Over 320 athletes from across the big land are in Happy Valley-Goose Bay this week for the return of the Labrador Winter Games.

The games kicked off yesterday with opening ceremonies after being postponed in 2021 due to COVID-19.

Sports include both outdoor and indoor activities, with 19 communities competing for the Labrador Cup.

Board member and volunteer Randy Letto says they’re expecting a large turnout for the return of the event.

He says they’re expecting lots of spectators and supporters over the next week. The committee has already received a lot of positive response from people who are excited to see the event return for their 40th anniversary.

With unseasonably mild temperatures across Labrador in recent weeks, Letto says they’re keeping a close eye on the forecast.

He says a few outdoor events may need to be adjusted due to a lack of snow at some venues, but he does not expect there to be any major delays due to mother nature.

BMO Financial Group (BMO) is working with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) to ensure that personal protective equipment (PPE) is available to communities across Inuit Nunangat that need it most.

More than 113,900 masks, 563,000 wipes and 438 gallons of sanitizer have been delivered to help protect Inuit during the pandemic in communities throughout Nunavut, Nunavik, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and Nunatsiavut.

“Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is pleased to make connections between Inuit regions and corporate partners such as BMO that have the means to help our communities,” said Natan Obed, President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. “Inuit are especially vulnerable to severe impacts from COVID-19 as a result of long-standing inequalities affecting, among other things, the ability of many Inuit to access clean water for hand washing, and adequate housing for isolating if COVID-19 is suspected or confirmed. We all have a role in addressing these gaps, and I am grateful to the team at BMO for this contribution of personal protective equipment for Inuit regions at this critical time.”

“At BMO, we have close and long-standing relationships with Indigenous customers and communities across Canada through our Indigenous Banking Group and our Indigenous Advisory Council,” said Mike Bonner, Head, BMO Canadian Business Banking. “These ties helped us identify an opportunity to support a number of communities in need, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit. In the case of the Inuit communities across Inuit Nunangat, we are grateful to ITK for their partnership which was pivotal to getting protective equipment into the hands of people in communities that need it the most.”

The PPE shipment to Inuit Nunangat is part of a larger program at BMO to get protective gear into dozens of Indigenous communities across Canada with the help of community leaders and organizations like ITK, WASAC, First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres and Yellowquill College. To date nearly 150,000 face masks, 500 gallons of sanitizer and 750,000 wipes have been delivered to First Nations and Métis communities from coast to coast and to Inuit communities across Inuit Nunangat.

Story Courtesy of the ITK.

The Provincial Government continues to recognize that the global pressures causing the high cost of living are placing a strain on households across the province. Building on more than half a billion dollars in cost-of-living relief since Budget 2022, the Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, today announced that the Provincial Government will be expanding the oil to electric rebate program for residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The initiative, funded through Budget 2023, will assist residents looking to switch from oil furnaces to electricity heating technologies.

The Provincial Government is currently working with the Federal Government on a new multi-year funding program to expand their collective efforts for residential home heating rebates. The program will support approximately 10,000 homeowners to transition their homes from oil heat to electric heat.

The expanded rebate program will be available for low to high income ranges. Rebates will be a minimum of $5,000, and may increase based on income level and the type of heating system installation. The program will continue to be administered by the province’s electric utilities and will provide an option to pay the rebate directly to installers to help alleviate upfront costs to homeowners.

Further details on the new program will be provided at a later date.

This expansion is made possible in part from funding announced by the Federal Government in September 2022 through the Low Carbon Economy Fund to make home heating more affordable. This funding is meant to be complementary to the federal Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Grant launched in February 2023. These investments will support provinces and territories with programming to help Canadians switch from oil furnaces to electricity heating technologies, including more energy-efficient heat pump systems.

The SmartICE is happy to say that the operators have completed training in all 5 Nunatsiavut communities.

Rex Holwell Jr. is the Manager for the Nunatsiavut Operations.

He says they are able to go out and around their communities once a week to monitor the ice.

Holwell says the ice about 3 feet thick between Nain and Tâktok pontoon crossing.

Click here to find out more with Holwell Jr.

The Cape Makkovik Cup Ice Hockey tournament is scheduled to be held from March 31st to April 2nd of this year.

In both men and women’s divisions, you must be between the ages of 14 and up with 9 players per team and maximum of 11 players; anyone under the age of 18 must sign a waiver.

The registration fee is $360 and must be submitted by March 22nd; this is to cover the ice time fees and prize items.

The Makkovik Minor Hockey will also be selling t-shirts, buffs, and tickets to fundraise at the canteen in the lobby of the arena for the association’s general funds.

To submit your team and registration fee, you can send it by email to makkovikminorhockey@gmail.com.

The Nain Department of Health and Social Development would like to notify the public that the Wooding Program will be not going ahead anytime soon.

We spoke with Rutie Lampe who is the Mental Health worker.

She says right now the current ice conditions and temperatures for the Wooding group is a bit too risky.

She adds they have one wood hauler made and are hoping to get another one made.

Lampe says they are hoping to do one more wooding trip before the ice condition gets worse.

Residents of Newfoundland and Labrador are reminded that Daylight Savings Time begins this weekend. At 2 am on Sunday, March 12, clocks should be set one hour ahead.

When adjusting clocks, residents are encouraged to take the opportunity to change the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

The Department of Justice and Public Safety advises that smoke alarms are required to be installed in the following areas of a residence:

• On every level of your home, including the basement;
• In every bedroom; and
• In the hallway or room outside of every bedroom or separate sleeping area.

It is recommended that households or cabins that have a wood, oil or propane fuel-fired appliance also have a carbon monoxide detector installed on each level of the structure.

Beginning in 1975 during the International Women’s Year, March 8 is celebrated annually around the world as International Women’s Day.

This day is a way to celebrate the achievements of women, girls and gender diverse peoples as well as a call to action for gender equality.

The Circumpolar Council Canada and Pauktuutit, Inuit Women’s Canada were honoring International Women’s Day by joining together to learn, collaborate and celebrate a couple days ago.

Pauktuutit delivered a workshop this week to Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC)
Staff to ensure the different needs and social experiences of Inuit women, girls and gender diverse Inuit are reflected in all of ICC Canada’s work, while respecting the unique characteristics of Inuit culture, values, and principals.

Incorporating an Inuit-Specific Gender- based Analysis Plus (GBA) framework is essential to better understand the many factors that shaped the lived reality of Inuit living both within and outside of Inuit Nunaat.

Both groups look forward to their organizations continuing to work closely together to advance equality for Inuit women, girls and gender diverse Inuit.

For more information check out: #inuitwomwn #International Women’s Day #WD2023 #Inuit.

The Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation launched its Telethon with an event at Peacock Primary School in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

It’s the first time the annual fundraiser has been launched in Labrador, and Telethon manager, Ruth Squires said they couldn’t be more excited.

The annual fundraises for important equipment for the Janeway Children’s Hospital in St. John’s which serves the entire province.

The 39th annual Janeway Children’s Miracle Network Telethon will be broadcast on NTV on Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4.

This year’s goal is $2.5 million to purchase highly specialized pieces of surgical and diagnostic imaging equipment.

Story courtesy of VOCM News.

The Atsanik Inn are pleased to announce that they have new staff members currently working here in Nain at the hotel.

We spoke with Andrew Flynn who is the General Manager at Atsanik Inn.

He says they will be launching their new menu in the upcoming weeks.

Click here to find out more.