Government of Newfoundland News

Seniors, Wellness and Social Development

Individuals, groups and organizations are encouraged to submit nominations for the 2016 Seniors of Distinction Awards, a program which recognizes and celebrates the contributions, achievements and diversity of seniors throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The deadline for submission is April 4, 2016.

Education and Early Childhood Development

To celebrate education and the importance of learning, the Provincial Government and the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association proclaimed February 14-20 as Education Week during an opening ceremonies event held at St. Bernard’s Elementary in Witless Bay.

Office of the Child and Youth Advocate

“I am delighted to present our Annual Report for the year April 2014 to March 2015. A lot has been accomplished this past year and we continue to be dedicated to ensuring the voices of children and youth are heard and their rights respected. This year’s Annual Report highlights the major activities of the office in the areas of individual advocacy, systemic advocacy, reviews and investigations and public education.”

Executive Council
Natural Resources

Today marks the 34th anniversary of the sinking of the Ocean Ranger that occurred off Newfoundland and Labrador’s coast on February 15, 1982.

Executive Council
Finance

Residents on the Northeast Avalon Peninsula are reminded of the public engagement session taking place on Tuesday, February 16, in St. John's for the Government Renewal Initiative.

Executive Council

The Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, will address the Labrador North Chamber of Commerce on Monday, February 15, at Hotel North II, 382 Hamilton River Road, Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Justice and Public Safety

The Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General, today attended Mental Health Day at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary in St. John’s. This event, which featured presentations on various topics related to mental health and wellness, was made possible with the cooperation of Eastern Health and several community groups including the John Howard Society.

Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development

The Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development, will take part in the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Heritage Day poster contest awards ceremony on Monday, February 15. The event will take place at 10:30 a.m. at the Annex at Signal Hill Interpretation Centre, 230 Signal Hill Road, St. John’s.

Education and Early Childhood Development

The Honourable Dale Kirby, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, will be participating in the opening ceremonies for Education Week in Newfoundland and Labrador on Monday, February 15, at St. Bernard’s Elementary in Witless Bay. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. and will be broadcast via webcast from the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association website at www.nlta.nl.ca

Executive Council
Finance

The Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services, Minister of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development, and MHA for Placentia-St. Mary’s, will host a public engagement session in Placentia today (Thursday, February 11).

Executive Council
Finance

Residents of Marystown, Clarenville and St. John’s are encouraged to participate in public engagement sessions for the Government Renewal Initiative taking place in their regions next week. Sessions in Marystown and Clarenville were postposed this week due to poor weather. An additional St. John’s session was added following high public interest.

Transportation and Works

The Department of Transportation and Works advises that helicopter service for Change Islands began today at 1:00 p.m. (Wednesday, February 10). This is in addition to the fixed wing air service for Fogo Island which got underway at 12:00 noon today. Details regarding schedules and booking information are provided below for both the helicopter and fixed wing air service.

Executive Council

The Office of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency today launched a new guide to help homeowners and homebuilders incorporate energy efficiency into the construction and renovation of homes and small buildings. The new Guide to Building Energy Efficient Homes and Small Buildings was released at the annual general meeting of the Canadian Association of Homebuilders - Newfoundland and Labrador in St. John’s.

Environment and Conservation

The Honourable Perry Trimper, Minister of Environment and Conservation, has announced the following events relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.

Executive Council
Finance

The Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture and MHA for Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde, will host a public engagement session in Carbonear for the Government Renewal Initiative today (Wednesday, February 10).

Transportation and Works

The Department of Transportation and Works advises that a fixed wing air service will begin at 12:00 noon today (Wednesday, February 10) for ferry users of Fogo Island and Change Islands. The service is necessary while the MV Capt. Earl W. Winsor undergoes an inspection and verification following an incident Monday, February 8 when a dump truck went into the water while unloading from the vessel.

Executive Council

The Honourable Frank F. Fagan, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, together with the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, are reminding all residents that the deadline to nominate a deserving individual for the province's most prestigious award, the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, is Sunday, February 28.

Seniors, Wellness and Social Development

The Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Minister of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development, today announced a total of $736,263 has been provided to 108 community-based organizations through the latest round of applications approved under the Community Healthy Living Fund.

Service NL

The Honourable Eddie Joyce, Minister of Service NL, announced a new online service today that enables people to renew their driver’s licence from the convenience of their home or office. The service is provided at www.gov.nl.ca/drive, which is also the home for the Provincial Government’s online vehicle registration renewal service. In addition, Service NL is also extending the validity of driver’s license photos from five years to 10 years for anyone over the age of 19.

Natural Resources

The Honourable Siobhan Coady, Minister of Natural Resources, will be in Ottawa today (Wednesday, February 10) to attend a Provincial and Territorial Meeting of Energy Ministers. The meeting takes place February 10-11 at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel.