
709-729-6309

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The Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner, Jacqueline Lake Kavanagh, has released her Report A-2024-031 under authority of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015. A summary of the Report is included below.

To view the Report in its entirety, please go to www.oipc.nl.ca/reports/reports/.

Report:   A-2024-031 Report Date:  July 3, 2024 Public Body: Department of Justice and Public Safety Summary: The Complainant made an access request under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 to the Department of Justice and Public Safety. The Department did not respond to the request in the timeframe required by section 16 of the Act and was deemed to have refused access. The Complainant made a complaint to this Office. The Commissioner found the Department had not complied with its obligations under the Act, in particular sections 13 (duty to assist) and 16 (time limit for final response). The Commissioner recommended the Department comply with its statutory duties in the future, apply for extensions when necessary, provide updates to applicants if deadlines are missed, provide periodic partial disclosure when appropriate, and provide a final response to the request within 10 business days of receipt of this Report.

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The Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, will make an announcement related to sport and recreation tomorrow (Friday, July 5).

The event will take place at 11:00 a.m. in the East Block Lobby of Confederation Building.

Premier Furey will be joined by the Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation; and, Brad Gushue, Olympian and professional curler.

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The Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, will announce the 2024 recipients of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board’s (MMSB) Community Waste Diversion Fund, tomorrow (Friday, July 5). Minister Davis will be joined by Charles Bown, CEO, MMSB, and and His Worship Mike Doyle, Mayor of Town of Harbour Main-Chapel’s Cove-Lakeview.

The event will take place at the Town of Harbour Main-Chapel’s Cove-Lakeview Community Garden, located on Ballfield Road (off Harbour Drive), beginning at 1:00 p.m.

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A joint investment of approximately $465,000 by the Provincial Government and the Town of Upper Island Cove will support both drinking water and storm system upgrades under the Municipal Capital Works Program.

The project involves the replacement of the old infrastructure with new, modern materials, design and construction standards. Upgrades will be made to the drinking water system in the town and road improvements will facilitate better stormwater collection, minimizing the amount of sediment runoff.

The Municipal Capital Works program fosters the development of cost-shared projects for many types of municipal infrastructure. Typical projects include water and wastewater treatment, seawalls, roads, recreational facilities, town halls and fire halls. Funding is cost-shared between provincial and municipal governments and is available to municipalities, local service districts and Inuit Community Governments. More information on initiatives to facilitate and build on municipal capital works throughout the province can be found here.

Budget 2024 includes more than $172 million for community infrastructure projects being completed under the Municipal Capital Works Program and the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

Quotes
“Municipal infrastructure improvements are important factors in the overall well-being of residents throughout our province. These infrastructure projects also lead to employment for tradespeople and economic benefits across Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Honourable John G. Abbott
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

“Municipal infrastructure projects like those being funded for Upper Island Cove have a significant impact on residents. Improvements to drinking water systems and road upgrades impact how we experience our towns and communities. I am very pleased these upgrades will positively impact my district.”
Honourable Pam Parsons
Minister Responsible for Women and Gender Equality and MHA for Harbour Grace-Port de Grave

“On behalf of the Town of Upper Island Cove, I am pleased that we will replace and upgrade the aged infrastructure on three town roads with new modern and sustainable material. We are always working hard to keep our town not only a wonderful place to live and work, but also a great place for tourists. Water and road upgrades will have a lasting impact for years to come.”
Her Worship Cindy Dobbin
Mayor of Upper Island Cove

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The transformation of health care in Newfoundland and Labrador has reached another milestone as the Provincial Government and Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services expand digital services with the launch of the MyHealthNL app.

The Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services, made the announcement today. Minister Osborne was joined by the Honourable Sarah Stoodley, Minister of Digital Government and Service NL and Minister Responsible for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, and Karen Stone, KC, CEO (Interim), NL Health Services.

The new MyHealthNL app provides Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with easy, digital access to their personal health information from their mobile phone, tablet and computer. This enables them to adjust their lifestyle, as necessary, and have informed conversations with health care providers.

Current services on the app allow users to view:

• Lab results (excluding pathology)
• General Radiology reports
• Dispensed medications from community pharmacies
• Allergy information
• Other e-health resources, such as health library, and access to Bridge the gap

A demonstration video of the MyHealthNL app is available online.

The app will be expanded in the coming months to include more services, such as integration to virtual care, access to an online health system checker, and the ability to view certain appointments.

Residents must visit MyGovNL to register for their Personal Health Record before downloading the MyHealthNL app. Once registered, they will receive a code that will be mailed to them within 10 business days. The multi-step authorization process ensures that the privacy of personal information is protected and mirrors the approach taken with Revenue Canada.

New users can register for Personal Health Record by:

• Logging in to MyGovNL
• Clicking Personal Health Record
• Submitting the registration form
• Entering the personal identification number when they receive it

Users can then download the MyHealthNL app on their mobile devices on the Apple and Google Play app stores and log in using their MyGovNL login information.

Budget 2024 includes a record high investment of $4.1 billion in health care to continuing improving access to health care, including $5 million for MyHealthNL.

Quotes
“The new MyHealthNL app is another way we are expanding health care services to everyone in the province. The app now provides people with user-friendly, easy access to services that they can view from their home. It complements our work to recruit and retain health care professionals, provide virtual primary and emergency care, and expand the scope of practice for professionals such as nurse practitioners and pharmacists. All of this works together to form a new and improved health care service in our province.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Health and Community Services

“We are pleased that the OCIO was able to contribute to this project through the use of MyGovNL. MyGovNL is the foundation that our government is leveraging to support a range of online services for residents. Over 333,000 residents use MyGovNL to complete transactions securely. We applaud the Department of Health and Community Services as well as NL Health Services on the launch of MyHealthNL.”
Honourable Sarah Stoodley
Minister of Digital Government and Service NL and Minister Responsible for the Office of the Chief Information Officer

“We are pleased to launch MyHealthNL, an all-in-one app that provides secure and convenient access to health-care services, information and resources. The app can help patients and families monitor medications, better manage chronic conditions, have consistent access to accurate and credible medical information and have more informed discussions with their health-care providers. The app empowers patients and families to become active participants in their own health while demonstrating NL Health Services’ commitment to transforming the health-care system to one that is modern and accessible, as outlined in Health Accord NL.”
Karen Stone KC
CEO (Interim), NL Health Services

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The Honourable John G. Abbott, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, will participate in a Municipal Capital Works funding announcement in Upper Island Cove tomorrow (Thursday, July 4).

The event will take place at the Long Shore Lookout, 100 Meadow Road, beginning at 11:30 a.m.  In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held at the Town of Upper Island Cove’s Council Chambers, 126 Main Road.

Minister Abbott will be joined by the Honourable Pam Parsons, Minister Responsible for Women and Gender Equality and MHA for Harbour Grace – Port de Grave, and Her Worship Cindy Dobbin, Mayor of Upper Island Cove.

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The Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services, will make a health care announcement tomorrow (Thursday, July 4).

Minister Osborne will be joined by the Honourable Sarah Stoodley, Minister of Digital Government and Service NL and Minister Responsible for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, and Karen Stone, KC, CEO (Interim), NL Heath Services.

The announcement will take place at the Health Innovation Acceleration Centre, 66 Pippy Place, St. John’s, beginning at 11:30 a.m. with a technical briefing for media at 11:00 a.m.

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The Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Labrador Affairs and Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation, is participating in ceremonies in France and Belgium July 4-10 as part of the Trail of the Caribou Pilgrimage. The Minister will be joined by Scott Reid, MHA for St. George’s-Humber and Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier, attending on behalf of the Premier.

Each year, students participate in the Trail of the Caribou Pilgrimage, a partnership between the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Royal Canadian Legion Newfoundland and Labrador Command, and the Historic Sites Association of Newfoundland and Labrador.

As part of this year’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Confederation, Minister Dempster will be joined by 10 youth representing the five Indigenous Governments and Organizations in the province – Nunatsiavut Government, Innu Nation, NunatuKavut Community Council, Miawpukek First Nation, and Qalipu First Nation.

Also participating in the pilgrimage are 15 students accompanying the Royal Canadian Legion and 16 students who are part of the Ambassador Program coordinated by the Historic Sites Association.

The itinerary includes ceremonies at Beaumont Hamel, Gueudecourt, Monchy-le-Preux, Masnières, Courtrai (Kortrijk), and Menin Gate, as well as visits to the John Shiwak Plaque, the Sgt. Thomas Ricketts memorial, Wellington Quarry, Vimy Ridge, Amiens Cathedral, Compiegne, and a number of significant cemeteries.

The province’s annual pilgrimage to Europe honours the First World War contributions of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in France and Belgium. The Trail of the Caribou consists of six bronze caribou statues and commemorates the bravery shown by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians during the First World War.

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The Provincial Government is supporting the EXCITE! Corporation as they establish a new simulation laboratory that will assist with recruitment, training and retention of qualified rural healthcare professionals.

The Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, today announced an investment of $178,750 from the province’s Regional Development Program towards the creation of a Rural Health Simulation Lab. The Provincial Government’s investment is supported by a further $500,000 from the Northpine Foundation towards the project.

The Rural Health Simulation Lab will simulate real-life situations, allowing participants hands-on experience to enhance workplace readiness for challenges encountered in rural settings.  Bringing simulation to rural areas increases exposure and practice at their home sites to enhance those skills needed to provide high quality care in rural settings. The lab will use state-of-the-art simulation technology to enhance clinical skills, cultural competency and teamwork.

The project is in line with the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Accord’s call to develop a more integrated, technologically enhanced, and sustainable health system. It is a partnership between multiple stakeholders including the Miawpukek First Nation, NL Health Services, the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Nursing at Memorial University, and the South Central Health Foundation. The lab will help build the rural innovation economy by facilitating new investment and creating research and industry partnerships in healthcare and technology.

The project will include:

• The installation of the simulation lab inside the EXCITE building.
• Purchase of the simulation equipment.
• Training for simulation equipment in partnership with NL Health Services – Central Zone, Memorial University and Miawpukek First Nation.
• Implementation of a mobile training unit.
• Fostering commercial opportunities through the lab.

The EXCITE! Corporation is the not-for-profit business development corporation of the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor. The Regional Development Program provides support by way of non-repayable contributions to organizations for the development and implementation of economic initiatives with respect to regional and sectoral development, diversification, innovation, and key emerging sectors.

Quotes
“The Rural Health Simulation Lab will offer the latest training technologies representing real-life, hands-on situations. Our department is excited to partner with EXCITE! and Northpine to advance this project, supporting both employment and commercial opportunities, as we continue to grow our healthtech and biotech sectors in locations across the province.”
Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC
Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology

“We are happy to have EXCITE! establish a simulation laboratory in our province. The Health Accord recommended leveraging technology to improve health across the province and this simulation lab will help train, recruit, and retain health care professionals, which will lead to improved access to health care throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Health and Community Services

“This advanced health simulation lab will directly enhance the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals in communities in Central Newfoundland. We are very excited about being a community-based proponent for innovative infrastructure initiatives that support our region and province. This simulation lab is an investment into our health care industry and will help achieve more positive outcomes in the health care of our citizens.”
Barry Manuel
Chair of EXCITE and Mayor of Grand Falls-Windsor

“We are proud to support EXCITE! and the partners’ innovative approach to healthcare training, addressing a pressing issue with a long-term impact on community well-being. If proven effective, this model could be scaled to increase the quality and capacity of training to address healthcare labour shortages in other remote regions of the country.
Mark Lane
Impact Director, Northpine Foundation.

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Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine is expanding seats for Newfoundland and Labrador students as the undergraduate medical education program will increase to 85 seats from 80 seats in September 2024.

This comes as a result of significant financial investments from the Provincial Government, with Budget 2024 committing $2 million to increase the number of Faculty of Medicine seats at Memorial University for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

This expansion will allow more Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to receive their medical education in the province and stay to work in the here following completion of their training. This is essential to the sustainability of health care in Newfoundland and Labrador.

A second expansion of another five seats is planned for September 2025.

Currently, the 80 seats in the Faculty of Medicine’s four-year undergraduate medical education program consists of 69 seats for residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, with the remaining 11 seats allocated for learners from other parts of Canada.

This expansion complements other recruitment and retention initiatives led by the Provincial Government to increase the number of health care professionals in the province, which has resulted in more than 520 nurses and more than 110 physicians who have committed to work in the province since April 2023.

In addition to expansion of seats for nursing students in recent years, in June 2024, the Provincial Government announced tuition relief for Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Practical Nursing students in select campuses who begin their studies in September 2024 in effort to attract more students to the nursing profession.

More information for health care professionals interested in learning about the opportunities and incentives to work in Newfoundland and Labrador is available at WorkInHealthNL.ca.

Quotes
“We know that health care professionals who are educated here are more likely to stay and work in Newfoundland and Labrador following graduation. Expanding seats at the Faculty of Medicine and our previous work to expand additional nursing seats is helping to improve access to health care throughout the province.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Health and Community Services

“Memorial’s Faculty of Medicine strives to meet the evolving health care needs of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. This includes supporting recruitment and retention of physicians to rural and underserved populations. These additional seats for our Doctor of Medicine program will provide more opportunities for students from Newfoundland and Labrador to study medicine in their home province.”
Dr. Dolores McKeen
Interim Dean of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University

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