CBC Newfoundland Morning

When Westjet announced last month it's bringing back direct flights from St. John's to the UK - and adding new routes to Dublin and Paris - people in this province couldn't wait to start booking. But since the last time those flights were available, the rules for entry to the UK have changed. And the rules for entering the EU will change soon as well. Now travelers need to have applied for a travel authorization from the UK government before they even leave home. Avery Campbell is an advocate with the Association of Canadian Travel Agents. He spoke with the CBC's Leigh Anne Power.

Last week, Georgina’s Law was officially passed in the Senate. It will now move into the House of Commons for debate there. Georgina’s Law urges Canada to adopt a national strategy to help prevent intimate partner violence. Supporters of the new legislation see it as a major step forward, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Lynn Moore is a lawyer who specializes in sexual abuse litigation.

Most community groups would love to have a few more volunteers like Andrew Hibbitts of Stephenville. He's active in several community organizations, and this year, some of his counterparts and colleagues decided it was time to take notice of all his volunteer work. Earlier in 2024, Hibbitts was awarded Citizen of the Year in Stephenville and was given a Mental Health Leadership Award by the Canadian Mental Health Association NL. Late last week, he was also recognized with the Community Service Award from the College of the North Atlantic.

Premier Andrew Furey says changes are being made as a result of the tragic fire at the Driftwood Inn in Deer Lake. The Justice Department has said its investigation into the fire hasn't been completed yet; But the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador says his government is taking steps now to improve fire safety. Furey says he's directed several government departments to take some interim measures. The Premier says the changes came about after he met with volleyball teams and parents who were staying at the Driftwood Inn at the time of the fire.

A private healthcare provider called ProActive Wellness Centre has introduced a new service designed to tackle the shortage of primary care providers and take some of the pressure off the healthcare system. ProActive On Demand is an online platform that provides virtual medical appointments with family doctors through phone or video calls. It was launched on November 8. Evan Parsons is Medical Services Coordinator with ProActive Wellness Centre.

It takes a huge team of people to bring your favourite CBC radio shows every day. But the reporters and editors wouldn't be able to bring you their stories without dedicated technical staff. Transmitter technician Harry Mesh is one of those people. For decades, Harry has been fixing electronics, running cables, and climbing those massive towers that send out the CBC signal. Today, he's hanging up his toolbelt and safety harness for the last time. We reached him in Grand Falls-Windsor.

On Thursday, we spoke with Tammy Priddle, president and CEO of Deer Lake Regional Airport. Flair Airlines had announced it was pulling service from both Deer Lake and St. John's airports in 2025. The ultra-low-cost carrier only began service to this province back in May of this year. Flair isn't the only low-cost carrier to have a short layover on the Island. Lynx and Swoop, for example, began service only to pull it a short time later. There's no question that there is a need for flight options - especially affordable ones - in and out of this province. So why don't these ultra-low-cost options last? Nadia MacDonald is the Executive Director of the Atlantic Canada Airports Association.

If you're planning a summer getaway and hoping to book your flight with Flair Airlines, you'll need another plan. The airline has announced its 2025 season will no longer include Newfoundland, as it drops Deer Lake and St. John's from its schedule. Tammy Priddle is president and CEO of Deer Lake Regional Airport.

This week, American president-elect Donald Trump said he plans to impose a 25-percent tariff on all Canadian goods entering the United States. That's a problem for this province, as the vast majority of fish, minerals and oil produced here are sold in the United States. The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour thinks a united approach to fighting back is crucial. Jessica McCormick is the federation's president.

A study from Memorial University says rising ocean temperatures could cause a lot of harm to snow crab off our coasts. The report says the snow crab population in the Grand Banks area could drop by 60 per cent by the end of this century. Tyler Eddy is a research scientist with the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research at the Marine Institute of Memorial University.