CBC Newfoundland Morning

The Coaker Foundation in Port Union is no stranger to community projects. Last year they asked for donations of granny squares, to create a crochet christmas tree. After getting such a great response this year they decided to make a tea-cup christmas tree. Edith Samson is with the Coaker Foundation 

Before the Qalipu Mi'kmaq Band was born in 2011, many Indigenous people were part of the Federation of Newfoundland Indians. In 2013, Qalipu changed its membership rules, which removed status from thousands of people. Those who were rejected went to court where a judge decided their removal wasn't fair, and the federation returned. Now, the two groups are in a dispute about money. Glenn Wheeler is the host of the Mi'kmaq Matters podcast, and he speaks with CBC's Leigh Anne Power.

It's almost as much of a Christmas tradition as mummering or Figgy Duff - The Ennis Sisters are touring the province with a collection of seasonal tunes and recitations. Newfoundland Morning's David Newell spoke to Teresa Ennis before their Grand Falls-Windsor shows earlier this week.

Earlier this week, senior's advocate Susan Walsh delivered her first report on how well older people in this province are living. It turns out for many of them, their income adds up to less than a full-time job on minimum wage. And more than fifty percent of seniors have only government checks as income. Walsh says there's a lot of work to be done to ensure our seniors live as well as they can.

The process of applying for and securing property titles to Crown lands is being revamped. Tuesday afternoon, the Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Gerry Byrne launched a new Application Portal and Primary Residence Property Title Program. This initiative is the final step in the recently announced legislation and policy changes to the Lands Act, which aims to eliminate barriers in the application process. CBC's Leila Beaudoin attended the event and spoke with Minister Gerry Byrne.

Convicted drunk driver Nicholas Villeneuve was sentenced in provincial court in Gander. Judge Jacqueline Jenkins sentenced Villeneuve to six years, for killing John and Sandra Lush of Lewisporte. Villeneuve's sentence also included a seven-year driving ban. The fiery 2019 crash badly hurt the Lushs' daughter Suzanne and paralyzed her boyfriend, Josh Whiteway. CBC's Leigh Anne Power caught up with Josh Whiteway after the sentencing.

Work on a proposed protected area for the south coast will now have to wait until the new year. Some planned community meetings have been delayed until 2025. The sessions are part of a feasibility study into what's being called the South Coast Fjords National Marine Conservation Area project. Opposition from the aquaculture industry and some concerned residents has contributed to the delay. We heard from Lori Macadam, the director of National Marine Conservation Area Establishment for Parks Canada. 

This week, the Town of Gander presented its budget for 2025. Titled 'From Stability to Opportunity: Meeting Gander's Changing Needs', it focusses on fiscal stability but also on social and community development.

Highlights include enhancements to the income-based tax reduction program, investments in parks, playgrounds and open spaces - all with the mil rate remaining unchanged. To dig deeper into some of the details of the 2025 budget we spoke with the mayor of Gander, Percy Farwell.

NL's College of the North Atlantic isn't just a place to learn and train for a career. It's now among the top ten research colleges in the country. Michael Long is the Dean with he Office of Applied Research and Innovation at College of the North Atlantic.

Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the highest incidences of Type 1 diabetes in the world, in children under the age of 14. There's also a high rate of Type 2 emerging in younger people, and Diabetes Canada supports those statistics from the NL government. Children at school have to constantly monitor their condition, but the possibility of cell phone and tech bans in schools raise concerns about how easy it will be to get access to glucose monitoring devices. Laura O'Driscoll is the senior manager of policy with Diabetes Canada.