These days a disruption in Facebook service is more than a minor inconvenience.

Many businesses do business via Facebook, while others rely on Facebook messenger to communicate with others.

All that was affected yesterday by a major global disruption in service that affected Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. That disruption lasted at least five hours with no immediate word on the cause.

Facebook Communications spokesperson, Andy Stone took to Twitter yesterday to announced that the company was aware that people were having trouble accessing their apps and products and that they were working to get things back to normal as soon as possible.

The outage came on the same day that the social media network giant asked the US courts to dismiss a new antitrust complaint made against it by the US Federal Trade Commission.

The 5th Annual Memorial Grace Iris Miriam Jararuse Flowers Ball Hockey Tournament has a new scheduled date for Friday, November 5th to the 7th.

The tournament will take place at the Nain Jeremias Sillitt Community Centre.

For the 12 and under division on November 5th.

On Saturday, November 6th, will be Women’s / Female division.

And Mens division 13 and up.

It’s Fire Prevention Week in Newfoundland and Labrador with the theme “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.”

People are being encouraged, for example, to learn what their smoke alarms sound like. A continuous set of three loud beeps means there’s smoke or fire; a single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery needs to be replaced and continued chirping after a new battery is put in means the alarm is at the end of its life and needs to be replaced.

The Marystown Volunteer Fire Department, under the guidance of Fire Chief Justin Bolt, has already conducted several activities, many of them aimed at children.

He says it helps to instill good habits at a young age, which then transfer to the rest of their household when they bring that knowledge home.

The Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development says he’s optimistic that more foster families can be found to reduce the number of Indigenous children in care outside their communities.

John Abbott says while there are still Indigenous children from Labrador in care on the island, numbers are changing.

He says there are more children staying with their families in their communities, maintaining that important cultural connection.

“Sometimes it’s essential” that children are removed he says, but they “only do that in consultation with Indigenous leadership in those communities.”

The Kamutik W has been having mechanical issues on its way to the North Coast the last few days.

MHA for the Torngat Mountains District, Lela Evans has been talking with Labrador Marine several times this morning.

She says the Kamutik W has now arrived in Makkovik and that a technician will be arriving there approximately noon today to assess the mechanical issue. Once that is complete Labrador Marine will be providing an update, including a plan for the passengers.

Hopefully, it is a quick fix and the Kamutik continues her journey up the coast, if not then arrangements will have to be put in place to deal with the passengers.

Evans is asking people to be patient and to wait for the technician’s assessment.

She is also putting in a request to the Minister of Transportation and his department to ensure that passengers are not stranded if the mechanical issues prevent the Kamutik W from keeping to the schedule.

Alternate arrangements will be required for the passengers on the ferry and those with reservations (boat plane).

Evans would also like to thank Labrador Marine for sharing their information and discussing the issues arising from this mechanical issue.

The Rigolet Inuit Community Government have been busy this past Summer and into new Fall season.

Charlotte Wolfrey is the AngajukKâk for Rigolet.

She says they have been doing an investigation on their water and sewer lines.

They did find a leak and will try to find some money to locate the leak.

Wolfrey adds that they been working with a company from Quebec that has a mechanic to learn about their equipment and to help them learn how to repair things that aren’t working.

Click here to find out more.

Today, Monday, October 4, Newfoundland and Labrador has 15 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the last public advisory. Contact tracing by Public Health is underway and anyone considered a close contact has been advised regarding quarantine according to current guidelines.

In the Eastern Health region:

· One between 50-59 years of age.

The case is a male and is under investigation.

In the Central Health region:

· One under 20 years of age;
· Two between 20-39 years of age;
· Three between 40-49 years of age;
· Four between 50-59 years of age; and
· Three 70 years of age and older.

There are four females and nine males. One case is related to travel within Canada and the others are under investigation.

In the Western Health region:

· One between 20-39 years of age.

The case is a male and is under investigation.

There have been four new recoveries in the Central Health region and 1,642 people have recovered. There are 14 people in hospital because of COVID-19, seven in non-critical care and seven in critical care.

There is one new presumptive positive case in the province. Once presumptive positive cases are confirmed positive, they are reported in public updates as new confirmed cases.

There are currently 160 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

The regional breakdown of the active cases is as follows:

· Eastern Health – 16
· Central Health – 140
· Labrador-Grenfell Health – 0
· Western Health – 4

To date, 310,959 tests have been administered.

The SmartICE team are busy assembling SmartBUOYS to get them ready for the winter season.

Rex Holwell Jr. is the Northern Production Lead.

He says the team are still in the production stage and made six buoys out of 14 so far.

They are also planning to hire youth in Hopedale, Makkovik and Nain for a part time position in the near future.

The youth will be trained to provide updates about the ice along the coast, follow along with the Smart Ice Operators and more.

Holwell Jr will also be setting up a Community Engagement Committee for elders to give him advice about where to put the buoys and more.

There will be a workshop also on getting to know the Inuit Dialects

There will be more information about the positions and workshops once it becomes available.

Next year’s Nunatsiavut Stewardship Calendar photos have been selected and all winners have been notified.

Congratulations to all the winners, Mitchell Lawlor, Lucas Merkuratsuk, Samantha Jacque, Joan Dicker, Sophie Tuglavina, Dawn Winters, Gus A. Dicker, Holly Andersen, Stephanie Webb, and Gary Andersen, who took this year’s cover photo.

Thank you to all who submitted and keep in mind that they do this contest each year, and you submit your photos to meredith.purcell@torngatsecretarit.ca.

For those wanting a calendar this year, they’ll be ordering more than usual.

Stay tuned to their page to see them when they’re printed and sent to communities for pick up.

There will be a Marine Mammal Observation Workshop here in Nain.

Kayla Wyatt is the Food & Environment Skills Program Coordinator with the Nunatsiavut Government.

She says there are 10 spots available and are hoping to have 2 people from each of the communities along the coast.

There will be 2 days of in-class training on marine mammals such as seals, whales, porpoises, about identification, differences, monitoring, etc.

She says that they will also have a day where they’ll be going out in boat to look for marine mammals to do the observations that they learned in the class.

Wyatt adds that all expenses will be covered and there will be honorariums for participating.

This will be for ages 18 years or older to participate in this training.

If you have any questions or is interested in registering, you can message her through Facebook or email her at kayla.wyatt@nunatsiavut.com.