More UFO Sightings Since Start of Pandemic
There was something weird spotted in the sky above Main Brook on Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula in January 2020. Keep Reading
So Moved, St. John’s: 16 November 2020
Everybody Deserves A Home We got things started with a proclamation for National Housing Day, taking place on Sunday, November 22nd. Mayor Breen reminds us that “having a safe, secure home is a basic human right and a key pathway out of poverty.” To mark the occasion, we will see online events (such as a housing-needs assessment workshop), funder pitch-sessions, the launch of a video highlighting partners in the housing sector, a CMHC-hosted “Let’s Talk Housing” meeting (which took place Monday morning), and “a NIMBY campaign,” adds Deputy Mayor O’Leary.. For the uninitiated, NIMBY means “not in my backyard.” It’s a thinly-veiled pejorative phrase, carrying the sentiment that Greg (think: property-owner from Hot Fuzz) doesn’t have a problem with multiplexes per se, but he just doesn’t want them next to his three-thousand square-foot house and award-winning azaleas. That’s all. Rather than a NIMBY campaign (that truly sounds dreadful), I’m betting… Keep Reading
Shunned by Premier, Perry Trimper Strikes Out on His Own
Not only was Trimper not invited to join Premier Furey in his own district, but he wasn't even informed that Furey would be visiting at all. Keep Reading
We Found the Biggest Newfoundland Dog in Newfoundland
They’re big dogs, but there has to be a biggest. So we found him. But we met many a good dog along the way—all the biggest in someone’s heart. Keep Reading
How Budget Day Changed When Media Picked the Attendees
While stakeholder attendance at the lock-up was smaller than in previous years, representation changed significantly when media shaped the invite list. Keep Reading
Smallest Fish Nets Biggest Share of Profits
Capelin sold for higher prices in the marketplace this year—despite record low quotas hauled to shore by the province's saltwater cowboys and girls. Keep Reading
So Moved, St. John’s: 9 November 2020
The Downtown Pedestrian Mall is making a comeback for two weekends over the holiday season, complete with a musical soundtrack and roving bands of mummers. Keep Reading
So Moved, St. John’s: 2 November 2020
St. John's City Council never stops, so neither do we. Say hello to Jess Puddister, the Independent's new municipalites correspondent. Keep Reading
I Wrote Ches Crosbie’s Weird Instagram Posts
My hands tremble as I write these words, this foul admission of my greatest professional shame—and yet, I am filled with an incredible lightness. Keep Reading
Notes From the Rafters: War and Peace Edition (26/10/2020)
We had some laughs, we had some tears, and we had some detailed recaps of city council meetings in St. John's. Now it's time to ride off into the sunset. Keep Reading
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. Keep Reading
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. Keep Reading
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. Keep Reading
Notes From the Rafters: 13 October 2020
I’m going to spray paint “Edmundo! Fausto!” across the back of my jean jacket. Keep Reading
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. Keep Reading
LETTER: Hate, Silence, & the Responsibility of a Community
Here, people can’t afford to lose jobs. In the instance that someone does because of racist rhetoric, our failure to hold them accountable is compounded. Keep Reading
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. Keep Reading
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… Keep Reading
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. Keep Reading
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. Keep Reading