Labrador Morning

Consultations are underway this week for the 2021 Federal Budget. We speak with former Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page about the value of this process and what priorities the government needs to have for economic recovery. Being a polar bear guard might seem like an unconventional job, but it could be the job for you. We hear today from a company hiring them. Landon Barney is sporting a new haircut this week, all in an effort to help his friend Aiden O'Keefe who has been diagnosed with leukemia. We hear from Landon and Aiden's grandmother Maryann Marshall about the effort. Gerard Lewis is a parliamentarian and former municipal administrator. He speaks with us about how town councils should handle parliamentary matters. Groomers have been working on the trails as much as they can in Labrador West, but they're running out of snow. We get the latest on trail conditions from the White Wolf Snowmobiling Club. Psychologist Dr. Janine Hubbard will join us this morning to talk about mental health and why we need to open up the conversation. Labradorians have a special award designed to recognise those who left their imprint on the Big Land. It's called the Labradorians of Distinction award and we continue to bring you the stories of the latest recipients. Today we hear from Barbara Rumbolt. It's no secret the province's economy is in trouble, but we hear from a business journalist about how bad it really is and what the prospects look like for a post-COVID recovery.

U.S. President Joe Biden puts his "Buy American" agenda into motion, we speak with a trade expert about what it could mean for Canadian manufacturers and exporters. Good deeds deserve rewards, and for the Lake Melville Xtreme Minor Hockey Association, that could be in the form of $100,000 for their community. We talk to a coach and a parent about it. We stop by Rich Lewis's backyard rink in Happy Valley-Goose Bay to get some tips on how to build one. Liberal leader Andrew Furey made a campaign stop in Labrador this week. We speak to him about his party's "path toward reconciliation". We bring you part of the council meeting in Happy Valley-Goose Bay last night which ended with a bang as council debated the Kelland Drive extension. It's time again to bring you the voice of a Labradorian who's moved away, but whose heart still beats to the rhythm of the Big Land. Today, we hear from Janine Foley Johnson. We continue to bring the stories of the latest recipients of the Labradorians of Distinction award. Today's recipient is Toby Obed from Hopedale, who has been fighting for justice regarding residential schools in Labrador. Finally, enthusiasm for winter hiking and camping is at all-time high thanks to public health restrictions, but when it comes to surviving outside proper safety and planning is key. We speak with former host of the Happy Camper Kevin Callan about exploring the great outdoors at very cold temperatures.

Indigenous musicians are adapting to COVID-19 restrictions and still making music. We hear about a different take on Handel's Messiah. We speak with dance instructors in Labrador West about what it's like to teach dance here during the pandemic. we continue to hear about people who have received the Labradorians of Distinction Award. Today's recipient passed away a few years ago but her legacy lives on, we hear about Barbara Wood. The Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Circle is collecting information from communities on what their needs are. We talk to Ronnie Elson about how the process is going. Concerns are being raised about cyberbullying regarding the nomination of Devon Ryan in the Torngat Mountains district. We hear from Liberal candidate Lisa Dempster, PC candidate Lela Evans and Premier Andrew Furey. We hear of a rescue that occured last week in a wooded area of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, led by RCMP police dog Jerry. Finally, we speak with our Ottawa watcher, Heather Scoffield of the Toronto Star, for her takes on the first Question Period of 2021, and the debate on the Keystone XL pipeline.

Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador has launched a new solutions platform in hopes of a stronger collaboration with the provincial government. The CEO of MNL will explain. You might think it's head had been replaced by a tiny octopus...we'll tell you about the Star-nosed Mole and how one was found in Makkovik! It is Young Men's Traditional Day in Nain today, you'll hear a little bit about the significance of this event for young men on Labradors north coast. Since 2017, Labradorians have had a special award designed to recognise those who have left their mark on the Big land. It is called the Labradorian of distinction award and in the next 10 days we'll bring you reactions from the latest recipients, today we speak with Craig Porter. Further delays from Pfizer means that Canadian health officials have to make some difficult choices about who gets the vaccine .. and when. We'll talk to Dr. Peter Lin about the impact this will have on the roll out.

If you're hitting the trails this weekend, we have an update on the conditions from Greg Wheeler of the Grand River Snowmobile Club, and tips on the best ways to stay safe when we speak with Rob Pilgrim, a snowmobile safety instructor. She's the first party leader to visit Labrador since the writ dropped. We hear from Alison Coffin today. The Torngat Mountains district now has three candidates running. You've heard from the PC and Liberal candidates already, today we have NDP candidate Patricia Johnson-Castle. Wayne Walsh is here again with his movie and TV picks, and to answer a few trivia questions. We speak with Nunatsiavut's Minster of Health and Social Development about the inoculation rates for the first round of Covid-19 vaccinations. Finally, a former mayor of St. John's finds his name printed in a controversial newspaper that has a reputation for pushing conspiracy theories. The CBC's Adam Walsh joins us to talk about it.

Women on the campaign trail face all sorts of criticism and comments their male counterparts don't have to deal with. We hear from some of them. Nova Scotia's Human Organ and Tissue Donation Act took effect on Monday, it presumes organ donation consent unless people opt out. An expert breaks down the change and what it could mean if other provinces adopted this strategy. She's a former standout with the provincial Canada Games team, a varsity player at Cornell University, and now a first-round draft pick of the Toronto 6. We'll chat with Amy Curlew from Happy Valley-Goose Bay. We find out how two Labrador Inuit elders are feeling as they prepare to receive honorary doctorates from Memorial University today. Women of Labrador, now is the time to shine! The Mokami Status of Women Council is looking to recognize a woman in your community. We speak with Martina Lavallee about the process. We speak with Devon Ryan, Liberal candidate for the Torngat Mountains district, to address concerns some members of the Indigenous community have about his candidacy, and we also hear about the issue from PC Candidate Lela Evans.

Joe Biden is set to become the new U.S. President today in an inaugural ceremony that will be heavily protected by U.S. military. It's unprecedented and historic. Linda Feldmann, the Christian Science Monitor's Washington correspondent, joins us to describe the scene. Here at home, it's a different election during a pandemic. How will seniors connect with the candidates? We chat with a seniors advocate. Some Indigenous community members are concerned about the Liberal party's candidate for Torngat Mountains. Andrea Andersen speaks to us about that. We talk to the head of the provincial Realtors' Association about what was a stellar year for sales. Like every Wednesday, we bring you the voice of a Labradorian who's moved away, but whose heart still beats to the rhythm of the Big Land. Today, we'll hear from Christopher Davis from English Point, now living in Kitimat, British Columbia. A Labrador City artist will be featured at the Rooms this month, we will speak to her about her work. Atlantic Canadian airports are looking for federal help after Air Canada pulled more regional flights last week. We hear from the Atlantic Canada Airports Association.

We meet an inventor who has created a device to reach super speeds while he's skating: a jetpack. Cell coverage is continuing its way along the south coast of Labrador and residents of Forteau are next in line. We hear from a man that works in the community and can't wait to be able to make full use of his cellphone. We check in with a fairly new construction company to see how they are surviving the pandemic. The ice coming down from the Arctic is being affected by the warmer temperatures along Labrador's coast. We hear from Environment Canada. We hear from a plant manager in Nain who would like to see more research on the commercial char fishery in Labrador. More than a week into 2021, the first baby in Labrador West was born. Hear from first-time mother Nafisah Ali about raising her daughter in the middle of a pandemic. Memorial University is hosting a special convocation in Labrador Thursday. We speak with the president on the upcoming event. We speak with Heather Scoffield about what effect cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline permit could have on Canada-US relations under the Biden administration.

On today's show, we bring you details from a behind-the-scenes dispute over whether or not the province should pay legal fees for the 10 correctional officers charged in Jonathan Henoche's death. Bad news regarding air transportation has plagued Labrador since the start of the pandemic...but there may be some good news for those living in Lab West. We speak to a board delegate of TREQ Coop about a new air service. As Covid cases spike in many parts of the country, there's a growing sense of urgency about the vaccine roll-out. For the latest details on that...we talk with Ian Culbert, Executive Director of the Canadian Public Health Association. We check in with two residents of a personal care home in Mary's Harbour, who received the first dose of Moderna vaccine. The winter is taking its time to freeze over the sea ice, and for some Labradorians on the coast, it means learning new ways to navigate the land.

For Canadians, PPE has played a big part in keeping us safe during this pandemic. But as a new Marketplace investigation reveals the people making this equipment are often working in questionable conditions. We speak with an expert about a new report that shows over a third of Canadians are concerned about the mental health of a co-worker. We're starting a weekly snowmobile trail segment on the show. We kick things off with a chat about trails in Labrador West. It's been 23 years since Danny Gaulton, a former Labrador City resident went missing, but his family is not giving up. Hear more on a new podcast that shines a light on what happened more than two decades ago. It's been more than five years since the Liberals announced it would begin an inquiry into ground search and rescue following the tragic death of Burton Winters. We hear an excerpt from yesterday's inquiry launch. TV watcher and movie buff Wayne Walsh is back to tell us his thoughts on the movie Blended and the show Bridgerton. What do a common shelduck and winter mockingbird have in common? Well, they are both rare to Labrador, but there have been spottings of each here this winter. We speak with local birdwatchers about the finds. After more than five years since the arrests, a court case in Happy Valley Goose Bay clued up last week with three hunters from Quebec being fined. We catch up with Joanna Barker and Matt Barrett who are co-hosting this month's episode of First Light Fridays, a show exploring what it means to be Indigenous in Newfoundland and Labrador.