First Light is a community based, Non-profit, registered charity. Set in the capital city of Newfoundland & Labrador.

Elizabeth Anderson is the receptionist at First light in St. John’s.

She says there’s a list of events you can choose from on their website at sjnfc.wildapricot.org.

A sit & knit will be held today from 2-3pm. Please be advised that this session is being held virtually through zoom.

The Breath program provides a safe place for parents to practice self-care it is open to participants who have children/care for children that are under 12 years of age.

You can also join in for relaxing evening of beginner’s yoga, right from your own home. Please be advised that this session is also being held virtually through zoom.

The Teen Program will be starting off the month of February with an introduction of smudging. Each participant will receive there own smudging kit available for ages 13-17 years of age.

Pick-up for smudge kits will be available today January 31st at 716 water street. If you do not have transportation, you can contact cody.firstlightnl.ca to discuss accommodations. They will also be holding a virtual Community culture circle for First Nation drumming. And hold a talking circle and smudge the drumming for the rest of the day.

For more information, you can visit their website at sjnfc.wildapricot.org.

If you noticed a big increase in your most recent hydro bill, you are not alone. The issue has dominated discussion in recent days on VOCM open line and on social media., Newfoundland Power says that many customers are encountering might simply be associated with heating costs in the dead of winter.

The last change in electricity rates a 2.5 percent increase, came in July. Newfoundland power says if your main heat source is electric then you have seen an increase. Electric base board heaters have to work harder in colder weather and the high winds experienced of late aren’t making things any easier. In many parts of the province the number of days with high winds have been above average over the last month.

Newfoundland Power suggests that more people working home and kids learning virtually for most part of January have also had an impact on electric bills.

The power utility says customers should check the number of kilowatt hours used and the number of billing days when comparing one month over other.

Story Courtesy of VOCM news.

An agreement was signed last Monday between Cree and Innu Nations of Quebec sets out of serious protocols and will allow Innu hunting parties to harvest caribou on Chisasibi traditional territory.

Allowing Innu hunters to harvest 300 caribou this winter on Cree traditional territory in Chisasibi.

The agreement was signed during a virtual ceremony last Monday afternoon.

The 300 caribou from the Leaf River herd are being gifted to the nine communities of the Innu Nation and are coming out of a guaranteed Cree harvest of 850 that is part of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement signed in 1995.

The pandemic means that the NunatuKavut Community Council’s Annual General meeting will be this weekend.

2022 marks the 35th year as an Organization for the group that represents residents of central and Southeastern Labrador with Inuit ancestry.

Premier Andrew Furey and Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation, Lisa Dempster will speak to the gathering virtually.

There has been a lot of changes around Nunatsiavut since COVID hit our communities.

Susan Onalik is the Speaker for the Nunatsiavut Government.

She says the assembly sitting was held on January 25th and was held virtually for the second time and met for only one day instead of two.

The question that members have asked was largely due to COVID and what was happening in the communities.

Onalik adds that the next sitting will be held on the week of March 7 to 11.

Click here to hear Onalik later in the AtjiKangitut program.

Today, Friday, January 28, 2022, Newfoundland and Labrador has 265 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the last update on January 27.

There are 20 people in hospital because of COVID-19, 12 in non-critical care and eight in critical care. There have been 297 new recoveries – 215 in the Eastern Health region, 10 in the Central Health region, 63 in the Western Health region and nine in the Labrador-Grenfell region, and 14,231 people have recovered.

The breakdown of the 265 cases is as follows:

· Eastern Health region – 155
· Central Health region – 53
· Western Health region – 28
· Labrador-Grenfell Health region – 29

There are currently 2,478 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. The regional breakdown of the active cases is as follows:

· Eastern Health – 1,903
· Central Health – 222
· Labrador-Grenfell Health – 105
· Western Health – 248

A total of 1,759 tests were completed since yesterday. To date, 478,068 tests have been administered.

All of Newfoundland and Labrador is in modified Alert Level 4 at this time. This Alert Level will be reassessed again on January 31, 2022.

The Nain DHSD was holding Bell Let’s Talk Day activities last week.

Using a hashtag “Bell Let’s Talk Nain”, they had participants put in an entry to win a 75″ Pelican Sled, a 100-dollar gas/oil certificate and a 50-dollar gas/oil certificate.

In total, they had 624 participants who used the hashtag and who joined in on our weeklong daily challenges, and the winner of the prize draws for January 26th are:

1st winner for the 75-inch Pelican Sled was Jane Merkuratsuk
2nd winner for the $100 gas/oil was Rose Nochasak, and
3rd winner for the $50 gas/oil was Christine Dicker

Each name was drawn from the “Wheel of Names” with a live video to show for each draw.

Your local Mental Health and Addictions team, Rutie Lampe, Elsie Russell and Craig Wyatt would like to thank everyone for their participation, their interest, and the use of the Bell Lets Talk Nain hashtag.

This was fun, interesting and a very well held weeklong activity. They hope to do something like this in the near future and are looking forward to future activities they may hold along with the same high numbers of interest.

Take care everyone, stay safe and be kind.

The Nunatsiavut DHSD is asking all community members to do a good deed for one of the seniors aged 55 and up in your community.

This will run for one week ending on Tuesday, February 1st at 3pm.

Your name will be entered each time you do a good deed, there is not a limit on how many deeds you can do for the week; the only thing they would like for you to make sure of is that it is a different senior each time.

Examples of good deeds for seniors:

– Chopping/sawing/piling wood (no contact)
– Bake a treat and leave it at their door step (no contact)
– Call or message a senior and ask how they’re doing or have a random chat with them.
– Pick something up for them (no contact)
– Make a card of gratitude for them and deliver (no contact)
– Give a small gift
– Shovel around their property (no contact)

No deed is too big or too small. You can comment or post a picture of yourself doing the good deed on Hopedale DHSD Facebook page.

This is open to everyone in your community and draws for prizes will be done by the end of next week.

Any questions please call Beverly Hunter at 933-3354 Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm or email at beverly.hunter@nunatsiavut.com.

Individuals with a valid MCP who received an approved medical exemption for COVID-19 vaccination may now download a QR code to their NLVaxPass.

The approved medical exemption QR code will only work in Newfoundland and Labrador. Individuals with an approved medical exemption who do not have a valid MCP card may continue to use a signed Valid Medical Exemption for COVID-19 Vaccination letter as proof of an approved medical exemption.

As well, there is an update in the app that allows individuals who are fully vaccinated to be able to view their Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination QR code. This may be used for travel instead of the pdf document.

NLVaxPass and the NLVaxVerify apps will need to be updated on devices in order for individuals to download their QR code and for the verification of the QR code.

Instructions on how to get the NLVaxPass and NLVaxVerify, as well as how to download QR codes, are available on the COVID-19 website.

The Nunatsiavut Government wishes to report that there are currently no known active cases of COVID-19 in any of the five Labrador Inuit communities.

All of the 27 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the community of Nain have recovered.

Public health officials have advised that it is likely that the virus that causes COVID-19 will eventually be present in all communities. Individuals with symptoms, with no known exposure to the virus, should contact 811 or
complete the online assessment tool at COVID Assessment and Referral at nlchi.nl.ca to determine if testing is required.

Residents of all Labrador Inuit communities are asked to keep following all public health guidance and protocols, including those around isolation.

Please note that the second vaccine dose for children between five and 11 years of age will begin in all Labrador Inuit communities in early February. The vaccine is a still available for those 12 years of age and over for first and second shots, and to those 18 years of age and over for first, second and booster shots. To make an appointment, please contact your community Public Health office.

Click here to hear more from First Minister Tyler Edmunds on the update.