CBC Newfoundland Morning

On today's show, we had another in a series of panel discussions on the issue of housing insecurity in this province. We heard from Brian Button, Percy Farwell and Dale Colbourne, the mayors of Port aux Basques, Gander and St. Lunaire-Griquet, respectively.

Colorectal cancer - you might think of it as an older person's disease, but it's not: More than 24 thousand Canadians will be diagnosed with the disease this year, and it's the second deadliest cancer in Canada. This is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and Kay Short has a story to tell about battling colorectal cancer. She's known to most people in Corner Brook as "Dean Catherine," from the Anglican cathedral there, and she spoke with Bernice Hillier.

It's been almost three months since the cybersecurity breach at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University in Corner Brook. The initial investigation found out that ransomware was used in the attack. and no data was compromised. But things haven't been put back to normal, and the workflow for students and professors has been changed a lot. The CBC's Colleen Connors spoke with professor and Memorial University Faculty Association member Gerard Curtis for an update.

It's been eight months since the province's registered nurses and nurse practitioners signed their collective agreement. Despite negotiations, they have yet to receive all of the benefits. The CBC's Alex Kennedy spoke with Yvette Coffey, President of the Registered Nurses' Union Newfoundland & Labrador.

Some bad news for people who like to laugh - or make people laugh. Earlier this month, the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal was cancelled. Comedians all over the country are grieving the loss of the iconic festival. But how do comedians in THIS province feel about it? Jarrod Farrell is from Marystown and is fairly new to the comedy scene. CBC’s Amy Feehan spoke with him about the Newfoundland comedy community and what the cancellation of Just For Laughs means to him.

We recently spoke with housing researcher and consultant Hope Jamieson. They had prepared a report on housing insecurity in this province - with a focus on rural communities. What does housing insecurity and homelessness look like in smaller, rural communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, at what's being done to address the problem at the municipal level? Amy Coady is president of Municipalities NL and a councillor for the Town of Grand Falls Windsor, Jim Parsons is the mayor of the City of Corner Brook, and Cheryl Gardner is the Economic Development and Special Projects Co-ordinator for the Town of Fogo Island.

They've set a date. Nearly 17 years after it was first announced, the new regional hospital for western Newfoundland will finally open on June 2. It will be a proud and exciting day for many who've been involved in the project. The new Western Memorial Regional Hospital will replace the old facility, which opened in the 1970s, although part of the building dates back to 1950. The new hospital, we are told, has a "noticeable patient focus" in its design. Hilda Bellows is a project manager with NL Health Services and is responsible for Move Day plans. Paulette Morgan is the senior director of hospital clinical services with NL Health Services.

The Deer Lake Red Wings are on a winning streak this hockey season. The team came out on top of the Central-West Senior Hockey League with a 6-5 win against the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts on Friday night. The win sends the Wings to their second straight Herder Memorial final series, where they'll face the St. John's Caps for provincial senior hockey glory. Darren Langdon is their coach.

It's not uncommon for people to pay more than a thousand dollars a month for a one-bedroom apartment in this province. Rents have been rising fast since the pandemic began, and more and people have no place to stay. Last week's provincial budget set aside 36 million dollars over four years to build 100 new homes. Paula Sheppard is co-chair of the Community Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Corner Brook.

Last week's provincial budget covered a lot of ground. In our coverage so far, we've heard from provincial politicians, unions and analysts. This morning, three rural mayors were on the line to talk about their impressions. Della DeMoss is mayor of Roddickton-Bide Arm on the Great Northern Peninsula, Krista Freake is mayor of Lewisporte in Central Newfoundland, and Chalsie Kook-Marche is mayor of Port au Port West-Aguathuna-Felix Cove on the Port au Port Peninsula.