CBC Newfoundland Morning

Some people in Norris Point are hoping to get you out on the water this summer. But not in a kayak, canoe, or motorboat, they want to interest people in dragon boating. And there's a chance tonight to learn more. Marie Hickey is an organizer.

Riff’s department stores are a staple of Newfoundland and Labrador. There are twenty of them scattered across the province, and last year Lee Stewart had an idea to challenge people to travel around the island and see every single one. And we’re happy to report, he finally completed the challenge himself.

The provincial government announced it's joined several partners to build a new medical simulation lab in Grand Falls-Windsor, focused on helping medical professionals learn techniques that will better prepare them for working in rural areas. The department of industry is committing about a hundred and eighty thousand dollars to the project. Minister Andrew Parsons spoke with CBC's Leigh Anne Power.

The Glynmill Inn is celebrating its one hundredth anniversary this year. If you’ve been to Corner Brook, you might have visited the hotel or had a meal there but you might not know the Inn wasn’t always a hotel. To tell us more about the Glynmill Inn, CBC’s Amy Feehan joined us in studio.

Her newest album features Celtic-tinged violin and Inuit throat singing, elements of Brazilian percussion, and a whole lot of emotion. Gina Burgess, a member of the Iqaluit-based Arctic rock band The Jerry Cans, was nominated for a Juno and is a four-time East Coast Music Award winner. She's on a tour of the province this month.

Hurricane season in the Atlantic ocean generally hits its peak in September. This year, though, Hurricane Beryl, a category five storm, has already hit the Caribbean islands. It's the earliest in the year forecasters have ever recorded such a powerful storm. Chris Fogarty is a meteorologist and manager at the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Halifax. He spoke with CBC's Leigh Anne Power.

Some people in this province are waiting a long time to get an MRI. Many are waiting amid a backlog of cases, and many are waiting even longer to join the backlog. One advocate says she's been waiting to hear how the government and health services are going to tackle the issue. Jennifer Carey is a medical radiation technologist and manager of national advocacy with the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists.

The Chaloupe is a replica of the fishing boats French settlers would use on the Northern Peninsula centuries ago, and one in Port au Choix is getting some much needed repair work. CBC’s Amy Feehan visited the French Rooms Cultural Center Community Museum & Bread Oven in Port Au Choix to find out more about the history of the Chaloupe. 

Support workers feel as though they are the forgotten heroes of the Newfoundland and Labrador health system. Last year the Furey government offered a one time wage increase after negotiations with the registered nurses union and allied health, but they didn't include health care support and service workers in these negotiations. Sherry Hillier is the President for Newfoundland Canadian union of public employees. 

Tourism season is well underway now, and so are plans for the sixth season of the King's Point Theatre Project. The project is meant to record, preserve, re-interpret and present the music and folklore of the area. This year's production is called Turncoat Hill, written by Rory Lambert. He's also the artistic director of the theatre project.