The Signal

April is Cancer Control Month, dedicated to raising awareness about cancer prevention, early detection and improving the quality of life for those living with and recovering from cancer. Today on the show you will hear a story about patient innovation that restored comfort and confidence. 

Today on the show we are talking to the Kidney foundation of Canada and medical professionals on kidney health. From catching the signs of kidney diseases, to treatments, dialysis, diets and the supports available to people in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Ahead of a global conference on a "just transition" away from fossil fuels, Memorial University students discuss their research, and how this could be applied to Newfoundland and Labrador.  

Sci-Fi on The Rock is back in St. John's this weekend and we have a panel of lovers of fantasy, dressing up as their favorite characters, crafting and telling stories to talk about the event. Plus, what it means to find a friendly space for friendship and community building. 

The 2026 Canadian Housing and Renewal Association National Congress on Housing and Homelessness is taking place in St. John's so we went and met up with folks from across the country to talk housing, homelesness and solutions. 

Guests: Sheldon Pollett, executive director, Raising the Roof; Leslie Bellingham, director of strategic initiatives and partnerships, Raising the Roof; Lisa Ker, executive director, Canadian Housing Transformation Centre; Shannon Wiebe, architect, lead of Shared Ground Initiative; and others 

More and more babies are born exposed to substances in N.L. as one doctor says the system struggles to keep up.

GUESTS: Dr. Anne Drover; Renee Williams, executive director, Daybreak

The Health Accord for Newfoundland and Labrador was released in 2022 as a 10-year plan to transform this province's heath-care system. So where do things stand with it in 2026? We have both former co-chairs in studio to talk about it. 

Guests: Former co-chairs Sister Elizabeth Davis and Dr. Pat Parfrey 

Low funding, low volunteering and burnout: challenges plaguing the community sector in N.L.. On today’s show: what do communities need to do to adapt and thrive in today’s world? 

This episode’s panel are organizing a festival aiming at “future-proofing” community organizations. 

GUESTS - Nicole Dawe, Executive Director, Community Foundation of Newfoundland an Labrador; Mariana Jiménez Ojeda, Manager of Social Innovation, Community Sector Council of Newfoundland and Labrador; Nancy Leung, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, Centre for Social Enterprise, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador; Kristen Murray, Co-operative Development Officer, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Cooperatives; Genevieve McCorquodale, Project Manager with Irish Loop Tourism with CBDC Celtic; and Sean Wiltshire

with Avalon Employment.

On this episode of the Signal, we play two episodes of the podcast This is Newfoundland and Labrador. First, the trial of the accused killer Dean Penney explained. From the day his estranged wife Jennifer Hillier-Penney went missing to how, years after, police arrested Penney. Second, how computers in NL are becoming more expensive because of AI and one small but crucial memory chip.

The report's title is Overrepresented and Undercounted: A Snapshot of Indigenous Adult Incarceration in Newfoundland and Labrador, 2025. Today on the show we talk about it and what needs to change. 

Guests: From First Light: Noah Sheppard relational connections coordinator; Teri Slade, research and public policy lead; Michael Johnson, coordinator of justice supports