Are There Bears on the Avalon Peninsula? An Investigation
Changing climates and municipal regulations may have unpredictable effects on the island’s black bear—also known as ‘dump bear’—population.
You might be interested in
Return of the U-Pass: This Time Bringing Students On Board
Whatever comes next in the Memorial University U-Pass conversation, it’s clear that students need to be involved in a meaningful way.
You might be interested in
Notes From the Rafters: 19 October 2020
Reminder that if you want gossip, the absolute best place to look is at the Building Permits and Development Permits lists.
You might be interested in
SJIWFF Goes Virtual for their 31st Annual Festival
“By supporting one another, we all do better. I think that’s part of the magic of Newfoundland and Labrador’s arts scene.”
You might be interested in
Notes From the Rafters: 13 October 2020
I’m going to spray paint “Edmundo! Fausto!” across the back of my jean jacket.
You might be interested in
Mutual Aid is Part of Our Past—and Our Future, Too
Mutual aid work filled me with a hope I didn’t know I needed. I needed a way back to a sense of community I had lost in the months spent in isolation.
You might be interested in
On The Road Again: Rum Ragged Back on Tour After Covid-19
“We’ll be grateful to be back doing what we love. We hope that a good night of music will at least make everyone feel a little closer together.”
You might be interested in
Notes From the Rafters: 5 October 2020
Picking our contractors solely on meeting minimum standards and price points makes me nervous. I’d like assurance money is spent well, not just reluctantly.
You might be interested in
Why St. John’s Struggles to Regulate Noisy Vehicles (and What Ward 2 Candidates Would Do)
Back in the spring of 2009 there was a committee meeting. According to the meeting notes, members of the Police and Traffic Committee (including city councillors, city staff, and Sgt Paul Murphy from the RNC) met that day with John Dinn (then-MHA for Kilbride) “at his request” to “discuss the issue of motorcycle noise.” In notes for the meeting, Sgt Murphy acknowledges the noise problem from “after market exhaust systems for motorcycles and cars.” He then explains that the RNC cannot do much about it without a change to the Highway and Traffic Act [HTA] to include noise standards. So the committee recommended that Council address the province and “request changes to the Highway Traffic Act to deal with excessive noise levels caused by motorcycles with modified or non-OEM [original equipment manufacturers] muffler systems.” MHA John Dinn explained to the committee that the House of Assembly would not be able…
You might be interested in
Cod Haven’t Fully Returned, but We Still Return for the Cod
Fishing can still be an important part of our lives. Preserving the cod and traditional fishing approaches requires reverence for this big fish.
You might be interested in
Budget 2020: Waiting for Moya Greene’s Renaissance
Newfoundland and Labrador has finally delivered its long-awaited 2020 budget. The key takeaway: watch this space for Budget 2021.
You might be interested in
The “Pandemic Budget,” and Politics at the End of the Line
The truth is even simpler than it was last year. The province, despite seven years of austerity, is even closer to financial ruin that it was in 2019.
You might be interested in
Searching for a ‘Ome for Nature
Earlier this year, “A Home for Nature” was released for public comment. Feedback for phase one of the plan is open until October 1, 2020.
You might be interested in
Notes From the Rafters: 28 September 2020
We are told that the City “values the input” of the inclusion committee on winter sidewalk clearing… but clearly not their actual quality of life.
You might be interested in
The Snelgrove Cycles: What was Done and What was Lost
Each trial is its own contained drama, but it is also a link in the chain of our laws.
You might be interested in
Andrew Furey, Charles Bown, and Tough Decisions
If Andrew Furey wants to sell himself as a political leader who can make tough decisions in these difficult times, then his appointment of Charles Bown to head a crown corporation may have just made that task more difficult. According to Justice Richard LeBlanc, Commissioner of the Inquiry Respecting the Muskrat Fall Project, Charles Bown was the Province’s “point person” as the megaproject transitioned from the drawing board to financial debacle. In his report, “A Misguided Project,” Justice Leblanc concluded that while there is “no doubt GNL politicians must be faulted for failing to provide a reasonable level of oversight of Nalcor” he singled out Mr. Bown, then-Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, calling his performance “inexcusable.” Premier Furey recently reorganized his cabinet, government departments, and the staffing of the senior levels of government departments and in his everything-is-on-the-table approach he would have weighed options for Mr. Bown’s future. The Leader…
You might be interested in
Hundreds Rally for Oil and Gas at Confederation Building
Hundreds of people urgently demanded “political support” for the offshore oil and gas industry. But Premier Andrew Furey did not offer anything specific.
You might be interested in
No Safe Bet: Why Newfoundland & Labrador is Canada’s Casino Holdout
In 2010, when Colliers International was listing the Battery Hotel and Suites for $15 million, they dared buyers to imagine alternate usages for the property—even those that went against provincial policy. “Newfoundland is one of only two Canadian provinces that does not have a provincially approved casino,” Colliers said in a brochure. “If this highly interesting situation changes, the site is sufficiently large to accommodate a Class A casino and hotel.” “Our policy doesn’t permit casinos in the province,” then-finance minister Tom Marshall told reporters at the time. “There’s been no change in that policy.” When asked if he’d reconsider the policy if a casino application was submitted, he was unequivocal: “No.” By 2014, Marshall was premier and Charlene Johnson, then-finance minister, suggested to reporters that they might be willing to consider a good offer. Saying the government would review proposals stopped far short of saying they would be approved,…
You might be interested in
The Doctor is In: Andrew Furey as Technocrat
Dr. Furey does in fact have a principled vision for Newfoundland and Labrador’s future. It is a vision that is deeply technocratic—and troublingly elitist.
You might be interested in
Notes from the Rafters: 4 August 2020
Hope Jamieson’s final council meeting involved a bit of blood, sweat, and tears—plus a little urine in a cup. Also: sucks to your “property values”!
You might be interested in