Labour Market News

Want to find out more about local or provincial labour market history? The labour market news archive may be a good place to start.

In this section, you can browse archived news titles, whose links are no longer functional, for up to one year from the current date. The archived news can help you understand the labour market trends in geographic areas and industries that are of interest to you.

• Week of 2024-11-01 to 2024-11-07

  • Labrador Marine has seen an increase in passenger and private vehicle traffic on the Strait of Belle Isle compared to the last two years while commercial vehicle and tour bus numbers were down over the same time period.

    vocm.com

  • Equinor has completed its exploratory drilling in the Newfoundland offshore at Sitka and Cappahayden South, where no major commercially significant discoveries were made. Equinor says this will not impact the progression of its Bay du Nord project.

    vocm.com

  • The N.L. Government has announced that the replacement for St. Clare's Mercy Hospital will be built near the St. John's-Paradise border on Nils Way off Kenmount Road.

    cbc.ca

  • The refurbishment of the SeaRose vessel, which is used to produce, store and offload oil extracted from the White Rose field off of Newfoundland, has been finished. Production must resume by the end of the year, according to the Alberta oil company Cenovus. Once it is brought back into service, the province's four major offshore oil projects will be in production again. By 2029, Cenovus aims to extract up to 80,000 barrels of crude oil per day

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)

  • The federal government has announced draft regulations to implement an oil and gas emissions cap. The new regulations will give producers 4 years to phase in emission cuts to 35% below 2019 levels, but do not limit production. Final regulations aren't expected until spring 2025.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Crown Attorneys Association says it’s critical to hire more prosecutors as they face a lack of staff and overwhelming workloads that result in burnout and departures. The Happy Valley-Goose Bay office has 5 lawyers carrying between 200-300 files but all regions across the province are experiencing significant challenges.

    cbc.ca

  • Newfoundland Power's long-term plan is to invest $800M over the next 5 years to replace distribution lines, backup generators, substations and install new system management software. Newfoundland Power is a division of St. John's based Fortis Incorporated.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced a $20M investment in public safety over the next 2 years to enhance policing services. It includes 5 new RCMP officers for Happy Valley-Goose Bay, 19 additional officers for 2026-27 with locations to be determined, and an intimate partner violence unit leadership position.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • The Gathering Place’s Mercy House expansion in St. John’s has been completed and will feature a new emergency shelter as well as 52 supportive and transitional living spaces and access to other supports. The N.L. Government provided $2M to the project along with about $3.5M in operating funding, while the Government of Canada provided $5.9M.

    vocm.com

  • The Government of Canada has announced $4M in funding over 5 years for the Wabanaki-Labrador Indigenous Health Research Network. The network is composed of Indigenous community members and organizations, as well as researchers in the Atlantic region.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-10-25 to 2024-10-31

  • The new early childhood educator benefit package came into effect on October 1, 2024 in which the N.L. Government pays 60% for workers in regulated centres, with workers/employers covering the extra 40%. The program is expected to have a positive impact on recruitment and retention and expand space availability.

    vocm.com

  • JL Investments has been awarded a $1.18M contract for the demolition of the old CNR Bridge on Terminal Service Road in Port aux Basques. Design work is expected to happen over the winter with construction set to begin in 2025.

    vocm.com

  • Over $33.5M in housing projects will be awarded through the National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc. to 5 Atlantic organizations: Wenjikwom Housing Commission Society (Truro), Tawaak Housing Assoc. (Halifax), Native Council of PEI, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Ksalsuti Wellness Resources (Oromocto).

    canada.ca

  • A new report from the Canadian Centre for Health Information shows that in 2021-2022, N.L. had a net gain in registered nurses and nurse practitioners but a net loss of physicians. There were 71 family physicians that entered the workforce and 117 that left it, for a net loss of 46.

    vocm.com

  • Labrador communities continue to be underserved in veterinary care with more veterinarians needed for the region. The veterinarian shortage is also causing a rise in veterinary care costs as fewer clinic workers generate more overtime and higher pay. Base salaries have also been increasing to attract more people to the profession.

    cbc.ca

  • The waitlist for the only licensed Francophone daycare in Newfoundland and Labrador is exploding. In fact, according to management, around 250 names are on the list, which is almost 10 times the total number of spots at the centre. The daycare in St. John’s is managed by the Centre de la petite enfance et famille Les p’tits cerfs-volants.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)
• Week of 2024-10-18 to 2024-10-24

  • The construction phase of the new mental health and addictions facility in St. John’s is now complete. The operational phase has begun as staff transition from the Waterford Hospital to the new facility. April is the target for moving patients. The new facility will have 350 staff that includes 29 new positions.

    vocm.com

  • Scotiabank has permanently closed its branch in Grand Bank and Flower's Cove last week as the banking giant continues to consolidate some of its rural branches across Newfoundland and Labrador announced in 2023. Other affected communities included Twillingate, Lewisporte, Bonavista, Burgeo, Deer Lake, and Whitbourne.

    cbc.ca

  • US-based educational tech company Carnegie Learning has opened its Canadian headquarters in St. John's. The company makes educational games for grades K-12 using AI-driven software. The St. John's office will focus on a new K-6 math game initially started by local tech startup Clockwork Fox Studios, which was bought out by Carnegie in 2021.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-10-11 to 2024-10-17

  • According to the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association a medical administrative staffing shortage is preventing many family doctors from extending their hours running after hours clinics.

    vocm.com

  • The federal government will fund up to $6.8M over 5 years to the Organic Federation of Canada to help them partner on research into the benefits of sustainable farming practices and address challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, soil health and water quality.

    canada.ca

  • St. John’s-based Avalon Holographics has secured just over $1M in provincial funding to Advance 3D holographic display technology. The company is investing another $1.7M in the project.

    vocm.com

  • The Longshoremen’s Protective Union is concerned foreign seafarers are currently performing the work of unionized dockers that includes loading and offloading cruise ships in N.L., impacting local employment. The union represents 200 workers in the St. John’s area and 100 in the Corner Brook region.

    vocm.com

  • A $50M 20 year-lease contract has been awarded to Marco Group Ltd. for the new Humber Valley-White Bay Community Health Centre in Deer Lake that will consolidate all existing regional health care services. Construction begins this fall with completion in spring 2026. Doctors (5), nurse practitioners (5), and registered and licensed practical nurses have been hired with more recruitment underway.

    cbc.ca

  • The Association of Atlantic Universities states that international student enrolment has dropped by about 11% or 3000 people in Atlantic Canada. According to a consultant group those students would have added around $163M to the economy.

    thewave.ca

  • The Atlantic Economic Council’s latest research report “Shifting Gears Toward an Electric Vehicle Future.” highlights barriers to EV growth in Atlantic Canada that include higher up-front costs and limited access to charging stations. PEI has the country’s 4th highest EV adoption rate at 7.4% (2023), while N.L. ranked second last at 2.8%.

    vocm.com

  • The Government of Canada has announced joint federal/provincial funding of $1.45M for 10 tourism-related projects in western Newfoundland that will improve infrastructure and accessibility including trail construction, support for local cultural and art programs, and enhanced marketing efforts.

    canada.ca

  • Scotiabank has closed its branch in Grand Bank as of October 17, 2024 after a 114-year presence in the community.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2024-10-04 to 2024-10-10

  • The total amount of fish being processed outside the province has increased significantly following regulatory changes made at the provincial level earlier this year. Over 1.5M pounds of fish was sent out of N.L. for processing up to August 27, 2024 compared to about 42k pounds in 2023, and about 46k pounds in 2022.

    vocm.com

  • The Department of Education announced interim staffing measures at E.A. Butler All Grade (McKays) for Principal/Assistant Principal positions as they work to put a permanent administrative team in place. Additional substitute teachers have also been approved along with a new job posting for a full-time permanent substitute teacher.

    vocm.com

  • A prisoners’ advocacy organization is struggling to deliver programs at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary in St. John’s due to a lack of correctional officers at the facility.

    vocm.com

  • Professional associations say a shortage of medical radiation technologists in N.L. combined with an aging population’s increasing demand for essential imaging exams, have increased wait times. This challenge is mirrored across Canada and further challenged with insufficient training facilities and early retirements.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced over $1.3M to 6 projects through the Green Transition Fund including Deer Lake Regional Airport Authority ($101k), Labrador Leasing Ltd. ($222k), Newfoundland Power Inc. ($102k), North Atlantic Refining Ltd. ($747k), Nunacor Development Corp. ($40k) and Pennecon Hydraulic Systems Ltd. ($149k).

    vocm.com

  • Ottawa wants to convert the site of a tax centre, on Empire Avenue in St. John’s, to affordable housing. The property is one of the 14 added to the Canada Public Land Bank on Tuesday, thus becoming available for housing development. The 4.69-hectare site is located at 290 Empire Avenue.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)

  • N.L. is taking the lead to establish a world-class Atlantic Wildfire Centre located at the Gander International Airport supported in part through a $32M cost-shared, 4-year investment in partnership with Natural Resources Canada that will strengthen and enhance efforts to protect Atlantic Canada’s communities and forests.

    www.gov.nl.ca
• Week of 2024-09-27 to 2024-10-03

  • An Indigenous-led consortium has acquired Newdock also known as St. John’s Dockyard Ltd. The consortium is made up of Horizon Naval Engineering, Qalipu First Nation and Nova Scotia-based Membertou First Nation. The sale is expected to close in early October and lead to greater economic opportunities.

    cbc.ca

  • Trident Construction has been awarded a $5.7M provincial government contract for the erection of a Bailey bridge spanning the Narrows and connecting the two sides of Marystown. The project is estimated to be completed by the end of 2026.

    vocm.com

  • The Government of Canada has transferred over $16M to N.L. under the Canada Community-Building Fund for the first payment of the 2024-2025 fiscal year that will help communities across the province invest in local infrastructure priorities including drinking water, wastewater, public transit, and community energy systems.

    canada.ca

  • Legislation to regulate offshore wind development in N.S. and N.L. has cleared the Senate. Bids for offshore wind projects could begin as early as 2025 once regional environmental assessments are completed. Officials are optimistic that this sector will create tens of thousands of jobs and prosperity for many communities.

    cbc.ca

  • New changes are in effect with the Temporary Foreign Worker program, which are aimed to shrink the program and push employers to invest more in local employees. Canadian employers will be restricted to a new hiring cap of 10% of their workforce and a 1-year limit to contracts for low-wage positions.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-09-20 to 2024-09-26

  • Her Majesty's Penitentiary (St. John’s) has continued to face staff shortages this year as an ongoing issue. Possible solutions being discussed include recruiting domestic and newcomer workers into corrections positions and increasing the number of seats in corrections training programs.

    cbc.ca

  • A new report from the Montreal Economic Institute shows 50% of nurses recruited to work in N.L. since 2022 have left the profession before the age of 35. N.L. ranks eighth nationally in the retention of young nurses. N.L. has recruited 839 nurses since April 2023, with a net gain of 78 nurses.

    cbc.ca

  • The College of the North Atlantic’s newest facility, the Paul L. Pope Centre for TV and Film, has officially opened. The facility will help produce the much-needed talent for TV and film crews to support the local sector.

    vocm.com

  • The Government of Canada has announced $2.45M for 7 tourism-related projects within the Bonavista Peninsula region with an additional contribution of $675k from the N.L. Government towards 5 of the projects. The funding will help upgrade equipment and infrastructure and improve energy efficiencies.

    canada.ca

  • Walmart Canada will invest an extra $92M in pay increases to its 40,000 hourly retail and frontline associates. The retailer will also invest in in skills training and education for its associates. For the holidays more hours and workers will be added.

    globalnews.ca

  • Canada and France have reached an agreement to end a dispute over halibut fishing off N.L.’s southern coast. French fishing vessels will fish outside Canadian waters and agree to have their catch monitored in exchange for a 3% share of the Canadian quota. Canadian landings of Atlantic halibut were valued at about $70M in 2022.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-09-13 to 2024-09-19

  • As N.L. pushes to move away from fossil fuels while energy demand rises, the Public Utilities Board is asking the province's Crown hydro agency N.L. Hydro to consider nuclear energy, which is not currently allowed based on provincial legislation around energy planning. N.L. Hydro is focused largely on hydroelectric power and wind energy.

    cbc.ca

  • Documents submitted to the Government of NL provide more details on a green energy megaproject proposed by EverWind Fuels in the Burin Peninsula. The project proposes 1,500 wind turbines and three solar farms. The first wind farm will be located south of Marystown, the second north of the town, and the third in the Swift Current area.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)

  • Air Canada and its airline pilots have reached a new tentative agreement, which if approved will see pilots get a nearly 42% raise over four years. The head of the union says the deal offers improved pay, retirement, and work rules for its 5,200 pilots.

    theglobeandmail.com

  • The federal government is reducing the number of international student permits issued by another 10%, allowing 437,000 permits for 2025 and 2026. The Immigration Minister has told post-secondary schools they need to adjust their recruitment practices.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government’s claims it has recruited over 600 nurses since April 2023, with a net gain of 20 have been called into question by the Registered Nurses' Union Newfoundland and Labrador citing 695 permanent nursing vacancies in April 2024, and 715 six months earlier.

    cbc.ca

  • The new $12M RCMP detachment building was officially opened on September 17, 2024 in Marystown. The facility, completed in December of 2023, was built through a cost-shared agreement between the provincial and federal governments.

    vocm.com

  • A new $30M contract has been awarded to Bursey Excavating and Development to oversee the final 3.3 kilometres of the Team Gushue highway. The final work will connect Topsail Road to Mount Pearl and will be cost-shared between the federal and provincial governments.

    cbc.ca

  • ExxonMobil Canada has confirmed that the highly touted Persephone exploration well in the Orphan Basin (500 kms east of St. John's) did not provide any evidence of commercial hydrocarbons after hopes that the area could potentially hold up to 3B barrels of oil. This follows a similar Equinor-BP announcement.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-09-06 to 2024-09-12

  • N.L. Health Services says there are currently over 450 nursing vacancies outside of casual positions within the province while the Registered Nurses' Union is challenging the claim that over 600 nurses have been recruited since April 2023. An attrition rate of about 6% results in 300-400 nurses typically leaving the system annually.

    cbc.ca

  • Rental cars have been in high demand in Atlantic Canada this summer, despite high prices and low inventory. Car rental inventories dropped during COVID, then supply chain issues made it hard to rebuild. A lack of cars has some tourists cancelling plans.

    ctvnews.ca

  • Fort Amherst Harbour Authority’s $17M major infrastructure upgrade and expansion along the south side of the St. John's harbour will provide improved docking space for fish harvesters that will double their current capacity. Construction is underway and set to finish within the next two years.

    cbc.ca

  • Plans are progressing at the former Comfort Inn hotel turned transitional housing facility in St. John's which is now home to 43 residents and will house 100 people at full operation. The facility currently employs 40 staff including the leadership team, security, health-care workers, support staff, cleaners and restaurant workers.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced a new $75k incentive to reassign N.L. Health Services physicians to family care teams across the province. The province needs 26 more physicians to staff its 23 family care teams. This is in addition to the $100-150k signing bonus for a 5-year family care team commitment.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-08-30 to 2024-09-05

  • The Government of Canada has announced funding support for two 2SLGBTQI+ organizations to expand their capacity to improve advocacy skills, information, collaboration and tools in the province. These include Quadrangle NL Community Centre ($375,000) and Trans Support NL Inc. ($571,400).

    canada.ca

  • A pilot project in Newfoundland and Labrador will place 6 new teaching assistant hires in 6 schools this year that will focus on supporting students with their behavioural management with the aim of improving school safety.

    cbc.ca

  • The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is undergoing contract talks with Canada Post, but will meet with union members next week and discuss a strike vote. CUPW’s key contract issues are job security, wages and improved working conditions.

    thewave.ca

  • Metrobus in St. John's has seen ridership increase by 35% in 2023 over 2022 and will return to its fuller fall schedule with an increase in its bus fleet. The Amalgamated Transit Union that represents its mechanics says there is a shortage of a maintenance staff with only 4 mechanics, which is about 20% of their usual staff compliment.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Teachers' Association says that over 200 teacher positions are currently unfilled, including 31 permanent positions, 19 of which are in Labrador. Reruitment and retention is a more pronounced issue in rural and isolated areas due to lack of available housing, travel costs and a high cost of living.

    cbc.ca

  • Singapore-based AMED Funds are pledging to invest $100M over the next 3 years to restart and expand the St. Lawrence fluorspar mine, which closed in February 2022. Major contracts have been awarded and hiring is underway as the new owners look to an October restart with a workforce expected to eventually grow to 300.

    cbc.ca

  • The administrators of Them Days Magazine are warning that financial difficulty could force this publication on the history and culture of Labrador to fold. Since 2005, it has received $50,000 through the Cultural Economic Development Program. The chair of the magazine has asked the province to triple its annual funding.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)
• Week of 2024-08-23 to 2024-08-29

  • The federal labour board has ordered more than 9,000 railway workers to return to work, shortly after CN Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City halted shipments. Both sides will begin binding arbitration to settle the contract on August 29.

    thewave.ca

  • The bus service in St. John's, Newfoundland, which is operated by the Metrobus transportation company, could get worse due to a mechanic shortage. The Amalgamated Transit Union announced that it will soon be losing four mechanics or 20% of its workforce.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)

  • The federal government has temporarily paused certain parts of the commercial northern cod fishery, which was recently reinstated off the east coast of Newfoundland. The pause is necessary given that the landings are approaching the seasonal limit.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)

  • The St. John's Telegram is reducing its staff by 30% or 4 of the 13 newsroom’s employees that includes the elimination of all photojournalist positions. The cuts come amid Postmedia’s takeover of the Telegram's parent company, SaltWire, as its printing schedule is reduced from daily to weekly.

    cbc.ca

  • The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) started patrolling over 14 new towns/communities on N.L.’s west coast this summer as they gradually took over the area formerly covered by the RCMP. The RNC have not announced how many new officers were hired for the expansion and the RCMP continue to maintain a presence with their Corner Brook detachment.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $24M in funding to build a new net-zero solar-powered community centre in Mary’s Harbour. The centre will include a reception area, tourism visitor information centre, cultural space, office space, a renewable energy learning centre and community meeting rooms.

    canada.ca

  • The N.L. Teachers Association have expressed concerns that as of August 22 there were still about 200 unfilled teacher positions ahead of the new school year commenting that filling positions in rural and isolated areas has always presented a challenge for the province.

    vocm.com

  • Unifor members at Marine Atlantic have ratified two new 3-year agreements that expire on Dec. 31, 2025, covering vessel employees and shore-based maintenance staff, bringing a nearly 10% wage increase over the 3 years. Marine Atlantic operate passenger and cargo ferry services between North Sydney and Port aux Basques/Argentia.

    unifor.org

  • A new report from Statistics Canada shows that 18.7% of Canadians worked mostly from home in May 2024, compared to the high of 24.3% in May 2021. Average commute times are becoming longer, with May 2024 being 26.4 minutes, while the previous high was 26.3.

    ctvnews.ca

  • A Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report examining the living wage in Atlantic Canada (hourly take-home pay needed to cover rent, clothing, shelter, transportation, health care and basic household expenses), shows the living wage is $25 in N.L., $26.53 in N.S. and $22.76 in P.E.I..

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-08-16 to 2024-08-22

  • The Government of Canada has announced combined federal/provincial funding of almost $643k for two non-profits, the N.L. T’Railway Council and Tourism Southwest Inc., to improve trail infrastructure, signage and overall visitor experience along 120 kilometres of the T’Railway from Corner Brook to Port aux Basques.

    canada.ca

  • The St. John's Telegram states that it will reduce its print edition of the newspaper from daily to weekly, but will continue to publish news daily online. The Telegram is part of the recently announced Saltwire deal, leaving the future of its staff unclear.

    cbc.ca

  • In October, Memorial University will be offering French courses specifically for lawyers. The pilot project is a partnership between the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Francophone Justice Network. The purpose of the project is to increase the number of lawyers who are able to provide services in French. According to the Law Society, 23 out of 800 lawyers stated that they can speak French.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)

  • Three students from Memorial University launched a new archaeological consulting firm in St. John's. Era Nova Archeological Services assesses and documents the archaeological history of construction sites for companies and individuals in the province.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)

  • The Government of Canada has announced $2.3M in funding for the Bay St. George YMCA to go towards accessibility and energy efficiency upgrades through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings. The upgrade will also feature a 3,100 square foot expansion.

    canada.ca

  • The final paper edition of St. John's largest newspaper, The Telegram, will go out on August 23 as printing staff brace for job cuts from the closure of N.L.'s last printing press. Postmedia recently received approval to acquire the insolvent Atlantic newspaper chain SaltWire which did not include the printing press. Journalists are also fearing job cuts.

    cbc.ca

  • Prominent N.L. non-profit, Choices for Youth, has laid off 16 employees on its education, employment and social enterprises team and severed its employment and job training programs due to a $16M federal funding shortfall. It will also now offer only 6 paid jobs for youth instead of 40. Choices for Youth employs about 120 people.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced combined federal/provincial funding of about $1M for the Codroy Valley Area Development Association towards major infrastructure upgrades on N.L.’s west coast to increase power capacity to better support community services, businesses and key industries.

    canada.ca

  • Gahan House in St. John’s, owned by P.E.I.-based Murphy Hospitality Group, announced it is closing at the end of August citing financial reasons that include increased competition and rising food prices. The company currently owns 15 food and beverage outlets in P.E.I., N.S. and N.B., 2 hotels and the Prince Edward Brewing Company.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-08-09 to 2024-08-15

  • N.L. Health Services has issued a request for proposals to standardize its contracts with private nursing agencies to 2 years to an approved list of agencies. Agency nurses will only be used after other employment sources have been exhausted such as public sector nurses. The Registered Nurses' Union is concerned that this could lead to further privatization.

    cbc.ca

  • The federal government will invest $2M over three years to establish a Net-Zero Communities Accelerator (NCA) program in Atlantic Canada. Cornerbrook, NL has signed up to develop local green energy projects.

    canada.ca

  • The N.L. Government has expanded its $10-a-day childcare plan with a new site announcement at the uncompleted YMCA centre in St. John’s (St. Michael’s Avenue). The expansion is part of a 3-year plan to spend over $280M to improve access and extend hours for early learning and childcare services across N.L. starting this fall.

    vocm.com

  • Postmedia has been given court approval to buy SaltWire, Atlantic Canada's largest newspaper chain, for $1M. The company has said that there will be job cuts among SaltWire’s 363 employees and 800 contractors, but no specific details have been provided.

    cbc.ca

  • The Canadian airline industry has been reducing flights particularly to small and medium-sized areas. While average passenger capacity at Canada’s 30 biggest airports is 98% of 2019 levels, COVID saw a drop in flight school enrolment and a shortage of pilots.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-08-02 to 2024-08-08

  • Tacora Resources secured court approval to sell the Scully Mine in Wabush. A bid led by Millstreet Capital Management, an investment firm in Boston, is aiming for August 30 as the closing date for the sale process. An investment of USD $250M will be made along with the transaction.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)

  • Statistics Canada recently published data which shows rising rates of crime nationally and provincially and the N.L. Crown Attorneys Association has noted the number of prosecutors has not been adjusted to deal with it, in large part due to a shortage of experienced Crown attorneys.

    vocm.com

  • The Gros Morne National Park visitor centre has seen the completion of a $12M makeover incorporating sustainable design with upgraded facilities to accommodate increased demand. The visitor centre sees tens of thousands of tourists annually.

    cbc.ca

  • The Fish, Food and Allied Workers union’s grievance against the Association of Seafood Producers regarding the removal of the 20% tolerance for snow crab in 2023 was ruled in favour of the fish harvesters union that the union will net a collective $3.3M payout for harvesters.

    cbc.ca

  • According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Canada – Atlantic Division, high demand combined with labour shortages in the construction sector are causing general contractor backlogs while plumbers or electricians may be easier to find.

    vocm.com

  • Fossil fuel giants ExxonMobil and Qatar Energy are drilling an exploratory well in ultra-deepwater 500 km east of Newfoundland. The project, which costs approximately $1M per day, could help confirm the presence of billions of recoverable barrels of crude oil.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)
• Week of 2024-07-26 to 2024-08-01

  • Recent information obtained by the NL Registered Nurses' Union shows a worsening provincial nursing shortage as evidenced by the significant increase in health authority spending on travel nurses from 2022 ($18.4M) to 2023 ($90M). There are plans to reduce private health-care staff from 340 to 60 by April 2026.

    cbc.ca

  • Tacora Resources, which owns the iron-ore Scully Mine in Wabush in western Labrador, is looking for court approval for a group of investors (led by Boston-based investment management firm Millstreet Capital Management) to invest $250M USD into the company, repay some of its debt to exit credit protection and maintain all current employees.

    cbc.ca

  • A new midwifery program is being launched in Carbonear on August 5 that will include three core services: prenatal care, postpartum care, and other services such as cervical cancer screening and sexual/reproductive health services. By February 2025, three midwives will deliver the program.

    vocm.com

  • The Labrador Health Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay is fully staffed with 16 doctors, alleviating current staffing shortages, primarily due to its 2-year Northern Family Medicine Residency Program that brings in 6 physician residents annually. Future expansions will look at specialties also facing shortages like obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics and psychiatry.

    cbc.ca

  • Postmedia has agreed to purchase SaltWire, Atlantic Canada's largest newspaper chain, and hopes to close the deal by August 26. Saltwire has over 20 papers including Halifax’s Chronicle Herald, The Guardian in Charlottetown, and The Telegram in St. John's.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-07-19 to 2024-07-25

  • The N.L. Government and the town of Portugal Cove St. Phillips have announced $3.8M in funding for drinking water upgrades for the town.

    vocm.com

  • The proposed wind-hydrogen project by North Atlantic near Come By Chance is expected create thousands of Jobs and generate over $500M in revenue for the province over its lifetime. Over 10,000 hectares of Crown land has been set aside for the project with the first hydrogen produced in 2028.

    vocm.com

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $101M in funding over 3 years to reconstruct and repair wharfs, launchways and other critical harbour infrastructure at 26 harbours in N.L. that include a $13.2M contract to upgrade the Canadian Coast Guard Search and Rescue Station in Lark Harbour.

    canada.ca

  • The Conservation Corps has hired over 100 young people to work on 26 Green Team projects across N.L. on a variety of environmental and cultural conservation projects. These include a marine health monitoring program, cultural and environmental preservation, trail development and education and an earth-sheltered greenhouse.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2024-07-12 to 2024-07-18

  • A housing needs assessment is currently in the works for Gander after the Government of Canada announced the town would receive $4.35M from its housing accelerator fund. The money will fast-track 110 units over the next 3 years and 750 units over the next 10 years along with several local initiatives.

    cbc.ca

  • The Canada Dental Care Plan extended coverage eligibility in June to children under 18 and adults with a valid disability tax credit certificate. N.L. dental hygienists have not seen as much of an increase in new clients as expected despite coverage that includes things like fillings, preventative dental work and complex dental procedures.

    cbc.ca

  • NL Health Services has announced that all 16 family doctor positions in Happy Valley-Goose Bay have been filled. Six full-time family doctors are also now working at the Labrador West Health Center leaving one remaining vacancy there and three vacancies still at the hospital in St. Anthony where eight family doctors are currently working.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2024-07-05 to 2024-07-11

  • About 1,400 health-care support workers in N.L.’s health-care system have signed a union petition to discuss ongoing recruitment and retention issues after other health care workers such as registered nurses and allied health professionals have signed contracts with wage increases.

    cbc.ca

  • Fifteen groups appealing World Energy GH2's environmental assessment approval to have over 300 wind turbines on the Port au Port Peninsula and Codroy Valley and a hydrogen-ammonia plant in Stephenville have had their appeal arguments denied by N.L.’s environment minister.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L Government has announced $500k to cover design costs for a new sportsplex facility to be built in the burgeoning Galway area of St. John’s. The new multiplex recreation facility will include ice rinks and curling sheets. No estimated completion date for the facility has been announced.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2024-06-28 to 2024-07-04

  • Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine is expanding the number of seats for N.L. students from 80 to 85 in September 2024 with an additional 5 seats to be added in September 2025. The N.L. Government has set aside $2M in this year’s budget 2024 for the expansion.

    vocm.com

  • The N.L. Government has reinstated several recruitment and retention incentives for retired registered nurses and nurse practitioners that includes $500 licensing-fee reimbursements, signing bonuses for hard-to-fill positions and incentives to work in long-term care and family care teams. NL Health Services has hired over 520 nurses since April 2023.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • WestJet and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association union representing about 680 mechanics have reached a new tentative agreement, ending the recent strike. The 5-year agreement includes an immediate 15.5% wage increase, followed by a pay increase of 3.25% in year 2 and 2.5%/year in years 3-5.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-06-21 to 2024-06-27

  • The Government of Canada has announced the end of the Northern cod moratorium off the north and east coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. This decision will re-establish a commercial Northern cod fishery with a Canadian Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 18,000 tonnes for 2024 with 84% going to the inshore fleet sector.

    canada.ca

  • Parent company Sobeys is closing its Lawtons Distribution Centre located in Donovans Industrial Park in St. John’s to transition to larger facilities, one being the nearby Sobeys warehouse in St. John’s, and the other in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The number of workers affected has not yet been announced.

    vocm.com

  • The Canadian health-care sector is increasingly using the temporary foreign worker program to fill staffing shortages. The largest share of that growth was for nurse aides and orderlies, nurses, and family doctors. There were 2,514 approvals in 2023.

    cbc.ca

  • Commercial cod fishing, which is crucial to the region’s economy, is set to resume after a 32-year ban. However, fishing in the northern and eastern waters of the province will be limited to 18,000 tonnes in 2024, compared with the 190,000 tonnes in the early 1990s. For reference, when fishing was banned in 1992, 30,000 people lost their jobs, which is the largest mass layoff in Canadian history.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)

  • The Canadian Federation of Independent Business states that about 80% of Atlantic businesses are not expecting to see revenue growth during the summer tourism season. Issues include increased costs and weak demand in the hospitality and retail sector.

    ctvnews.ca

  • Talks are still underway to keep Saltwire operating, after the company applied for bankruptcy protection in March. One unnamed buyer is being considered. Some of Saltwire’s affiliated companies will be shut down or sold, while Door Direct will continue.

    cbc.ca

  • Med Quest’s program at Memorial University is designed to get high school students interested in careers to help fill gaps in the local health care sector by introducing them to a variety of professions including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2024-06-14 to 2024-06-20

  • The Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development (CSSD) currently has 105 social work vacancies in N.L., up from 99 last August, indicating a worsening shortage. Resignations are outpacing retirements among social workers where hefty workloads and turnover have been chronic problems.

    cbc.ca

  • Details have been released on the tentative deal for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) workers, which includes a 15.7% wage increase over four years, retroactive to June 2022. The agreement also has improved provisions for shift scheduling.

    thewave.ca

  • Noel’s Funeral Home (Carbonear) and Green’s funeral Home (Winterton) are merging to become Sunrise Funeral Co-operative - Newfoundland and Labrador’s first funeral co-operative. The Canadian network currently has around 40 co-ops with nearly 300,000 members.

    vocm.com

  • The N.L. Government has announced budget 2024's $500k in funding to the Strongest Families Institute to expand its online mental health programming for children and families in the province that covers things such as behaviour, anxiety, and depression.

    cbc.ca

  • NL Health Services is continuing its recruitment efforts for physicians to work as part of the Family Care Team in Grand Falls-Windsor with the town issuing a press release that it has been unable to secure physicians to staff the facility. There are approximately 4,000 area residents without a family doctor.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2024-06-07 to 2024-06-13

  • Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) workers have reached a tentative agreement with the federal government. The more than 9,000 workers will receive wage enhancements and other benefits. Further details will be released this week.

    charlottefm.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $3.6M in funding for new exhibits at Red Bay National Historic Site that will showcase this UNESCO World Heritage Site to visitors starting in June 2025.

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $462k in funding to Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador to help address the provincial housing shortage and provide better access to safe and affordable housing that includes funding for 2 Capacity Building Officers.

    canada.ca

  • WestJet has decided to cancel its route between St. John's and Hamilton, Ont. as of July 1. The new route was announced in March and had just started running on May 17. The cancellation was announced as part of WestJet's broader plan to discontinue Hamilton operations.

    cbc.ca

  • The NL Government has announced $2M in new tuition subsidies for nursing students in an effort to boost rural enrolment. Recipients of the subsidy in the 2nd year of study must commit to work in the province for 1 year.

    cbc.ca

  • NL Hydro has announced a $1B investment in the Bay d'Espoir hydroelectric dam on NL’s south coast including a new combustion turbine to support future power demand increases over the next decade due to population growth and electrification. The additional power is expected to come online by 2034.

    cbc.ca

  • After a 30-year ban in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, redfish fishing is permitted this season. The season begins on June 15 with a total allowable catch of 60,000 tonnes. Around 15% of the quota is reserved for ships under 20m long, and 60% has been allocated to ships over 30.5m long.

    L'Acadie Nouvelle (capacadie.com) (available in French only)
• Week of 2024-05-31 to 2024-06-06

  • Pattern Energy is the first Canadian green hydrogen company to break into the European green hydrogen market after signing a letter of intent with German energy company Mabanaf. Their $1.5B project will develop 4,000 acres owned by the Port of Argentia to produce ammonia via wind turbines.

    cbc.ca

  • The City of Mount Pearl has awarded a $15M contract to JMJ Holdings for the construction of the new Mount Pearl Community Centre that will replace the Park Place Community Centre. Construction on the new facility that will focus on recreation should begin soon.

    vocm.com

  • St. John’s 2024 economic outlook report shows St. John’s census metropolitan area population is expected to grow by 1.4% in 2024. Oil continues to drive the regional economy with real GDP expected to increase by 3.2% to $16.1B in 2024 due to higher oil production at Terra Nova.

    vocm.com

  • Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. estimates N.L. will need to build 10,000 homes per year over current production for the next 6 years to keep up with demand which equates to 60,000 extra new homes. Challenges include a labour shortage and restrictions on the types of homes that can be built.

    cbc.ca

  • The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is reopening the redfish fishery for the first time since 1997 as early as June 15 and have announced the total allowable catch is 60k pounds for 2024-25. The Fish, Food and Allied Workers union is concerned that nearly 60% of the quota went to offshore fleets.

    cbc.ca

  • A 2022 Dept. of Health and Community Services report shows 202 social worker resignations in N.L. compared with just 19 retirements between 2014 and 2021. In August 2023, there were 99 vacant provincial social worker positions and 1,669 licensed social workers as of 2021-2022. Many have voiced frustrations about unmanageable workloads.

    cbc.ca

  • Tensions between Canada and France are rising over halibut fishing quotas, a valuable groundfish that migrates across the jurisdictions of both countries with French territorial waters extending into the Atlantic from the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. 2023 Atlantic-wide landings were 4,000 tonnes valued at $100M.

    cbc.ca

  • Pilots represented by the Airline Pilots Association union have reached a tentative agreement with PAL Aerospace. The 3-year agreement contains improvements to scheduling, working conditions, compensation, job security, and benefits. The international company has bases in the Atlantic in both St. John’s and Halifax.

    vocm.com

  • The Government of Canada has announced $397M in funding over 5 years to ensure the Canadian Coast Guard has the necessary training capacity, seagoing personnel, support staff and provisions to operate new vessels to be delivered for the fleet of the future.

    canada.ca

  • The Canadian Coast Guard College in Sydney is welcoming 37 new fleet officers from its graduating class of 2024. The college offers the opportunity to train in either marine navigation or marine engineering in its 4-year officer training program.

    canada.ca
• Week of 2024-05-24 to 2024-05-30

  • Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) workers have voted 96% in favour of strike action, as it prepares to secure a new contract. Issues include wages comparable to other Canadian law enforcement, flexible work options, retirement benefits and hours of work.

    charlottefm.ca

  • The Newfoundland and Labrador Nurse Practitioner Association has submitted a funding model proposal to the provincial government, which would allow privately-run, nurse practitioner-led clinics to bill the public health-care system- similar to doctors.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. government has approved $47M in funding for 132 construction projects this year. There will be 70 projects involving water/wastewater treatment, seawalls, and climate mitigation. Remaining work will focus on roads, water and sewer, and facilities.

    vocm.com

  • The N.L. government has given its approval for two more ride-sharing services to operate in the province. Ride Technologies Inc and GrandHubX are now licensed to offer their services.

    vocm.com

  • The N.L. government is hoping it will be able to offer medical benefits in the fall to early childhood educators in the province. The plan is expected to cost $1.8M, with some cost to the child-care centres, but will extend benefits to around 1,600 staff.

    cbc.ca

  • The federal government has passed a bill that will ban federal companies from using replacement workers during a strike. There are over a million federally regulated workers employed with ports, airports, railways, telecoms, banks and Crown corporations.

    globalnews.ca
• Week of 2024-05-17 to 2024-05-23

  • The Government of Canada has signed a 5-year $78M bilateral agreement to help residents of N.L. age with dignity, building on the $256M announced back in March 2024. It will support additional clinical staff hiring and increase wages for over 1500 personal support workers and a new community hospice in Grand Falls-Windsor.

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $1.6M in funding for three tourism-related projects in the Gros Morne National Park area to increase and enhance visitor experiences. They include The Gros Morne Co-operating Association ($1.2M), Cow Head Conservation and Heritage ($87k) and Norock Associates/BonTours ($325k).

    canada.ca

  • The small business corporate income tax rate has dropped from 3% to 2.5% retroactive to January 1, 2024 following legislative amendments to the Income Tax Act. The move will result in lower taxes for about 6,200 small businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2024-05-10 to 2024-05-16

  • The Association for New Canadians has a new training program called “Build Your Future” that helps newcomers find work in the construction industry. About 50 people from their program are currently working in the industry.

    vocm.com

  • The Government of Canada has announced $13.7M over 4 years, including approximately $9.8M through 2025-2026, through the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund, to help N.L. reach the shared goal of building 5,895 new childcare spaces by 2026.

    canada.ca

  • NL Health Services has recruited 25 new physicians to the province in the first quarter of 2024 from Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine, extra-provincially and internationally, from a range of specialties including family medicine, anesthesiology, psychiatry, orthopedics, and more.

    vocm.com

  • Gander International Airport’s recently released 2023 performance report shows total revenue for 2023 at $8.4M (+28% over 2022), but still short of pre-pandemic revenue of $10.4M in 2019. Passenger numbers were also down from 2019. One of the lagging components is trans-border and international travel.

    vocm.com

  • Handwear manufacturer Superior Glove has recently completed the expansion of a new 30,000-square-foot facility in Springdale combining previous operations in both Springdale and Point Leamington. The factory currently employs nearly 100 people in central Newfoundland.

    cbc.ca

  • N.L. Health Services has confirmed that the wound care clinic at Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook has closed for the time being due to the unexpected vacancy of the only staffperson at the clinic, a specially trained nurse practitioner. This is the only specialized wound care clinic in the region.

    cbc.ca

  • Combined Federal, Provincial and Municpal Government funding of $840,000 has been announced for a new public transit system for Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Funding will go towards the purchase of an electric bus, two charging stations, new bus stops and shelters, signage and a transit software application.

    canada.ca

  • The use of emergency supply teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, has skyrocketed 554% from 35 during the 2019-20 school year to 229 in the 2021-22 school year with 208 for the current year. There aren't enough substitute teachers to fill current gaps.

    cbc.ca

  • A report released by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) states that Canada needs more and better training for truck drivers. Canada has Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT), but it isn’t implemented across all provinces and minimum training can vary.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-05-03 to 2024-05-09

  • WestJet and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association have reached a tentative collective agreement. The union represents around 670 aircraft maintenance engineers and skilled trade groups, who will need to ratify the deal with the airline.

    citynews.ca

  • The N.L. government has allotted another $1M for infrastructure projects at Marble Mountain Ski Resort while they continue to seek a buyer. The hill remains crucial to N.L.’s west coast tourism economy and employs close to 150 people during peak season and dozens during the slow season.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced $3M to increase the number of student assistants in the K-12 public education system and provide stability by setting a minimum workday of 5 hours per assistant. This will result in the addition of approximately 104 new full-time equivalent student assistant positions.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • The N.L. Dairy Co-operative has been launched with $10M in provincial government support. Made up of 19 dairy farmer members, the co-op will be the province's only locally owned and operated milk processor. The funding enabled them to buy Central Dairies from Quebec-based Agropur.

    cbc.ca

  • East Coast artists say it’s a difficult time to make money in music. Artists are seeing rising expenses, while people have less disposable income to support developing artists. Some tour, sell CDs, or get their music in movies, TV and games to earn money.

    cbc.ca

  • St. John’s International Airport passenger numbers increased over 17% in 2023 to 1.26M from the year prior, exceeding projections as travel continues to rebound. Increased concession and parking lot spending helped revenue climb to $53.5M from $45.8M reported in 2022. O’Reilly’s Pub is also set to open there.

    vocm.com

  • Kabby, a local ride-hailing platform will be up and running in the St. John’s metro region next week starting on May 13, 2024 with 10 drivers on the road and more anticipated. They will join the sector with the newly established Uber service.

    vocm.com

  • N.L. Health Services is planning to gradually reduce the use of private agency nurses from 340 to around 60 by April 2026 and hopes to lower current numbers by 30% by the end of 2024. N.L. has recruited and hired 156 internationally educated nurses along along with 300 recently graduated nurses.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $9.8M in funding to Springboard Atlantic. Made up of 19 Atlantic Canadian post-secondary institutions, the group brings researchers and industry together to commercialize ideas in key sectors like advanced manufacturing, ocean sustainability and clean energy.

    canada.ca
• Week of 2024-04-26 to 2024-05-02

  • Employment is changing as NL moves toward non-carbon-based energy production. The green energy sector is growing rapidly with resources like wind, solar and hydro as critical components and, as demand increases, there will also be an increasing demand for workers with the knowledge and skills needed in the sector.

    cbc.ca

  • Canada's biofuel industry is welcoming $1.27B in proposed federal funding to help build new biofuel facilities, better compete with U.S. subsidies and reduce dependence on U.S. imports. There is currently $10B worth of operational or biofuel facilities being built in Canada.

    cbc.ca

  • Coverage began May 1 for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) for seniors 70 years and older, which will eventually cover about 25% of Canadian residents without private dental plans. Until July, only dentists that have signed up can provide services.

    cbc.ca

  • Ottawa will cap work hours at 24 hours a week this September, for international students who work while studying. The prior 20-hour cap had been temporarily waived, but there were concerns that study permits could be used as unofficial work visas.

    cbc.ca

  • Workers at 11 Dominion grocery stores in N.L. have ratified a new collective agreement that includes an 18-25% wage increase over the 5-year contract. This will amount to a $3.20 hourly increase for part-time workers and $4.50 for full-time staff. Unifor represents about 1600 workers at Dominion across the province.

    vocm.com

  • Taxi companies are bracing for a rapidly changing industry as ride-hailing companies like Uber start up in the province with more competition expected due to changes in provincial legislation. Protections such as limiting ride-hailing companies vehicle numbers, driver standards, and worker protection laws may help lessen the impact.

    cbc.ca

  • Non-binding offers were made to buy all or part of SaltWire Network Inc., including some who want to keep the business running. The media companies employ about 800 independent contractors and 390 staff. Binding offers will be required by May 24.

    cbc.ca

  • A recent reassessment of NL's northern cod stock by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans from “critical” to “cautious” has some producers in the industry calling for the government to end the commercial moratorium implemented in 1992.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced a $467,500 investment in Clarenville-based SubC Imaging to support the ocean technology company as it develops a new underwater inspection system at a total project cost estimate of $935,000. The company currently employs over 20 people.

    www.gov.nl.ca
• Week of 2024-04-19 to 2024-04-25

  • An arbitration decision has awarded unionized RCMP officers an 8% salary increase over two years. The increase will apply to 20,000 RCMP members ranging from constable to staff sergeant major. A constable could earn up to $106,576 as of April 2022.

    cbc.ca

  • Health Canada has released more details about the new federal dental-care plan and now states that dentists do not have to opt into the program. Dental offices will be able to submit digital dental plan claims through their existing software as well.

    Moncton Times & Transcript

  • Trades NL suggest a strategy must be developed to address the demands on the construction industry in light of the forecasted increase in industrial and housing development growth. The new federal budget includes funding to promote trades and encourage small and medium-sized businesses to take on more apprentices.

    vocm.com

  • The N.L. Government has announced $2M in funding for a wage support program that will help about 600 small and medium sized businesses cope with increasing wage costs. It will be administered by the St. John’s Board of Trade and the NL Employers’ Council. The future website will be www.NLWageSupport.com.

    vocm.com

  • Two new urgent and ambulatory-care centres are expected to open in 2025 in St. John’s at a combined annual leasing cost cost of over $2M per year over a 20-year period. The care hubs will be staffed by health professionals in the public system with recruitment ongoing with no plans to bring in agency nurses.

    cbc.ca

  • The Association of Allied Health Professionals has signed a new 4-year collective agreement with the N.L. Government that includes a 2% per year salary increase, a $2,000 signing bonus and a long-term service premium that recognizes years of service.

    vocm.com

  • N.L. has emerged as a thriving hub for the film and television industry in recent years with interest in using the province as a filming location at its highest. PictureNL says 2024’s production season is just gearing up after a slow start due to the significant impact the U.S. writers' and actors' strikes in 2023 had on incoming productions.

    cbc.ca

  • The New Found Gold Corporation is buying Labrador Gold’s Kingsway mining project in Gander. The purchase will enable them to connect that project with New Found’s Queensway Project that is already underway in the region.

    vocm.com

  • Ride-sharing company Uber has officially gone live in Newfoundland with coverage that includes the entire Avalon Peninsula. The company operates in 10,000 cities around the world and in over 140 municipalities in Canada. Other competitors are currently working through the licensure process.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-04-12 to 2024-04-18

  • Placentia Bay’s $16M cannabis company, Argentia Gold, has closed its business after ceasing production back in January 2024 illustrating the challenges to profitability in a struggling industry. The closure resulted in 2 dozen job losses.

    cbc.ca

  • The Fish, Food & Allied Workers union and the Association of Seafood Producers have reached a deal that included increases to minimum crab prices now starting at $3 per pound and a settlement at the end of the season that will bring stability for crab harvesters this season.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced further initiatives to improve access to affordable childcare that include implementation of an infant incentive, streamlined closure days, funding structure improvements, and professional development support. 2,206 early learning and childcare spaces are in various stages of development.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced $20M in funding to construct 50 provincially owned multi-unit housing in Corner Brook. The project will also include the demolition of 32 existing long-term vacancies in the area. Construction of all 50 homes is expected to be complete by 2026.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced an additional $3M in 2024 for ArtsNL and Year of the Arts programming for the province’s Arts and Culture Centres to support professional artists through an augmentation of existing grant programs and a second offering of the Senior Arts program.

    www.gov.nl.ca
• Week of 2024-04-05 to 2024-04-11

  • The N.L. cannabis market is going through a right-sizing, faced with slumping prices and producers stating that they are overtaxed and over-regulated. Atlantic Cultivation and Oceanic Releaf are the last two producers in N.L., along with 60 licensed retailers.

    cbc.ca

  • Cruise NL is looking forward to another strong cruise ship season in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2024, with 144 ship calls already booked for this year. Last year was a record-breaking season after 116 ships and 88,000 passengers visited the province.

    vocm.com

  • The province is giving $149K to Swiftsure Innovations to help the company test and develop a medical device that helps with oral care of life support patients. A new clinical study coordinator position will also be created and based out of Corner Brook.

    vocm.com

  • Although 1.6M seniors have signed up for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), which is set to provide coverage next month, sign-up by dentists appears to be slow. Dentists state they are concerned with the paperwork required and lack of details.

    cbc.ca

  • Corner Brook Pulp and Paper has temporarily halted operations at its western Newfoundland mill to make repairs to its steam distribution system. Last November, the mill shut down production for seven days, impacting 300 workers.

    cbc.ca

  • The Birdie Coffee-Pastry-Snacks café is currently under construction at 258 Water Street in downtown St. John's, but is expected to open this month.

    cbc.ca

  • Fishermen in Atlantic Canada will vote this spring on whether to match the U.S. in increasing the minimum size limit of lobster they catch. Maine will increase its size limit to 84mm in 2025, then 86mm in 2027. Lobsters below that limit cannot be sold in the U.S.

    cbc.ca

  • Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers will hold a strike vote next week after contract talks stalled last September. The 9,000 members have been without a contract for two years, and issues include wages, job security, and access to telework.

    thewave.ca

  • World Energy GH2’s Wind-energy project has passed the environmental assessment by the N.L. Government, clearing another step to build Canada's first wind-to-hydrogen project. It will use wind power from 300 turbines on N.L.’s west coast to turn into hydrogen and transfer into ammonia for shipping.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government has issued a ride-sharing service licence to Uber, who is now reaching out to potential drivers and expect to start the service in the spring. Legislative amendments to allow ride-sharing services came into effect on December 21, 2023.

    www.gov.nl.ca
• Week of 2024-03-29 to 2024-04-04

  • St. John’s has issued almost $60M in building permits so far this year, compared with about $40M for all of 2023. According to the city there are roughly 800 additional residential units in the works.

    vocm.com

  • The ECHL hockey team, Newfoundland Growlers, has folded after attempts to keep the team afloat failed. Staff and players were informed of the news and are now free agents. Many downtown bars and restaurants benefited from the extra business on game day.

    vocm.com

  • Crab harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador are disappointed that the province's price-setting panel sided with the Association of Seafood Producers to set a price floor of $2.60 per pound. Some harvesters say they aren’t prepared to fish for that price.

    cbc.ca

  • The federal government will commit $6B in new funding for the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund. Provinces will be able to access the money if certain conditions are met such as expanding infrastructure and allowing more multi-unit buildings and homes.

    cbc.ca

  • Larch Grove Farm in Cormack is getting almost $135K from the Green Transition Fund to construct an energy-efficient dairy facility. The farm has 225 cows and will purchase a new feed pusher, bedding system, and manure removal equipment.

    vocm.com

  • N.L.’s public health care system has made 189 job offers to new graduates in the province, while more than 500 nurses, including nurse practitioners, RNs and LPNs, have been hired in the last year. Nurses have also been recruited in India and Dubai.

    vocm.com

  • All four Atlantic Canadian provinces increased their minimum wage hourly rate on April 1. Newfoundland and Labrador now has the highest minimum wage at $15.60, followed by P.E.I. at $15.40, N.B. at $15.30, and N.S. at $15.20.

    globalnews.ca

  • A new report from the N.L. Federation of Labour says 42% of the province's early childhood educators plan to leave the field due to low wages and a lack of benefits. Most respondents don't receive health or dental benefits (57%) or have a pension (80%).

    cbc.ca

  • A new report released by the 2024 Members' Compensation Review Committee recommends MHAs get a $25K increase from their current salaries and to add 10 new salary positions. Members of the provincial legislature have had their salaries frozen since 2009.

    cbc.ca

  • The Registered Nurses' Union of N.L. is concerned about a clause that restricts private travel nurses from being hired into the public health-care system. A number of private agency contracts limit nurses from accepting a public health-care job within 6-12 months.

    cbc.ca

  • Ottawa announced over a $1B in early childhood education (ECE) initiatives as part of its 2024 budget. It will expand loans and grants for public and non-profit child-care providers to expand or renovate, train more ECEs, and increase student loan forgiveness.

    thewave.ca
• Week of 2024-03-22 to 2024-03-28

  • The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association wants to recruit and train more foreign-trained veterinarians, as well as establish a testing centre for internationally educated vets. The industry is struggling with labour shortages and mental health issues.

    charlottefm.ca

  • The national minimum wage will increase from $16.65 up to $17.30 an hour on April 1, a 3.9% cost of living increase. This applies to all federally regulated businesses and will affect about 30,000 employees nationwide.

    charlottefm.ca

  • The N.L. Government announced $15M over the next 2 years for temporary upgrades at Her Majesty's Penitentiary (HMP) with a plan to build a new facility in the next 3 years. In addition to the 50 correctional officers hired in the past year, another 22 new correctional officers have been approved with most at HMP.

    cbc.ca

  • Buildforce Canada says that existing labour shortages in the construction sector will only get worse in N.L. with a number of major construction projects on the horizon. An estimated 5,900 workers are expected to retire by 2033 while only 4,000 workers aged 30 and under are expected to be recruited.

    vocm.com

  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s assessment of northern cod stock has been released, suggesting that cod stocks are unlikely to increase much from current levels that remain in the cautious zone. This is due to the poor capelin stock levels, the primary food source for cod.

    vocm.com

  • The restructuring plan for Saltwire, which owns newspapers across Atlantic Canada, has been approved by a N.S. judge after seeking creditor protection due to insolvency. Headline Promotions, a Saltwire-owned company not directly related to the newspaper business, will layoff its 10 employees.

    cbc.ca

  • Atlas Salt's proposed $480M salt mine in St. George's plans to employ 170 people in permanent full-time jobs when it become operational with even more during the 5-year construction phase. Contractor hiring could begin later in 2024 if the project clears the environmental assessment due in April.

    cbc.ca

  • The Registered Nurses’ Union N.L. hopes to expand a pilot project that started in September 2022 allowing health care nurses to work as locums in other regions of N.L. to help fill rural health care gaps. About 100 nurses have taken part so far and the pilot is currently extended until January 2025.

    cbc.ca

  • Flair Airlines has cut nearly 600 flights this spring as a cost-saving effort to repay $67M to the Canada Revenue Agency. The airline has also added routes to Florida, Mexico, and other southern vacation spots and is set to begin seasonal service at St. John’s International and Deer Lake Regional Airport in May.

    vocm.com

  • Atlantic Edge Credit Union expects to open out of the former Scotiabank building on FOGO Island by Fall 2024. The island has been without banking services since last year when Scotiabank closed its branch. The new Atlantic Edge branch will be a full-service bank.

    vocm.com

  • The Government of Canada has announced a bilateral agreement to invest almost $256M over 3 years to improve health care access and services in Newfoundland and Labrador. The plan will expand access, increase health workers and services, increase mental health services, and modernize data systems.

    canada.ca
• Week of 2024-03-15 to 2024-03-21

  • Kruger Inc., owner of Corner Brook Pulp and Paper, has announced a new deal with the province to sell excess power generated from its Deer Lake power plant to NL Hydro and also sell saw-logs to local sawmills. This will allow the mill time to plan to diversify operations. The mill currently employs over 300 workers.

    vocm.com

  • A new report by the recruitment firm Hays says 71% of Canadian workers want to leave their job and find a better opportunity this year. The Hays report states that nearly half are unmotivated to work, and are dissatisfied in their role, pay and benefits.

    ctvnews.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced plans to build a new $13M sport, recreation and rehabilitation facility in St. John’s that will include exercise rehabilitation for acute care patients and facilities for sports training and competition. The construction is expected to take about 6 months once the land is chosen.

    vocm.com

  • The newly forged Newfoundland and Labrador Dairy Co-operative is in the process of buying Central Dairies, the processing facility in Mount Pearl, currently owned by Quebec-based Agropur Dairy. They plan to keep the brand of Central Dairies.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $32M in federal/provincial/municipal funding for 31 projects for road and highway repairs and upgrades across Newfoundland and Labrador.

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $10.4M in funding from the Housing Accelerator Fund to build 280 housing units in St. John’s over the next three years to help address the current housing shortage. A recent report indicated the city's housing shortage is between 1,025 and 1,335 units.

    cbc.ca

  • An agreement has been signed between the Governments of Canada and Germany to establish a trade program to sell hydrogen produced in N.L. and N.S., with exports beginning as early as 2025. Currently, Everwind's Point Tupper (NS) has passed environmental assessments while World Energy GH2 (NL) is still awaiting approval.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-03-08 to 2024-03-14

  • A strike at Memorial University has been averted as a tentative agreement has been reached between the administration and LUMUN, the union representing per-course instructors and post-doctoral fellows. Agreement improvements in compensation and working conditions will be released upon ratification.

    cbc.ca

  • The trucking industry in Atlantic Canada wants the government to do more about companies that employ drivers as independent contractors. This practice allows companies to make more money because the drivers don’t get benefits like sick days or overtime.

    cbc.ca

  • Ridesharing service Uber is recruiting drivers in N.L. as it prepares to submit a licensing application to the provincial government and hopes to be running in the St. John’s area before tourism season. Drivers must have a clean driving and criminal record and a class 4 license.

    vocm.com

  • The N.L. Government dropped its registered psychiatric nurse pilot project plans last fall after noting legislative impediments would not enable specialized nurses credentials from outside the province to be recognized to address the continuing shortage. Legislative changes are being proposed this fall to address this issue.

    cbc.ca

  • SaltWire Network Inc., the owner of 23 Atlantic Canada newspapers, has filed for creditor protection with $94M in debt. The company has 14 weekly papers, as well as the Chronicle Herald and Cape Breton Post in N.S., the Telegram in N.L., and the Guardian in P.E.I.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-03-01 to 2024-03-07

  • The N.L. Government has announced over $400k to expand the Clinical Harm Reduction Outreach Team to increase access to primary health care services for people who may be vulnerable and marginalized. The funding will be used to increase staffing and purchase equipment.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced $405,125 in funding for 9 community organizations as part of a 4-year, $13.6M agreement with Women and Gender Equality Canada. The new funding will go towards violence prevention-related initiatives in the areas of outreach, education and awareness.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • The N.L. Government has extended the deadline for request for proposals to March 15 for future use or development of the Bull Arm Fabrication Site, originally developed for Hibernia. Trades NL sees growth opportunities there and hopes to attract more work for Trades NL membership and local contractors.

    vocm.com

  • The Body Shop Canada has announced it is closing 33 of its 105 stores across the country. This will impact one N.L. store location in Corner Brook while the St. John’s location will remain open. Several stores in the Maritimes are also closing. The number of employees impacted still remains unclear.

    vocm.com

  • WestJet is launching a St. John's to Hamilton flight beginning on May 17 with 5 weekly flights until October 14. The route was initially flown by budget airline Swoop, which merged with WestJet last October. They are also resuming service to Tampa on March 17 through to June 2.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-02-23 to 2024-02-29

  • Calgary-based Lynx Air has ceased operations as of Feb. 26, after filing for creditor protection. The low-cost airline began in 2022 and flew out of Fredericton last summer. A Lynx spokesperson attributed the closure to growing financial pressures.

    cbc.ca

  • Despite over 700 nursing vacancies across Newfoundland and Labrador, some nursing students from the Centre for Nursing Studies in St. John's are only being offered temporary contracts when they graduate. The province recently paid $36M for travel nurses.

    cbc.ca

  • After Braya Renewable Fuels spent hundreds of millions to convert the Come By Chance refinery, the former oil refinery in Placentia Bay is now producing renewable diesel. The site employs 200 full-time employees, but plans to grow as production increases.

    cbc.ca

  • World Energy GH2 has secured a $128M federal development loan for a proposed wind-to-hydrogen project on Newfoundland's west coast. The project is forecasted to create 2,200 direct construction jobs, 400 operations jobs, and 4,200 indirect jobs.

    cbc.ca

  • The City of Mount Pearl is getting $6.1M from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund to build 180 homes over the next three years. The aim is to develop city land, speed up construction, offer incentives, increase housing density and build affordable housing.

    cbc.ca

  • The Association of Allied Health Professionals have voted in favour of a four-year contract with the province. The association has about 800 people from various health fields. Benefits include a 2% wage increase, a $2000 bonus, and travel reimbursements.

    globalnews.ca

  • St. John's-based Ocean Choice International (OCI) has sold its offshore scallop quota to three Nova Scotia companies. The value of the quota is estimated to be $200M and was purchased by Comeau's Sea Foods, LaHave Seafoods and Mersey Seafoods.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-02-16 to 2024-02-22

  • The Government of Canada has announced combined Federal/Provincial/Municipal funding of $4.3M for 10 projects in 8 communities across Newfoundland and Labrador that will protect municipal parks, water and wastewater infrastructure, roadways, and homes from shoreline erosion and extreme weather events.

    canada.ca

  • Hospitality NL has just launched the We Are Tourism Workforce Action Plan to recruit workers into the industry. Statistics indicate that tourists spend $1.2B in the province each year, while the local industry represents 2300 businesses providing employment to tens of thousands of people.

    vocm.com

  • The Atlantic provinces signed a new Atlantic Canada Agreement on Tourism, which will provide $30M in funding over the next four and a half years. The agreement aims to expand tourism year-round. Tourism in the region employs more than 111,000 workers.

    ctvnews.ca

  • The N.L. Government has offered jobs to 68 internationally trained nurses through its recent Middle East recruitment trip. The new recruits will need to meet the qualifications that the nursing regulatory body has set to work in the province but anticipate that will happen within 6 months. There were about 700 nursing vacancies as of October.

    cbc.ca

  • The inflation rate in Newfoundland and Labrador for January dropped to 2.5%, down from 3.4% the previous month while in St. John’s, inflation fell to 2.8% from 3.8% in December. This was below the national average of 2.9% in January across Canada (down from 3.4% in December).

    vocm.com
• Week of 2024-02-09 to 2024-02-15

  • Choices for Youth Inc. will open a new Social Enterprise and Youth Innovation Hub in St. John’s with a $4.3M investment from the federal government. This project will create space for young people to gain employable and transferable skills in a supportive workplace.

    canada.ca

  • The Newfoundland and Labrador government has announced it has reached a collective agreement with the Association of Allied Health Professionals averting a potential strike. Allied health professionals play an integral role in health care, providing support across diverse specialties.

    cbc.ca

  • The sale of the Harbour Grace shipyard is expected to close in late February, a major step in the restructuring of the business which is one of the largest vessel refit and repair facilities in eastern Canada. The new owner is planning to protect the workforce which is currently down to just over 40.

    cbc.ca

  • Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education, Labrador's Innu educational authority, has partnered with McGill University to offer a new 2-year teaching certificate for Sheshatshiu and Mushua Innu - the first of its kind in Labrador. It is expected to result in 20 new teachers to help with the increasing student population.

    cbc.ca

  • The City of St. John’s has awarded a nearly $350k contract to Dillon Consulting Limited for the detailed design of a shared-use path in the east end. The detailed design must be completed by August and a construction tender is expected to be called in September.

    vocm.com

  • Construction work valued at $24.6M at Memorial University’s Aquarena (St. John’s) for the 2025 Canada Summer Games has been delayed moving back the public reopening date by a full year. The delays are due to unexpected challenges and issues relating to labour availability and supply chain.

    cbc.ca

  • A P3 approach, or a public-private partnership, will be used to build new sections of a divided highway along the Trans-Canada Highway in eastern and central Newfoundland at an estimated cost of over $300M. Construction will begin in 2025 and it will take about three construction seasons to complete.

    cbc.ca

  • Canada's actors, directors, musicians and the groups representing them have expressed major concerns over the livelihood and reputational threats Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses to them and have called on the Federal Government to include industry protections in its proposed AI legislation.

    citynews.ca

  • Bell Media’s parent company BCE Inc. states that it will sell 45 of its 103 regional radio stations and layoff 9% of its workforce or 4,800 jobs. CTV and BNN Bloomberg will see immediate cuts. Five Atlantic radio stations will be sold to Maritime Broadcasting.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-02-02 to 2024-02-08

  • A new report by the Atlantic Economic Council comparing hydro electric, natural gas, and wind turbines, suggests that offshore wind development is the most beneficial to local economies as the majority of the work has to done locally and is thus vital for economic growth in the clean energy sector.

    vocm.com

  • The N.L Government is accepting expressions of interest from property developers interested in building new residential rental units as it launches a $50M loan program. Expressions of interest are being accepted until February 21.

    vocm.com

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $600k in funding for six tourism-related projects in Western Newfoundland to assist tourism operators expand their operations and build up community infrastructure. These include Corner Brook Port Corporation ($130k) and Town of Humber Arm South ($125k).

    canada.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced $1M in funding to organizations to support four Adult literacy projects. These include The Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy Council ($248k), Econext ($360k), Council of Marine Professional Associates ($140k), The Murphy Centre ($250k).

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • The new owners of the St. Lawrence fluorspar mine, private equity group - African Minerals Exploration & Development Funds, plan to invest $100M over the next 3 years to restart and expand the mine, which closed in February 2022. There are currently 20 employees which will eventually peak at 200.

    cbc.ca

  • St. John’s City Council has rejected a proposal for a significant daycare development on Thorburn Road with space for 144 kids and 20 staff due primarily to fire safety concerns. City council did approve a new daycare facility at a nearby location on Austin Street.

    vocm.com

  • WestJet has announced it is reintroducing its seasonal route from Deer Lake Regional Airport starting on May 16 with direct flights to Toronto and Calgary. The airline stopped servicing the airport in 2023 as it reconfigured some routes across Canada.

    vocm.com

  • N.L. teachers have signed a new collective agreement with the provincial government that includes annual 2% wage increases for the next four years, a one-time $2,000 bonus and initiatives on rural recruitment and retention. The agreement covers 6,500 teachers across the province.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-01-26 to 2024-02-01

  • The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has released the redfish quota allocations for the Atlantic Provinces when the fishery reopens later this year after a nearly 30-year hiatus with N.L. at 19% (+2.0), N.S. at 33% (-5.8), N.B. at 11% (+3.1), and P.E.I. at 5% (+0.5). The total allowable catch will be 25k tonnes.

    cbc.ca

  • Provincial statistics show 526 new electric vehicles were registered in 2023 in N.L., raising the total number to 1,241 - a 74% increase over 2022, while the number of hybrid vehicles rose 26% over the same time-period, totalling 2,722. N.L. Hydro saw record usage of its 23 public EV charging stations in 2023.

    cbc.ca

  • On April 1, 2024, N.L. will increase its minimum wage by 60 cents to $15.60/hour and the minimum overtime wage will increase to $23.40/hour. The increase is required by legislation due to a change in the National Consumer Price Index.

    vocm.com

  • N.L.-based chicken chain Mary Brown's is opening its first international store in Northern Ireland in February with hopes for 10 more in 2024 and plans for 300-400 within 5 years including countries such as Mexico, Pakistan and India. There are 255 stores across Canada with a 5-year plan to double that to 500.

    cbc.ca

  • N.L.’s oil sector is optimistic about the potential to revive Equinor’s stalled deepsea Bay du Nord project after the company has sent strong signals of its commitment. The new strategy for lowering development costs appears to be a greater reliance on 3rd-party contractors which could mean fewer local economy spinoffs.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2024-01-19 to 2024-01-25

  • The $8.8M federal contract for the new Canada Revenue Agency building in St. John’s has been awarded to Toronto-based Moriyama Teshima Architects for design and co-ordination of other sub-design consultants including St. John's-based Woodford Architecture. Construction is set to begin in 2026 and finish in 2029.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government's recruiting initiatives have led to 400 nurses recruited over the past fiscal year though the number of current vacancies dropped by just 60 to about 700 and many existing nurses are leaving the profession and retiring. The Nurses' union says the province still has a retention issue.

    cbc.ca

  • A decision by the U.S. to increase the minimum legal size of lobster from 82mm to 84mm in 2025 and then 86mm in 2027, could reduce the amount of lobster shipped to the U.S. from Canada by 10-30%. The decision was made due to a reduction of young lobster.

    cbc.ca

  • Air Borealis (Happy Valley-Goose Bay) has ratified its first collective agreement after 3 years of negotiations with pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Association. The agreement includes improved working conditions, compensation, benefits and scheduling measures.

    cbc.ca

  • An access to information request has shown there are over 1,900 vacancies inside N.L.’s health-care system with 1,275 of those within the Eastern zone. Registered nurses make up 729 of those vcacancies while 1,009 workers have resigned over the past 2 years in the Eastern zone including 115 doctors (excluding private practice and Family).

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $7M in funding to support more than 110 projects in N.L. since the launch of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership in April 2023. Investments include over $928k to support the N.L. Federation of Agriculture in delivering a wide range of projects.

    canada.ca

  • The N.L. Association of Public and Private Employees, N.L.’s largest public sector union, is meeting with government officials to discuss the critical social worker shortage. Issues leading to the shortage include compensation and workload. One suggestion includes increasing training seats at the province’s only school of social work.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2024-01-12 to 2024-01-18

  • The N.L. Department of Health has stated that over 370 nurses have been recruited into the health system since April 2023. However, the number of nursing vacancies still exceeds 700 according to the latest statistics, although travel nurses are currently filling many of those vacancies.

    vocm.com

  • The federal government announced that the deadline of Jan. 18 for small businesses to repay their CEBA loans, will not be extended any further. If a business misses the deadline, the CEBA loan will be converted to a three year loan at 5%.

    charlottefm.ca

  • N.S.-based company, Heritage Memorials, has been awarded the new $236,830 contract to construct a tomb of the unknowns at the Newfoundland National War Memorial in St. John's slated to be completed by July 1. The memorial is also undergoing a $6M refurbishment by Can-Am Platforms and Construction (Bay Roberts).

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced it is leasing the Airport Road hotel in St. John’s for 3 years for $21M as transitional housing units. The recruitment process has begun for the team of about 15 workers including social workers, nursing support staff, and housing support workers.

    vocm.com

  • N.L. Health Alliance has been awarded a contract by N.L. Health Services valued at $4.1M annually for a 20-year lease at the former Costco Building in St. John’s to establish a new ambulatory care hub.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • Newdock, also known as St. John's Dockyard Ltd., has been awarded a $34.3M contract to convert and refit the Canadian Coast Guard ship Judy LaMarsh. The work will create approximately 80 highly skilled jobs with the project expected to be completed by March 2025.

    cbc.ca

  • The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation estimates 3.5M additional housing units will be needed by 2030 to address the housing affordability issue. The Atlantic provinces are exploring ways to boost factory-built housing as one solution to accelerate housing construction in the region.

    cbc.ca

  • The federal government will provide up to $86M in funding to 15 organizations across Canada to help speed up the credential process of 6,600 internationally educated health workers. The aim is to help fill labour gaps and strengthen the healthcare system.

    ctvnews.ca
• Week of 2024-01-05 to 2024-01-11

  • NL Health Services says extensive recruitment efforts continue to stabilize the workforce in order to maintain Emergency Room (ER) services throughout the province but recruitment and retention remain a challenge in some areas with continued service disruptions. In some cases, virtual ER services have been employed to fill the gap.

    vocm.com

  • Cenovus Energy (Calgary) plans to spend nearly $1B this year on the SeaRose refit and the ongoing construction of the West White Rose project, which is on target for first oil production in 2026. The latest available report shows total onshore/offshore employment in the White Rose field at 660.

    cbc.ca

  • The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) has launched a new recruitment drive for its 36-week Cadet Training Program that starts in January 2025. The RNC had 17 recruit constables join in 2023 with 7 new officers.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2023-12-29 to 2024-01-04

  • The Public Service Commission's 2022-2023 annual report states that the federal public service grew by 6.5% from April 2022 to March 2023, adding 16,642 new employees. Over 423,000 people applied to externally-advertised public service positions.

    Other Sources

  • A gold discovery near Appleton, just west of Gander, is expected to create opportunity in the region as one of the country’s most significant and richest gold discoveries.

    vocm.com

  • Joint federal/provincial funding of $7.5M has been announced to build a new women’s shelter in Marystown. The new shelter will be operated by Grace Sparkes House. The expected completion date is April 30, 2024.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2023-12-22 to 2023-12-28

  • Marathon Gold’s Valentine Lake gold mining project in central Newfoundland is about half-way built with the hopes to start production by the start of 2025. All the site work is now completed with another $300M to be spent on the next phase of construction, which is all above-ground.

    vocm.com

  • Corner Brook saw a record-breaking cruise ship season in 2023 with 16 vessels and 28 port calls with close to 41k passengers and another 20k crew members, which was a significant increase over 2022. The visits represented over $14M in economic value.

    vocm.com

  • The Government of Canada has awarded an $8.8M contract to Moriyama & Teshima Architects for design services for CRA’s new National Verification and Collections Centre and Tax Services Office in St. John’s, where employment peaks at about 3,000 employees. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2029.

    canada.ca
• Week of 2023-12-15 to 2023-12-21

  • The Government of Canada has announced $13.6M in funding to N.L. over 4 years to help end gender-based violence through the creation and enhancement of programs and supports for gender-based violence survivors. One recipient, Quadrangle in St. John’s N.L., will receive $890k.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced over $15M in funding to support the Port of Argentia’s Marine Terminal Expansion. The multi-year infrastructure project is divided into two components: a marine base and a ramp to serve the energy industry and other industrial clients.

    vocm.com

  • Joint Federal ($929,892) and provincial ($325,289) funding has been announced for 3 non-profit organizations to strengthen winter tourism opportunities in Clarenville. These include Alpine Development Alliance Corporation ($1.1M), Discovery Trail Snowmobile Association ($65k) and Clarenville Nordic Ski Club Inc. ($75k).

    canada.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced $548,484 in funding to technology company trophi.ai (St. John’s) to help develop artificial intelligence for use in the eSports world as a coaching method. The grant will be used to recruit 9 new software technicians, in addition to the 4 positions that have already been filled.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • Statistics Canada reports that Canada’s inflation rate was steady at 3.1% in November, with mortgage costs, food and rent with the biggest increases. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was up by 2.5% in N.S, 2.1% in N.L., 1.7% in N.B., and only 0.4% in P.E.I.

    thewave.ca
• Week of 2023-12-08 to 2023-12-14

  • A new research report by the Atlantic Economic Council shows Indigenous businesses contributed 5% of Atlantic Canada’s GDP, over 8% of jobs, and about $3.6B to the economy in 2020. The report identified 660 Indigenous-owned businesses and 2,400 self-employed persons in N.S. as of 2023.

    cbc.ca

  • A new study from Downtowns Atlantic Canada Inc. reports that downtown businesses are dealing with security issues, lack of staffing, decreased foot traffic due to remote work, and concerns about repayment of the federal CEBA small business loans.

    globalnews.ca

  • N.L. Hydro has confirmed that diesel-burning Stephenville gas turbine will not be retired in 2024 as a result of ongoing reliability concerns at several Hydro assets. Most notable among these is the Labrador-Island Link/Muskrat Falls and Holyrood, as energy demands on the grid are expected to increase.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government that will enable the province to take the regulatory lead on offshore wind projects within its inland bays to enable the advancement of offshore wind projects and jobs.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • GDR Enterprises Limited has been awarded a $2M annual contract from N.L. Health Services for a 20-year lease on a new integrated community health care centre in Stephenville. The new facility is expected to be completed in late 2024 and will consolidate existing health services in the area into one location.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced it is issuing a Request For Proposals due in early 2024 to find a single entity to run road and air ambulance services. This would see about 60 different road ambulance services managed centrally by a private company also responsible for air service. No layoffs are expected.

    cbc.ca

  • The Newfoundland And Labrador Teachers' Association, representing approximately 6,500 educators and administrators across the province, has ratified a new collective agreement with the N.L. Government. It includes a 2% annual wage increase for four years until 2026, rural and remote recruitment and retention incentives.

    vocm.com

  • Trades NL is launching a new college of skilled trades that will offer training in six campuses across N.L. that will enable candidates to complete pre-apprenticeship training and progress through journeyperson and red seal in a variety of trades including plumbers, bricklayers, ironworkers, insulators and boilermakers.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2023-12-01 to 2023-12-07

  • North Atlantic’s recent partnership with Suncor to create North Sun Energy is bringing Petro-Canada gas bars to Orange Store locations. Four Petro-Canada locations in St John's have been converted, with plans to expand to 15 more locations across N.L. over the next few years, some being rebranded as North Atlantic.

    vocm.com

  • The City of Mount Pearl has received $6.5M in provincial funding for infrastructure upgrades that will go towards upgrades to the Holden Street/Ingerman Street area, and a new community centre to replace Park Place.

    vocm.com

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $1.9M to help 46 communities in Newfoundland and Labrador implement innovative asset management strategies to manage their municipal infrastructure, including arenas, bridges, drinking water and wastewater systems, and roads.

    canada.ca

  • According to Statistics Cananada, 11% of women and 16% of men were self-employed in 2022. The report also stated that 80% of self-employed women and 68% of self-employed men had no employees in 2022.

    ctvnews.ca

  • CBC/Radio Canada announced it will cut about 10% of its workforce or roughly 600 unionized and non-unionized positions, due to financial pressures. Another 200 vacant positions will also be cut. It’s unknown how many layoffs will be in Atlantic Canada.

    vocm.com

  • Newfoundland-based Genoa Design International has signed an $80M contract to provide 3D modelling and design services for the construction of the Coast Guard’s new polar icebreaker fleet. The deal will result in job security for at least 100 employees per year for the next several years.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2023-11-24 to 2023-11-30

  • According to a new report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, labour shortages have cost small businesses across Canada over $38B. Lack of staff has meant that existing employees have had to work harder. Employers have had to cut down on hours and turn down services and contracts.

    ctvnews.ca

  • Mastermind Toys, the Canadian toy retailer, has filed for creditor protection and intends to close some of its 66 stores across Canada. The company states that it faced a number of challenges such as the pandemic, increased competition, and a poor economy.

    charlottefm.ca

  • The Atlantic Canada Cruise Association reports that more than 600 cruise ships came to the region between April and August, with a 28% increase in port calls. The Port of Sydney and Saint John experienced record-breaking activity in 2023.

    charlottefm.ca

  • Alberta-based Suncor Energy has announced that operations are again underway at the Terra Nova oil platform off Newfoundland's east coast following years of inactivity and repair work. The vessel hasn't been in operation since 2019.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Nurse Practitioner Association has expressed concern in the provincial government’s decision to enter into a 2-year contract with U.S.-based Teladoc Health to provide virtual health care in N.L. They suggest the service could have been done by nurse practitioners within the province at a lower cost.

    cbc.ca

  • The Registered Nurses' Union N.L., representing over 5,800 registered nurses and nurse practitioners in the province, has filed a group/policy grievance stating that private agency travel nurses have been given work before unionized nurses. All Atlantic Canadian provinces continue to struggle with a severe nursing shortage.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Liquor Corporation saw a significant increase (30%) in cannabis sales during the second quarter of 2023 compared to the same period the year before, with sales totalling $23.1M. Cannabis growth was driven largely by vape products, representing 13.4% of sales.

    vocm.com

  • The N.L. Government and the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association, representing approximately 6,500 educators and administrators across the province, have reached a tentative collective agreement. Agreement details will be released upon ratification.

    www.gov.nl.ca
• Week of 2023-11-17 to 2023-11-23

  • Quinlan Brothers and Grieg Seafood are celebrating their new partnership to process farmed salmon with the opening of their new $16M robotics and automated mechanical systems for salmon processing out of Quinlan’s Bay de Verde facility. The plant will run two 50-person shifts a day.

    cbc.ca

  • The Atlantic Recruitment working group is looking to recruit international health-care workers in a more collaborative approach, as opposed to drawing from other provinces. Dubai, India, the Philippines, and Ireland are all potential recruitment sites.

    ctvnews.ca

  • Combined federal/provincial government funding of $889k has been announced to expand and improve the Starlite Trail and extend it over approximately 17 kilometres of scenic highlands surrounding Campbells Lake.

    canada.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced $80M in funding for an affordable rental housing program that will see 91 new housing projects established with 922 new rental units built through both private builders and community organizations. Finding enough workers and contractors is a concern.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L Government has announced a partnership with the YMCA to create 160 new $10-per-day child-care spaces for health-care professionals with irregular hours in St. John's, Bonavista and Corner Brook. Spaces will be ready in 6 months.

    cbc.ca

  • About 650 unionized N.L. Hydro employees from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have accepted a new 4-year contract that includes 2% annual increases and a 5% Atlantic parity adjustment with N.S and N.B Crown-owned utilities. It includes power line technicians, power generating station operators, and administrative employees.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government’s 2-year $22M contract with virtual-care provider Teladoc Health will see the company open the province’s first virtual emergency room in New-Wes-Valley and later expand to four yet to be determined locations. Services are expected to expand to virtual primary-care physicians in the coming months.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-11-10 to 2023-11-16

  • The construction of the new $750M Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook has been completed and is expected to open to the public in the Spring of 2024. A new adult mental health and addictions hospital in St. John’s, currently under construction, is slated to open in 2025.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • Ultra-low-cost carrier Flair Airlines has announced their expansion into St. John's International Airport with direct flights to Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo along with a second direct route to Toronto coming to Deer Lake Regional Airport with both beginning in May 2024.

    cbc.ca

  • A recent member survey by the Pharmacists Association of Newfoundland and Labrador found the province has a shortage of about 100 pharmacists. They have called for increased recruitment measures that include integrating internationally-trained pharmacists, increasing pharmacy school class size, and improving employment contracts.

    vocm.com

  • N.L. has only 5 American Sign Language interpreters, all of whom work on a freelance basis. The N.L. Association for the Deaf says this Canada-wide shortage leads to the lack of accessible services for deaf people, especially senior citizens, who become isolated within the health-care system.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L Government, through the N.L. Housing Corporation is moving forward with two affordable housing infrastructure projects that include the construction of a $13M 40-unit affordable apartment complex for low-income households in Pleasantville and a $30M integrated health, housing, and supportive services hub in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • The Corner Brook Pulp and Paper mill has announced it is shutting down operations for 7 days starting on Nov. 20 that will affect about 300 employees. The company has cited the difficult business environment in the newsprint sector as the reason and may carry out additional production shutdowns in the coming weeks.

    cbc.ca

  • A new $3.2M infrastructure project to build a cold storage facility for seafood has been announced for the Gander International Airport. The facility will be used to hold live fish products from local processing companies for export to other markets.

    vocm.com

  • WestJet has announced that it will launch a direct flight from the St. John's International Airport to London starting in May 2024 and ending in late October. This will be the airport’s first direct route to Europe since 2019.

    cbc.ca

  • On November 8, 2023, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) reached a tentative agreement with the group representing major production studios. This follows the new contract recently signed by the Writers Guild of America that ended a 148-day strike.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-11-03 to 2023-11-09

  • The Canadian Institute of Health Research is investing $2M in a research project dedicated to making sexual health services accessible in N.L and N.S.. Many pharmacists face resource and staff shortages in their regular operations.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government is establishing centres of excellence in aging at regional hospitals along with a $5M investment over 5 years for the creation of a new Geriatric Medicine Training Program and an expansion of Memorial University’s Care of the Elderly Training Program.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • Harbour Grace Ocean Enterprises, one of eastern Canada’s largest shipyards, owes nearly $16M to its suppliers and has been granted court protection from its creditors. The shipyard employs 56 full-time employees. Despite increasing revenues in 2022, profits decreased by 33% due to rising costs and a slowing fishing industry.

    cbc.ca

  • Veterinarians across Canada are increasingly reporting burnout and deteriorating mental health conditions due to elevated stress levels, staff shortages and growing demand for services. Canada has had a shortage of vet technologists, technicians and vets.

    cbc.ca

  • The Atlantica Centre for Energy has created a new literacy project called Fuel 4 the Future (F4F). The aim is to raise awareness of opportunities in the clean energy sector and create new career pathways in clean hydrogen, biofuels, and renewable natural gas.

    charlottefm.ca

  • N.L. is hiring 10 physician assistants for a 3-year pilot project at 5 hospital sites in St. Anthony, Corner Brook, Gander, Burin, and St. John's to help with doctor workloads and improve access to health care. Physician assistants work with doctors in settings including emergency departments, surgery and family medicine.

    cbc.ca

  • The 2023 cruise season has ended with a total of 33 ship arrivals and 28,421 passengers according to statistics from St. John’s City Council. The average passenger spent $35-$40 last year when in port. The 2024 cruise season is scheduled to host 37 ships starting on April 23, 2024 with an expected record number of 67,000 passengers.

    vocm.com

  • Skills Canada NL has launched a Youth Apprenticeship Summer Employment Program in partnership with the province to provide grade 10 and 11 students with 7-week summer placements in high-demand trades. Participants gain apprenticeship hours, professional development, peer networking and industry tour opportunities.

    vocm.com
• Week of 2023-10-27 to 2023-11-02

  • The N.L. Government continues to send some cancer patients to Ontario for treatment due to a shortage of radiation therapists, which lead to the shut down of a radiation unit at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s. Recruitment continues with 6 people currently recruited for the cancer centre.

    vocm.com

  • The N.L. Government has announced $4.3M in funding to help attract more private investment in critical mineral exploration as part of their Critical Mineral Plan. This includes $3M for the development of innovative geoscience techniques using AI and remote sensing technologies and $1.3M to support projects under the Junior Exploration Assistance Program.

    vocm.com

  • The federal government made changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which will allow employers in seven sectors that have labour shortages, to hire up to 30% of their staff until Aug 30, 2024. Sectors include accommodation and food services, construction, food manufacturing and hospitals.

    Globe & Mail

  • According to the First Atlantic Municipal Report released by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), small businesses want more support from municipalities. They would like to see reduced taxes, less paperwork, and quicker processing.

    thewave.ca

  • Atlas Salt Inc. (Vulcan Minerals subsidiary) has announced conceptual plans to build a $500M rock salt mine in St. George’s Bay with construction anticipated to begin in 2025. It is expected to produce 300-600 jobs during the construction phase and 170 permanent jobs including office administrators, accountants, mechanics, machinery operators, surface plant operators, buyers, and inventory and warehouse clerks.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government has announced 15 project recipients for the 2023-24 Inclusion and Capacity Grant Programs that will receive funding support of up to $50,000 each to help advance accessibility, inclusion and well-being of persons with disabilities across the province

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • Grieg Seafood (Placentia Bay) began its first commercial farmed salmon harvest with plans to triple annual production within 3 years with processing and packaging by Quinlan Brothers Ltd. (Bay de Verde). In July, they also announced resumption of work on its post-smolt aquaculture building in Marystown.

    cbc.ca

  • Health departments across Canada are increasingly using nursing agencies to fill shifts that aren’t covered by current staff. Agency nurses get higher pay and have more flexibility, while working beside public system nurses who earn less and are asked to work more.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-10-20 to 2023-10-26

  • Scotiabank has announced a 3% staffing reduction in a restructuring process which will result in a number of branch closures across N.L., primarily affecting rural areas by August 2024. Branches slated for closure include Grand Bank, Bonavista, Twillingate, Whitbourne, Burgeo, Botwood, Deer Lake and Lewisporte.

    vocm.com

  • Combined Federal/Provincial funding of over $2M has been announced in support of N.L.’s growing film industry. The funding will go to Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-operative Limited and PictureNL to upgrade production facilities and equipment and conduct business activities to promote the industry.

    canada.ca

  • N.L’s Department of Transportation is currently in the process of recalling approximately 400 seasonal heavy equipment operators, management and staff for the upcoming winter season.

    vocm.com

  • Amid staff shortages at the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1860, representing 210 workers, says N.L. has become more heavily reliant on hiring outside contractors rather than hiring internally.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Health Authority has announced the official reopening of the obstetrics unit in Gander this fall. The unit struggled to remain open in the past due to staffing shortages with the next closest facility in Grand Falls-Windsor. Three of four obstetricians have already been hired to work at Gander's James Paton Memorial Hospital.

    cbc.ca

  • A $1.45M contract has been awarded to Eastern Contracting Limited to replace windows and doors at the MacDonald Drive Elementary School in St. John’s. Pittman’s Enterprises Limited, meanwhile, was awarded a $938K contract for renovations at St. Mary’s All Grade School in Mary’s Harbour (Labrador).

    vocm.com
• Week of 2023-10-13 to 2023-10-19

  • A wind power report states that Atlantic Canada has the opportunity to become a global leader in renewable energy if it harnesses its offshore wind potential. The Sable Island Bank could ideally handle 1,000 offshore turbines and supply around 70,000 GWs.

    cbc.ca

  • New research from KPMG Canada found that extreme weather events this year have impacted nearly 60% of small and medium-sized businesses in Canada. Over 50% of those surveyed experienced a significant rise in overall costs, while 44% reported a direct loss in revenue.

    charlottefm.ca

  • Almost 200 cancer patients have had to be treated in Toronto, due to an ongoing shortage of radiation therapists in Newfoundland and Labrador. Health officials with N.L. Health Services say they have recruited half of the vacancies and need to hire four more.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. government, through the N.L. Housing Corporation, has allocated close to $6M for repairs and renovations to 143 provincially-owned vacant units. Over $15M has been invested since 2021 to repair and revitalize over 2,000 provincially-owned homes.

    www.gov.nl.ca

  • The West White Rose oil project’s concrete gravity structure is now 83% complete. About 1,000 workers focused on mechanical installations and additional concrete workers are employed on the project. The West White Rose extension project is now 70% complete.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $1.52M in funding, through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, dedicated to social and recreational facilities for 30 projects in the Bonavista, Burin and Trinity region.

    canada.ca

  • Health ministers from across Canada have identified its main priorities for health care. These include improving retention, examining training and supply demands, quicker international credential process, easier labour mobility, and improved workforce data.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-10-06 to 2023-10-12

  • N.L. Health Services will reissue a new tender process for bids to build a new urgent-care clinic in St. John’s after all the previous bids were too high. The goal is to open the clinic next spring, which would provide treatment for non-emergency medical issues.

    cbc.ca

  • N.L. Hydro expects to spend $28M over 4 years to help repair and upgrade the Muskrat Falls transmission line. The money will go to an outside contractor and will cover the cost of equipment and labour.

    cbc.ca

  • A doctor in Grand Falls-Windsor is closing her practice, stating that while the costs to run a family practice keeps climbing, rates offered by the provincial government don’t account for inflation and there is a lack of government support.

    cbc.ca

  • Broadening Horizons, a Gander non-profit recycling facility, will receive $590K in federal and provincial support to renovate and enhance its facility. The money will also go toward its pre-employment training facility to support those with intellectual disabilities.

    Telegram

  • Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services has recruited over 200 internationally-educated nurses since 2022, with 59 being registered nurses, 17 being licensed practical nurses, and 37 others in the process of receiving their RN designation.

    cbc.ca

  • Tacora Resources, which owns the Scully Mine in Wabush, has obtained creditor protection because it can’t meet its financial obligations. The mine will operate for now with its 280 unionized workers, with costs covered until the end of February.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.L. Government states that it has a location for a new family-care clinic in Grand Falls-Windsor and will offer a $200K signing bonus to doctors. Recruiting is underway for 21 staff, including a nurse practitioner, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist and a psychologist.

    vocm.com

  • The N.L. Association of Allied Health Professionals says that negotiations on a new collective agreement have stalled with the province. Major issues include working conditions, workloads and wages. Their 800 members include audiologists, pharmacists, and social workers.

    cbc.ca

  • The 145 metre Concrete Gravity Structure for the Cenovus/West White Rose project is nearing completion in Argentia. The massive structure is the equivalent of a seven storey building.

    vocm.com