Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe says he was pleased to learn this week of the appointment of Stacy Ryan, a Beneficiary of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Ms. Ryan spent the better part of the past 20 years practicing family and criminal law throughout Labrador, and certainly has a grasp of the justice issues and concerns facing the region – particularly within Nunatsiavut,” notices President Lampe.

“On behalf of the Nunatsiavut Government, and indeed all Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, I want to extend my congratulations to Madame Justice Ryan. This is a proud moment for all Labrador Inuit.”

Born and raised in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Justice Ryan graduated from Memorial University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts, and from the University of New Brunswick in 1999 with a Bachelor of Laws.

She was called to the Bar in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2000, and was appointed Master of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2015.

She has been an active member of the community for years, through various volunteer roles as a member of the Board of Governors with the College of the North Atlantic.

As coordinator of the Jack Rabbit Cross Country Ski Program in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and in various other sports-related activities.

Most recently, she was appointed a trustee of the Board of Trustees for the Labrador-Grenfell Regional Health Authority, a member of the Board of Directors of the Mokami Status of Womens Council, and a member of the Labrador Regional Appeals Board.

Today, Friday, March 26th marks the 46th anniversary of the Labrador Inuit Association (LIA).

LIA was officially established in October 1973, but it wasn’t formally recognized until it was incorporated on March 26, 1975.

The Nunatsiavut Government observes the incorporation and importance of the LIA with a statutory holiday.

The LIA transitioned into the Nunatsiavut Government on December 1, 2005, following the ratification of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement in June 2005.

All Nunatsiavut Departments are closed today Friday, March 26th, 2021.

The province of Newfoundland and Labrador will be going back into Alert Level 2 at 12:01 am Saturday, March 27th, 2021.

Meghan Hudson is the Public Health Nurse for the Department of Health and Social Development here in Nain.

Hudson says that households now can increase the number of people who are allowed in your bubble which is up to 20.

Gym and fitness centers can now open with accordance to guidelines set by the province.

Click here to find out more about what guidelines are within Alert Level 2.

Today (Thursday, March 25), Newfoundland and Labrador has no new confirmed cases of COVID-19.

There is one active case of COVID-19 in the province in the Eastern Health region.

There are two new recoveries in the Eastern Health region meaning 1,004 people have recovered. No one is in hospital due to COVID-19.

To date, 123,065 people have been tested.

There are no new presumptive positive cases.

Public Health has determined that the case reported yesterday in the Eastern Health region was a close contact of a previous known case.

Effective Saturday, March 27, the entire province will move to Alert Level 2.

The Makkovik Moravian Church Online Auction for the month of March raised $1,087.00.

Carol Gear is the organizer of the site on Facebook and she says to date she has raised $51,726.00.

Gear says that anyone who would like to donate any items can contact her through Facebook, messenger or just give her a call.

Once again Carol would like to thank everyone for their donations and to the bidders as well.

The next Online Auction will be started on April 14th, 2021.

The Nunatsiavut Government reviewed this week housing repair applications for the five north coast communities.

Brian Lyall is the Implementation Analyst for the Nunatsiavut Government.

Lyall says that there were approximately one hundred applications and selections were not made, this will be done once inspections have been made to homes and Lyall expects this to be done sometime next month.

Lyall adds that the applications that went in this year for home repair will be done next year, and last year’s applications for home repair will be done this year.

Elections Newfoundland and Labrador wishes to advise that the results of the 2021 Provincial General Election will be publicized via news release this Saturday, March 27 at noon.

The results will also be posted on the Elections Newfoundland and Labrador website at www.elections.gov.nl.ca.

As required by law, the official addition of the votes will take place on Tuesday, March 30.

After the official addition is complete, the winning candidates will be declared elected and election result to be announced this Saturday, March 27 at noon.

The Community Freezers in each of the five Nunatsiavut Inuit communities, as well as in Upper Lake Melville, had a supply of caribou and muskox meat distributed to Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement.

Through an arrangement with Kivalliq Arctic Foods in Ranklin Inlet, Nunavut, the Nunatsiavut Government managed to secure about 4,000 kilograms of caribou and 3,000 kilograms of muskox.

On Tuesday, March 23, we aired the community freezer update with Nain.

The beneficiaries of Hopedale received all their caribou, expect for the ones that travelled out of town. So, they will deliver those once they arrive back.

Sometime this week they will receive their Musk Ox, but they are unsure yet.

Beneficiaries in Postville received all their caribou. There is no news on when they will receive the Musk Ox.

The beneficiaries of Rigolet received all their Caribou Meat, and they will receive more caribou meat after the Easter Break.

The Musk Ox will be given out after the Easter Break as well.

We will have the community of Makkovik once they become available.

The Nunatsiavut Government is advising Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, 18 years of age and older and residing within the Labrador-Grenfell Health region, that the COVID-19 vaccine will be available starting next week.

Clinics will be set up in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador West, Churchill Falls and on the Northern Peninsula.

Beneficiaries interested in receiving the vaccine can register online at: portal.healthmyself.net.

Please enter Authorization Code BGLDSTRNG21 and select appointment type “Covid-19 Vaccine Dose 1 (by invitation only)”.

Individuals without online access can call toll-free at 1-833-960-3643 to register.

The entire province is moving to Alert Level 2 this weekend, as of 12 midnight on Friday. But with the continued risk of the spread of variants, things this time around will look a little different.

At Alert level 2, our focus is to control transmission while maintaining health system capacity throughout further re-opening of social and business activities.

That means many businesses will not be able to open to reduce capacity, and sports will be able to resume, albeit with certain restrictions which were not previously in place.

The maximum number of people for formal gatherings is being cautiously raised to 50. That includes wedding, funerals, and faith-based services.

Outdoor playgrounds and equipment can be used, where owner/operators allow.

Child-care services can operate at full-capacity.

Restaurants, bars, and lounges can now reopen to in-person dining up to 50 percent capacity.

The single most important thing to remember is to keep is to keep contacts low. Dr. Fitzgerald is recommending a “steady 20” which is the maximum number of close consistent friends or family members per household.

Sports teams and organized activities will be able to resume. Although tournaments will not be allowed without a Return to Play Plan submission which will have to be approved by officials.

Dr. Fitzgerald is recommending that a mask be worn at all times in indoor settings or where physical distancing cannot be maintained. That includes low-impact physical activity.

Dr. Fitzgerald says if numbers spike we will and return to lockdown.