By Melanie Schumph

On Tuesday, April 17, and Thursday, April 19, there will be public meetings and discussions about the risks of oil and gas development in a unique and fragile ecosystem.

There will be three meetings: two on Tuesday taking place at the Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook and the Western College campus on Carolina Avenue in Stephenville. The Thursday meeting will take place at Memorial University in St. John’s. Admission is free, and all are welcome to attend.

The Gulf of St. Lawrence is about six to seven times smaller than the Gulf of Mexico and, with one of the main risks of oil and gas development being oil spills, there is a lot of concern around the development of this industry in the Gulf.

“Knowing what happened in the Gulf of Mexico in 2012, if we decide to go ahead with this type of industry, the risk is quite high because there could be some leakage,” said Jean-Patrick Toussaint, the science project manager at the David Suzuki Foundation.

Toussaint also said that in the event of a leak, some types of oil could end up floating around in the complex currents of the Gulf for a long time. The oil could in turn affect the five provinces that surround the Gulf before drifting out to the Atlantic Ocean.

Also to be discussed are the risks posed to the wildlife and plant life of the Gulf. The Gulf of St. Lawrence is part of a large ecosystem that many different species depend upon. Bird colonies, salmon rivers and several different species of whales are among the things at risk from oil and gas development in the Gulf.

“I think when you look to the Grand Banks there’s been a few episodes of large spills, but even the larger problem is the issues of chronic spills and impacts on sea birds and marine mammals and fish,” said Chris Hogan of Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network.

The meetings will also look at how development of oil and gas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence will affect other sectors such as the fishery, tourism and natural resources sectors.

The St. Lawrence Coalition, a group composed of 80 organizations, is vying for a moratorium for the entire Gulf until more can be learned about the Gulf and its surrounding ecosystem.

“To put a hold on all activity until such a time as we know more about the Gulf, the ecology of the Gulf, because it’s not only complex in terms of its currents but also of all of the ecosystems that we find in the Gulf,” said Toussaint.

The coalition believes that there should be a pause on any development of oil and gas until they know more about the ecosystems and they have ensured that whatever technology is being used in the oil and gas development is more secure. The main goal there is to prevent what happened in the Gulf of Mexico from happening in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The meeting is also the first time that many of the groups in the coalition will be meeting each other. Both Toussaint and Hogan hope that this will be a great opportunity to develop a network in order to better keep in touch. The meetings will also allow people of the five provinces surrounding the Gulf to become more aware of what’s going on in terms of the Gulf’s future and also to get people to participate and voice what they think the future of the Gulf should be.

“I hope it’s a chance for people to really get engaged in and start to articulate what’s their vision for the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and if groups have concerns about developing oil and gas industries starting up in that area and what the impacts will be, I’d hope that they start to get involved with it, that they make contact with other groups and start feeding that information back to the companies and the government and let others know where they stand and where they see their future.”

By Jessica Molnar

The festival is being held at the Arts and Cultures Centre from Tuesday April 10, until Saturday, April 14. It will feature five entries from across the province.

There are entries from Corner Brook, Gander, Happy Valley-Goose Bay and two from Labrador West. Participants are generally adults, but the festival can include some younger members.

Brian Dove, chairperson of the Newfoundland and Labrador Drama Society,  is enjoying the festival so far .

“Each year is a little different,” said Dove “The unique thing about this year is that we’re in St. John’s and there’s no entry from St. John’s this year.”

The festival hasn’t actually been held in St. John’s since 2002, but the Drama Society felt it was important to hold the event in St. John’s, even without a host group.

The first show was presented by the Off-Broadway Players from Corner Brook. Dove said that the show went well.

“It was a respectable audience for St. John’s on a Tuesday night,” said Dove. “And hopefully by Saturday night, we’ll have a really good crowd.”

Another thing that makes this year a little unique is their judicator – Republic of Doyle actress Lynda Boyd, who plays Rose Miller on the show.

“We’re very fortunate this year to have Lynda Boyd as our judicator,” said Dove. “So that’s exciting for everybody.”

“It’s something she hasn’t done before, so even Lynda was a little nervous last night and this morning. But it went really well.  She was pleased with the show, and it should be a great week of theatre,” said Dove.

There were a handful of contributors and supports for the event, and among them are the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, the CBC and the Telegram.

The lineup for the rest of the week is as follows:

Wednesday, April 11, 7:30 p.m. — Carol Players, Lab. West — ‘Night Mother by Marsha Norman, directed by Marty Byrne.

Thursday, April 12, 7:30 p.m. — Avion Players, Gander — 33 Variations by Moises Kaufman, directed by Annette Crummey

Friday, April 13, 7:30 p.m. — Northern Lights Theatre Co., Lab. West – Fighting Words by Sunil Kuruvilla, directed by Peter McCormack

Saturday, April 14, 7 p.m. – Mokami Players, Goose Bay – Bedtime Stories by Norm Foster , directed by Valance Oliver

By Mitchell Clarke

Staff and students who recently travelled to Qatar to perform at an international cultural exhibition have been back almost 20 days. They say the trip was a life-changing event, and all of them loved every second of it.

Students from the music industry and performance program and the recording arts program performed at the Global Village cultural exhibition. Journalism student James Churchill accompanied the group to document the trip.

The students took Wednesday afternoon to give a presentation to their classmates and gush about their treatment in Qatar. While various glitches hit the group during the trip - such as a sandstorm that delayed them and not having the right gear for their show when they got there - they pulled together and put on a stellar show.

“I’d go again to play music, to work, again to vacation. I’d just go again,” said Roberts. “It is an interesting and intriguing experience to be over there. There’s not many cultural differences. We’ve kind of become a conglomerate of people in general around the world. If anything, I’d say they had to get used to me.”

Tanya Alexander, the public relations specialist for the Qatar project office, was part of the CNA delegation that went on the trip.

“It went fantastic,” said Alexander. “They met and exceeded my expectations. They were the best of the best. To see the faces of the audience when they where watching was worth everything. I think this must happen again.”

Alexander said that the show was the talk of the Qatar campus for days after the show. Many in the audience where so amazed by the show they didn’t know how to react. Wade Pinhorn, the coordinator instructor for the music industry, had to explain to his students that the audience were so blown away they didn’t even applaud.

“It was an eye-opener for me,” said Pinhorn. “I can’t imagine what it has done for a 19 or 20 year-old.”

The music industry staff and students said they’ve learned much about how different and yet how much alike people around the world are. Pinhorn added that he feels more students in media programs should get a chance to go.

James Churchill,  a second year journalism student, went to Qatar to cover events at the Global Village. Even though Churchill was the odd man out, he too felt the event was something more.

“It was a life-changing opportunity, and it really opened my eyes. It kinda changed my life in a little way, especially at the Global Village, where we got to see so much about the rest of the world and culture.”

Pinhorn and Alexander both felt that something like this event needs to continue both for the betterment of students who go on trips like this and for the parts of the world they go, so that Canadian culture can be shared with the world.

By James Churchill

The Toronto Maple Leafs have missed the NHL playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, and management is not pleased with the result. Neither are the fans.

On Monday, April 9, chairman of the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment board, Lawrence Tanenbaum, apologized to all fans of the hockey club in a letter that was published on the Maple Leafs website.

‘The Toronto Maple Leafs are a public trust with the greatest fans in the world. We have fallen short of everyone’s expectations, and for that we are sorry. We take full responsibility for how this team performs on the ice, and we make no excuses. The way this year ended was unacceptable. Results are the only measure of success in sports and the results speak for themselves.’

The day after this apology was published, Brian Burke, the general manager and president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, held a press conference that was aired on TSN.

Brian Burke, the general manger and president of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Photo contributed .

He started the news conference by addressing what was said in the apology letter.

“ I want to start by first addressing our fans, and I want to say that on behalf of the coaching staff, management and players I want to echo Mr. Tanenbaum’s apology for failure to deliver this year. It’s not easy to fix a team that’s broken. I don’t like our lack of progress, and I am driving the bus, so ultimately I am responsible. I am not happy where we are today.”

 Burke stated that changes will be made and that it’s not only the fans who are disappointed. He is too.

Randy Hopkins, a resident of Stephenville, has been a Maple Leafs fan since as long as he can remember. He is disappointed that his team hasn’t qualified for the play-offs in the past seven years, but on the other hand he is happy they still played good hockey.

“I was 10 years-old when they (Toronto Maple Leafs) won the cup last in 1967.” Hopkins said. “They never made the playoffs (this year) but they played good hockey all year. That’s all I cared about - watching a good hockey game.”

Kristy George has been a Maple Leaf fan since the mid ’80s, and she has gotten used to the let-downs her team has given her in recent years.

“As a Leaf fan, we are all always cautiously optimistic,” George said.  “Every year we always start off good especially in last three or four seasons. We start off with a good lineup, (and the) first part of the season goes well. January and February hits, and it just seems to be the same old pattern. I don’t go into any season with high hopes anymore. “

Cletus Young, living in Stephenville, has been a Leafs fan since he was a kid in the ’60s.

“I am 46 years-old; last time they won the cup was in 1967,” Young said. “Toronto is the type of team that will come out and kick ass in first and second period usually. Third period, they usually let the other team take them right over.”  

The fans had mixed reactions to the Leafs’ letter of apology.

“Apologies all good in one way, but like the old saying goes: actions speak louder than words.” Hopkins said. “It’s alright; it’s not what you want to hear. You want to hear a guarantee that they will win the Cup.”

“Really?”George said. “We have become accustomed to this. We don’t expect much better. . . We can’t even get into the play-offs. Apologies aside, it is time for them to revamp the whole organization in my opinion; they just need to get bigger and stronger.

“You know the team sucks when, right, all your coaches and everybody else (is) sending out a paper saying that you (the team) didn’t do very well; that’s not very good,” said Young. “They should be embarrassed as s***.”

Toronto Maple Leaf fans like George, Hopkins and Young just want to see their team succeed. But, even if it does not succeed, no matter what place the Leafs are in the standings, these three fans will always cheer for the leafs.

 “They will always be my team win or lose. I will still watch them,” Hopkins said.

“They’re my team, no matter what, but they better snap out of this,” Young said.

“It’s not up for the fans to solve the problems with the team,” George said. “We are not the experts.”

By Gage Miranda

No one was really sure what to expect when the Ice Caps were created as the farm team for the Winnepeg Jets. Part-owner Danny Williams seemed confident – but when doesn’t he?

The hockey fans of St. John’s have been restricted to watching their hockey on the tube since 2008 when the Fog Devils (QJMHL) left Mile One Stadium. With this year being the first official season of the Ice Caps, clinching their division was something that was not thought of in the beginning of the regular season.

“They’ve exceeded expectations in terms of on ice,” said Don Power, director of communications for the Ice Caps. “Frankly, we had no idea what to expect at the start of the year.”

Don Power, Director of Communications for the St. John's Ice Caps - Gage Miranda photo

Power said the management could only control so much of the game, including seat sales and sponsorships. “Once you get between the boards, that’s out of our control – that’s in the hands of the Winnepeg Jets, the general manager and the coaching staff.”

The Ice Caps have clinched the Atlantic division in the eastern conference with 92 points, which puts them in fifth place overall in the AHL.

Many hockey fans in St. John’s are familiar with the hope of bringing home a cup since the first season of the St. John’s Maple Leafs or, as some called them the “Baby Leafs.”

In the 1991-1992 season, the Newmarket Saints moved to St. John’s and became the St. John’s Maple Leafs. Although the move was sudden, players seemed to adjust well, finishing second in the Atlantic division with 90 points.

The Leafs went to the playoffs and won their first game versus Cape Breton 4-1. Next, they beat Moncton 4-0. They had a buy into finals, where they lost to the Adirondack Red Wings 4-3. In that season, Felix Potvin played with the St. John’s Maple Leafs and received an award for best goalie. Potvin would go on to become an extremely famous goalie in the NHL.

Adam Walsh, 23, of St. John’s, is a huge hockey fan and has been playing for around 15 years. Walsh was also surprised at the performance by the Ice Caps. “They’ve been doing great,” said Walsh.

“You don’t usually see a team who moves to a city do particularly well in their first season. The farther they go, the bigger the support they’ll gain. They can be bigger than the Baby Leafs.”

Ice Caps defensemen #23, Will O'Neill circles back with the puck before passing forward. - Gage Miranda photo

The Ice Caps were an amalgamation of two teams: the Chicago Wolves and a selection of Manitoba Moose players.

Jason King of Corner Brook and Zack O’Brien of St. John’s are the only Newfoundlanders to play on the team, surrounded by players from places as close as New Brunswick and as far away as Sweden.

Power said that the players appreciate the fans but not just because they fill the stadium (which holds 6,287 people) every game.

“The fans are very knowledgeable,” said Power. “They don’t just cheer for the goals or the big hits. If there’s a good penalty; if there’s a strong forecheck, a nice defensive play along the boards, the fans cheer for that.”

A defenceman for the Ice Caps told Power just the other day that the loudest cheer he received while playing was for chasing down a guy on a breakaway.

Making good plays and impressing your fans is nice, but Walsh believes it’s all about the wins.

“It definitely comes down to the wins. They’ve got to be successful in order to keep the fan base, and that’s just business.”

As for playoff hopes, Walsh is quite optimistic for the Ice Caps. “They have a good enough team to do it,” said Walsh. “They’ve got good young talent – there’s no reason why they can’t.”

Hockey teams in 2012 operate quite differently than in 1992. Power says technology will help the team in the playoffs as well.

“There’s a big difference from 1991 to 2012 in that the team’s now rely so much on video. Every opponent that we play, the coaches have already broken down the games in terms of video replay. Lack of preparation will not be a problem when it comes to the playoffs.”

“Anything can happen in the playoffs,” said Power. “Everybody wants to win the Calder Cup – only one team will.”

By Jessica Molnar

Adam Cross with his winning menu. Lynn Daley photo.

Adam Cross won gold in the Skills Canada Provincial Competition this past week in St. John’s.

Cross, who grew up in Port Aux Basques, will be participating in a national skills competition in Edmonton, Alta., this summer. All provincial gold medal winners will compete at the nationals to represent the country in Germany next year.

Cross said he wasn’t nervous until the provincial competition began and his hands started to shake.

“The first 20 minutes was the worst,” said Cross. “But I finally got myself together and done what needed to be done.”

Cross and his competitors were working full-force for seven hours. He was extremely happy with the end result.

“Going into the competition, I didn’t think about winning,” said Cross. “I just wanted to focus on what I had to do first. But, the minute they said my name, it felt good.”

For his appetizer he had to use quail, and the plate had to include a hot component and a cold component. He made ballotine of quail with a granny smith apple chutney and a cajun fried quail breast with red pepper aioli.

For his main course, he had to use salmon, scallops and asparagus. He made scallop and salmon pinwheels, sautéed lentils with slab bacon, buttered asparagus, confit tomatoes and a beurre blanc sauce.

When asked if he was going to change his menu for nationals, Cross said that he and his coach, Jay Stuckless, both agree on the phrase, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

Forty-three different disciplines will be showcased at the Skills Canada Nationals this summer. Cross will once again be showing off his culinary skills with the same menu that helped him win gold the last tournament.

“I have to thank my college instructors for getting me to the top, Especially my coach, Jay Stuckless. I owe a lot of this win to him,” said Cross.

“He worked with me day in a day out to perfect my dish, and his patience and knowledge was greatly appreciated.”

The 18th Annual Skills Canada Competition will take place May 13-16 and will bring together over 550 young people from across the country.

“Just to be a part of Team Newfoundland is something that I’m really proud of,” said Cross.

More than 30 competitors from the nationals will qualify to become a member of WorldSkills Team Canada at the WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 Competition in Germany.

“My friends were really happy for me, and that meant a lot but nothing was better than making my family proud,” said Cross. “That was the best feeling of it all.”

By Stephanie Tobin

Spring is the time of year when Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have a few close encounters of the bear-kind.

Polar bears have been coming close to populated areas while hunting seals on pack ice been blown close to shore this year.

Annie Rumbolt is the mayor of St. Lewis on the south coast of Labrador. Rumbolt shared a story about an encounter she and her husband had with a polar bear outside their bedroom window on the early morning of April 3.

“The bear went over the bank that’s by our (bedroom) window and he came back up again, up to our kitchen window,” Rubmolt said. “He put his paws up and looked in through that one. Then he went out to our shed and he grabbed my husband’s snowmobile by the seat and took the piece right out of her.”

Rumbolt and her husband watched the polar bear wander around their property before it ventured down the road.

“They’re humungous. I’d say he was about a six or seven hundred pound bear,” Rumbolt said. “I had my bedroom window open all night with nothing but a little screen there, not very much to keep anything out. But when (my husband) went over, he could see (the bear’s) nose go in and out sniffing.”

According to Rumbolt, it is not unusual to see polar bears in her region at this time of year. However, Rumbolt said she had seen polar bear tracks even in October of 2011, which is an unusual time for the animals to be in the area.

In communities on the Northern Peninsula, there was another polar bear sighting that resulted in a warning being issued to the people not to travel alone. In the last few weeks, there have been eight warnings about polar bears issued throughout the province.

By Megan Harris-Edwards

News organizations now have mobile websites so news can be easily read on handheld devices.- Megan Harris-Edwards photo

Smartphones and tablets are some of the hottest gadgets today. They’re also becoming among the easiest ways to access news on the run.

News consumers now have the opportunity to read breaking news with the touch of their finger as soon as it happens instead of waiting for it to be printed in a newspaper. Mobile device web browsers, apps and social media sites all play a part in this.

Lynn Robinson of VOCM believes that a lot of people are reading news on handheld devices both in the province and around the world.

“I think it’s becoming more and more viable and more people are getting into it,” said Robinson.

“Here at VOCM, we developed our own app for the iPhone and people can get access to our website anywhere they go.”

With the readership of newspapers on the decline in recent years Robinson is concerned that newspapers will continue to suffer as people read more of their news on mobile devices.

“I definitely think it’s becoming more and more of a giant, and some people didn’t believe that it would happen, and it’s just become a monster,” said Robinson.

Journalists such as Robinson take advantage of social media sites to get articles on the web out to the news-reading audience in the province.

“I think a lot of young people are getting their news on their phones, through Twitter and Facebook also,” said Robinson.

Gerry Carew of The Telegram is responsible for 16 newspaper websites in the province. He believes that most people are still reading their news on computers and laptops but he does see an increase is the use of handheld devices.

“I am seeing growth in the digital space on mobile devices without a doubt,” said Carew.

The Telegram now offers an app for iPhone users and will soon create a mobile website, so its audience can view Telegram articles on mobile devices.

“It’s not a choice, we have to do it,” said Carew.

By Carol Hopkins

It’s nice to be a “have” province, unless you are looking to buy a house.

All across Newfoundland and Labrdor, housing prices continue to rise. The oil sector, mining industry and tourism are a few sectors that are bringing new growth and new opportunities to the people of the province. Such progress, however, has a price.

“What we have right now in Newfoundland and Labrador is that we’re creating a perfect storm for this bubble to burst because we have very high prices for housing all across the province,” MHA Christopher Mitchelmore (NDP-The Straits-White Bay.)

The MHA travelled across the province with fellow NDP member Gerry Rogers (St. John’s Centre) and spoke with people about housing issues. Mitchelmore said several issues were identified, with the lack of affordable housing topping the list.

“We’re certainly seeing the cost of land and land development also driving up housing prices,” Mitchelmore said.

Mitchelmore said the high cost to get access to land, coupled with the high costs of infrastructure such as water and roads, also have an impact upon the price of housing. He said it can cost anywhere between $50,000 and $70,000 to put in the services needed and that is before the foundation for a house is laid.

“There are a number of people who are paying so much in rent that they could afford a mortgage, but they can’t get that down payment saved up,” the MHA said.

Renting a home or apartment is the logical alternative to buying. However, Mitchelmore identified renting as another problem area. He said  renting is no longer an option for many people due to a housing shortage.

“I have someone in my district that’s living in a hotel right now because there’s no option, there’s no alternative for them,” Mitchelmore said. “There’s nowhere to rent. The rent prices are extremely high and there is nothing available. And there are very limited vacancy rates. We talked to real estate agents and they say under three per cent vacancy, which means it’s basically nil.”

Social housing may be an option for some, but the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation can only rent to individuals who have an annual income of $35,500 or less, according to Jenny Bowring, media relations with NLHC.

Bowring said the corporation recognizes that high rents have been an issue for a number of people. In 2005 the corporation began a program that included partnering with the private sector and with not-for-profit organizations to provide affordable housing.

Since 2005 the program has added more than 1,100 units to the provincial total. She said it has eased pressure on the waiting lists somewhat.

“It has helped enormously that the private sector has started using this program and built affordable housing in the private sector for people, and that is part of our goal with that program. We’ve had great success with that,” Bowring said.

In Stephenivlle, a 2003 flood put a  strain on the housing market. Since then some new housing has been built. Ron Gaudon, a real estate agent, said that several factors, including the fact that many people commute back and forth from Alberta, has caused the price of homes in this area to rise. Wages in Alberta are considerably higher than most wages in this province for skilled labour, so people employed there can afford to pay more to purchase a home.

“For the size and the economy of Stephenville, the market is very good,” Gaudon said. “I don’t know if it’s a bubble or not, at the present time.”

By Lynn Daley

A woman feeds ready-to-use therapeutic food to her malnourished daughter at the UNICEF-supported Routgouna Health Centre in the town of Mirriah, Mirriah Department, Zinder Region in Niger. Photo by Olivier Asselin Niger, courtesy of UNICEF.

UNICEF, the United Nations charitable organization for children, is taking a proactive approach to preventing widespread death in the Sahel region of Africa.

On April 3, it launched a global campaign called “Sound the Alarm for Sahel.” The Sahel is a region spanning north Africa, where the Sahara Desert transitions into savannah lands to the south.

Last year, the world did not pay attention to drought in East Africa until it turned into a full-scale famine resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. This year, UNICEF is urging action before it is too late in the Sahel.

“Famine is a very serious situation,” said Melanie Sharpe, a spokesperson for UNICEF Canada.  “We are hoping we will prevent a famine from happening and that’s why we are sounding the alarm now.”

Parts of western and central Africa have been faced with successive droughts in 2005, 2010 and now again in 2012.  The droughts combined with political instability and increased food prices have the region and families facing crisis.

“The campaign is to raise awareness and prevent another famine like we saw last year in the Horn of Africa,” said Sharpe.

About 15 million people in the region are directly affected by the famine and approximately one million young children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

“One million young children in the Sahel will die in the next six months if we fail to act,” said David Morley, president and CEO of UNICEF Canada, in an April 3 news release. “With earthquakes and floods there is little or no warning, but here we know the crisis is coming.  There will be no excuses later for not acting quickly.  We must save these children now.”

The $119 million will go towards nutrition and health programs as well as assisting with the ongoing emergency response.  As of April 11, only about one-third of the funds had been raised.

“We are hoping over the next six months the national community will step up and show their generosity as Canadians have, time and time again,” said Sharpe.

It will cost about $100 to treat and save a child suffering from severe and acute malnutrition.  The monies will cover therapeutic foods like Plumpy’ Nut, which is a high nutrient based peanut paste; immunizations, malaria treatments and cure recurrent bouts of chronic diarrhea.

“We know it’s not easy times right now,” said Sharpe.  “But $100 can save a child’s life.”

To donate online. visit unicef.ca/sahelnow.