One of the larger oil companies in the world has chosen Newfoundland and Labrador as its first foray into the offshore.

QatarEnergy, based in the oil-rich Middle East, has become a player in our oil patch with a 40 per cent interest in the deep-water Flemish Pass. The company will hold a 40 percent piece in the license for where the Hampden exploration well activities are planned. ExxonMobil will hold the remaining interest.

Rob Strong, an industry analyst for decades, sees it as a good sign that the company is interested in this area. He says there are other places to drill which are less expensive and closer to shore.

He says the $64,000 question is why the company would choose Newfoundland and Labrador but he sees it as a good sign for the industry.

A new report outlines a warmer, wetter future for Newfoundland and Labrador, and one in which its northernmost community’s weather will nearly match that of St. John’s, far to the southeast.

The climate statistics contained in the 2021 Vital Signs report are compiled from 12 different projections, including a mix of government and academic data. That compilation shows that Labrador — in particular its northern coast — will be far warmer by 2100.

“There’s a bit of a range, but even in the lower projections, it’s quite dramatic,” said Rob Greenwood, the director of Memorial University’s Harris Centre, which releases the Vital Signs report annually.

Greenwood pointed to Nain, the northernmost year-round settlement in the province, as one example. Its current average winter temperature of –15 C, he said, will by 2100 rise to –5 C, a 10-degree difference that is “really significant,” and only 1.5 degrees cooler than St. John’s in the winter.

“Nain’s temperature will be nearly identical [to St. John’s] in summer,” Greenwood told CBC Radio’s Labrador Morning on Monday.

In the shorter term, by 2050, Nain will have four times as many thaw days in April as the present, he said — a huge problem to people who use the ice as a highway for months on end.

That statistic comes on the heels of a scanty ice season in 2020-21, where the ice set in five weeks late and Environment Canada records were shattered. Experts have said last winter could be a snapshot into what could be the average by 2050.

“As we know, the ice is such a key part of transportation and way of life for people on the Labrador coast,” said Greenwood.

The Janeway Pediatric Intensive Care Unit has been on diversion since October 20th because of an increased number of seriously ill patients.

That means that new patients to the ICU will have to be flown to IKW in Halifax., although as of today no patients had to diverted.

Eastern Health says the ICU in the Janeway has 4 beds with surge capacity for six patients in total. Because Unit has been at or near capacity, some shifts had to expanded.

VOCM news has been told by some healthcare staff that staffing shortages are to blame.

Eastern Health says it is the first time the diversion protocol has been enacted since 2019., and they say it is expected to be lifted with in the next few days.

Today is the last day for the Tradition and Transition’s Final event in St. John’s.

We spoke with the Executive Director for OK Society, Arlene Ikkusek, this morning on this event.

She says they did a tribute for our elders in the Tradition and Transition Project, and that it was really emotional and powerful day yesterday.

Ikkusek adds that there will be more presentations today such as Daughters of Mikak, Heritage Policy Landscapes of Nunatsiavut, and Double Mer and Hopedale Archeology.

Click here to find out more on the final event.

Today, Monday, October 25, Newfoundland and Labrador has 36 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the last public advisory.

In the Eastern Health region:

· Twenty-three under 20 years of age;
· Four between 20-39 years of age;
· One between 40-49 years of age;
· Three between 50-59 years of age;
· Two between 60-69 years of age; and
· Two 70 years of age and over.

There are 17 females and 18 males. Twelve cases are contacts of previous known cases, one case is related to travel within Canada and 22 are under investigation.

In the Central Health region:

· One between 20-39 years of age.

The case is a female and a contact of a previous known case.

Contact tracing by Public Health is underway and anyone considered a close contact has been advised regarding quarantine according to current guidelines.

There have been eight new recoveries, one in the Eastern Health region, five in the Central Health region and two in the Western Health region and 1,852 people have recovered. There is one person in hospital because of COVID-19. There are no new presumptive positive cases in the province.

There are currently 90 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. The regional breakdown of the active cases is as follows:

· Eastern Health – 74
· Central Health – 13
· Labrador-Grenfell Health – 0
· Western Health – 3

To date, 330,497 tests have been administered.

The Youth Centre in Nain are getting ready for Halloween this year.

Kim Oliver is the Regional Youth Service Manager with the Department of Health and Social Development.

She says youth are free to go to the Youth Centre after school to help set up the haunted house, have a snack, or do what they please.

On Thursday, October 28th, the Haunted House will be open from 8:30pm to 10pm.

There is no age limit to enter, there will be two people going in at a time, the entrance will be through the basement door in the back.

The entry fee to enter is $1.00 or however much they would like to donate, and all donations will be going to the Nain Care.

Ethan Angnatok with the Nigivik Centre will also be at the Youth Centre on Friday, October 29th to make some Halloween treats for anyone ages 13 years to 30 from 3:30 to 4:30pm.

The OKâlaKatiget Society has obtained funding for a Radio Producer Assistant.

This position will be for a period of approximately 20 weeks ending in March.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Researching story ideas
• Interviewing, story-writing
• Assisting radio producers with all aspects of radio production

The successful applicant must be willing to learn all aspects of radio production and possibly be able to produce their own youth shows with little assistance at the end of the project.

Youth will also assist with setting up audio library and upgrading radio press release files.

Qualifications are:

• Between the ages of 18-30
• A strong asset in Media Communications and current affairs
• Ability to work independently
• Knowledge of Inuttitut a strong asset

The salary will be $14 per hour plus 4% vacation pay.

The closing date is Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021.

Preference will be given to Nunatsiavut Beneficiaries and applications should be forwarded before 4pm on November 3 to:

OKâlaKatiget Society
P.O. Box 160
Nain, NL A0P-1L0

You can also email your applications to arlene.ikkusek@oksociety.com or eva.obed@oksociety.com, or call our office at (709) 922 2955, and our fax number is (709) 922-2293.

All residents of the province age 5 and older can now receive their flu shot in a community pharmacy for free.

Last year we had a number of measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 which also had the effect of reducing the spread of the flu virus. But the Pharmacists’ Association of Newfoundland and Labrador cautions not to become complacent.

President Janice Audeau says with workplaces and schools open, increased travel, and larger gatherings and reduced social distancing, the influenza virus will spread easier and quicker this year, making getting a flu shot this year more important than ever.

Last year, pharmacists administered over 90,000 flu shots or about 40 per cent of the total shots administered.

There are more than 200 community pharmacists across the province.

The MHA for Torngat Mountains has stepped down from the PC Party of Newfoundland and Labrador to sit as an Independent.

Lela Evans, who is from Makkovik, was first elected to the House of Assembly in the 2019 general election defeating incumbent Liberal Randy Edmunds.

She held on to the seat for the PCs earlier this year, receiving nearly 89 per cent of the vote.

In a letter sent to the party this morning, she offered her thanks for the support shown to her over the last two years, but says she’s come to believe that the PC Party is not the right party for her, or her district.

She says she will continue to fight to “expose the long history of provincial government neglect that has resulted in the large gaps in services and infrastructure” in her district.

Story courtesy of VOCM.

Today is OKalaKatiget Society’s 39th Anniversary.

Carol Gear of Makkovik is the President for OKalaKatiget Society.

She sends her Congratulations to both Radio and the Television Departments of OK and all the work that been ongoing over years.

Click here as we speak with Carol Gear.