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Independent news from Newfoundland & Labrador
From Benoit's Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador, this is the Indy Broadcast. Welcome to the show for Sunday, June 22. I'm your host, Justin Brake.
Justin Brake:A fire near the town of Badger forced people out of their homes in the Central Newfoundland community this week. Authorities say it likely began with a lightning strike during a storm, Tuesday. On Wednesday, the province ordered an evacuation directing residents to Grand Falls-Windsor. Fire crews and water bombers were helped by rain and cooler temperatures Thursday. And on Friday, the government lifted the evacuation order, allowing residents to return to their homes with a warning that while it's no longer out of control, there was still an active fire, and they could expect to see smoke and fire crews working in the area. At the time the Badger fire started, crews were still dealing with a fire near Churchill Falls in Labrador. As of Saturday, that fire was under control.
Justin Brake:Environment and Climate Change Canada is projecting a warmer than usual summer for most of the Atlantic region, including Western Newfoundland and most of Labrador's interior. With those warmer temperatures comes a greater likelihood of wildfires. Fires last year forced the evacuation of residents from Labrador City and Churchill Falls. This year, fires came dangerously close to the town of Churchill Falls. Climate change is being exacerbated by out of control carbon emissions, the vast majority of which come from the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. Despite warnings from the International Panel on Climate Change, the International Energy Agency, and other leading scientific and industry authorities that no new fossil fuel projects should be initiated, the governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada are working to expand oil and gas production and believe they can still meet the global target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Justin Brake:To Labrador now, where for the second straight wildfire season, the provincial government still has not installed a series of federally funded air quality sensors across the mainland portion of the province. That's despite receiving those sensors in early 2024. Last September, after one of the worst recorded wildfire seasons in Labrador, The Independent published an investigation that revealed how the province botched its plan to install the sensors at medical facilities across the Big Land. The same sensors were installed on the island between 2019 and 2023. The PurpleAir sensors are part of a federal program to increase air quality monitoring as wildfires and smoke are posing greater health risks to Canadians. The provinces are responsible for installing them. They provide real-time air-quality monitoring and can immediately detect when levels of toxic airborne particles reach unsafe levels, which allows governments to issue alerts and inform residents of how they can mitigate potential health effects. According to Health Canada, exposure to wildfire smoke is, "Associated with an increase in all-cause mortality as well as exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and increased respiratory infections." In 2022, the federal government estimated wildfire smoke resulted in 620 to 2,700 deaths each year from 2013 to 2018. Indigenous people face higher rates of respiratory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis, raising the urgency of local air quality monitoring in Labrador, home to thousands of Inuit and Inuit. But the sensors require a stable Internet connection, and that, the province says, along with staffing issues, is responsible for the holdup and getting the sensors running in Labrador. Other northern jurisdictions like Northwest Territories and the Yukon have had the sensors up and running for at least two years now. So far, the province says sensors have been installed in Nain, Natuashis, Happy Valley Goose Bay, and St. Lewis. Earlier this week, the one in Nain was the only one operating according to a aqmap.ca, which is a website that collates data from air quality sensors across the country. On Friday, the sensor in Natuashish was back online. Meanwhile, the one in Happy Valley Goose Bay, Labrador's most populous community, was installed at the hospital there in September 2023, but has been offline for an undetermined amount of time.
Justin Brake:Meanwhile, in Ottawa, Parliament's spring sitting concluded Friday as the Mark Carney government was rushing through multiple pieces of controversial legislation that opposition MPs and many critics say will erode Canadians' constitutional rights, increase surveillance powers for CSIS and the RCMP, infringe on civil liberties, and ignore Indigenous rights. Bill C-2, an omnibus bill known as the Strong Borders Act, would change around a dozen pieces of legislation, all with the goal of, "Maintaining Canada's safety and security," according to Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree. When introducing the bill to parliament on June 5, Anandasangaree said the proposed legislative changes would, "keep Canadians safe by ensuring law enforcement has the right tools to keep our borders secure, combat transnational organized crime, stop the flow of illegal fentanyl, and crack down on money laundering. It would bolster our response to increasingly sophisticated criminal networks and enhance the integrity and fairness of our immigration system, all the while protecting Canadians' privacy and charter rights." But that's not how opposition MPs and critics across the country see it. They say the bill is unconstitutional and, if passed, would give government sweeping powers. On Wednesday, a coalition of more than 300 civil society groups called for the complete withdrawal of the bill. This is Migrant Rights Network spokesperson Karen Cocq.
Karen Cocq:Bill C-2 is not a border bill. It is a power grab and an attack on fundamental human rights and civil liberties. Bill C-2 is an intensification of the all out war that has been waged on migrants for the last two years. A rapid fire series of devastating cuts to immigration programs and levels has changed immigration rules in the middle of the game for millions of people, leaving them in limbo. This year alone, 1,200,000 people will see their study and work permits expire without any options to renew them. Bill C-2 exploits this man made crisis, putting hundreds of thousands of people's livelihoods and lives at risk. C-2 is an unprecedented expansion of surveillance powers. It is a violation of the Charter and international refugee obligations. The bill would give the government the power to change, suspend, or cancel any immigration permit or application, including for those who have already received their permanent residency cards. This bill would give the government the power to take away rights from migrants and people who are on their way to citizenship, and the power to do this for entire groups of people at once with no possibility of individual appeal. Migrants could lose status en masse overnight with no legal recourse. This will force more people into conditions of abuse, exploitation, and even death. For the last two years, migrants and refugees have been scapegoated for the housing crisis, for inflation, unemployment. This is, of course, good politics and good business, distracting the public from those truly responsible, politicians and their policies that benefit corporate interests profiting from the financialization of housing, the fixing of food prices, and the suppression of wages. Prime Minister Carney promised to be different from the previous Liberal government and different from Trump. C-2 shows us that he is in fact neither. Instead, aligning Canadian immigration and policing with The US and going beyond, giving himself tools even Trump does not have to finish the attack on migrants that his predecessor started. Already, we have heard the Conservative leader promising to ensure that Bill C-2 does not impact, "long standing Canadians," a thinly veiled racist euphemism that aims to divide and conquer and reveals the truly xenophobic foundations of this bill. We reject this division, and we are here today to say to this government that we will not stop until Bill C-2 is withdrawn.
Justin Brake:Nicholas Keogh, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students for Newfoundland and Labrador, said in a statement that the proposed changes, "betray Canada's commitment to human rights, due process, and compassion, and will make our communities less just, less inclusive, and less safe for the people who need our protection most. If Bill C-2 is passed as written, many international students fear an increased risk of being marginalized or targeted based on their race or country of origin." The Strong Borders Act made it to the second reading in the House of Commons before the legislature shut down for the summer. When Parliament resumes in September, the bill will go to committee for review and face potential amendments. Then it goes to a third reading in the House, and if it passes, then on to the Senate for a similar process before it can receive Royal Assent.
Justin Brake:But C-2 wasn't the only controversial bill the Liberals put forward in recent weeks. Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, was introduced on June 6, a day after Bill C-2, and passed third reading in the House of Commons Friday. It now goes to the Senate, which is set to adjourn for the summer next Friday. If C-5 is rushed through the Senate as it was through the House, it could become law within a week. In April's federal election, Carney campaigned on a promise to pass the legislation before Canada Day. The One Canadian Economy Act is a response to the threats and anticipated impacts of US president Donald Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods. The bill features two pieces of legislation, the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act, which the government says will remove barriers to interprovincial trade, and the Building Canada Act, which will allow the government to bypass various laws to fast-track major resource development projects deemed to be in the, 'national interest'. The bill prompted major pushback from First Nations leaders because it originally included the Indian Act as one of the laws the Liberal cabinet could override. But it wasn't just First Nations up in arms. Inuit and Metis groups too lambasted the Liberals over their apparent disregard for Indigenous rights, which are enshrined in both Canadian and international law. On May 30, Nunatsiavut Government President Johannes Lampe wrote to the Privy Council office in Ottawa outlining the Inuit government's concerns over Bill C-5. He said consultation with Indigenous groups with treaties must be the first step before tabling legislation, and that Nunatsiavut is concerned with the Governor-in-Council's, "ability to unilaterally modify regulatory requirements for national interest projects." Such powers, Lampe said, must respect constitutionally protected treaties like the Labrador Inuit Land Claims agreement. He added that no project may proceed within the Labrador Inuit land claims area without Nunatsiavut's's approval. The pushback from indigenous leaders, including the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, which represents Inuit governments across the North, and the Manitoba Metis Federation, seems to have worked. But only to an extent. On Wednesday, the bill was amended to exclude the Indian Act from legislation the federal government can sidestep on route to fast tracking major projects like pipelines and ports. And Carney has also said he will hold summits with Indigenous governments in the coming months to discuss the new legislation. On Thursday, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed told CBC's power and politics the legislation is undemocratic and stupid.
Natan Obed:There is a worrisome trend, in this government, to use language concerning First Nations, Inuit, and Metis as if Canadian law does not define the terms that are being used. So you'll find within section two of the Building Canada Act, mention of Indigenous Peoples and of consultation of things that on paper look like they make sense. But upon closer consideration, and especially with the prime minister and with other ministers describing the intent of the legislation and how it intends to be implemented, there is a huge departure from the provisions in our modern treaties and the way they are protected, and in many ways, the way that they would merge into a good bill.
David Cochrane:So so give me an example of how those two don't reconcile. The idea, like, what is it you see in the legislation versus what you would expect under what is in your view that the well, not your view, the court's view, of the settled law of the country.
Natan Obed:So Inuit have modern treaties. We also have a number of Supreme Court rulings that articulate the implementation of our existing rights. We also very recently have the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples legislation. So if there is a listed project, and it is defined in a particular way within this bill, it actually puts the implementation of some of our modern treaties at risk. If a proponent of a project is listed as a project of natural interest national interest, how interested is that party going to be in negotiating a fulsome impact of benefit agreement with Inuit communities? How does this legislation merge with the provisions within our legislation around institutions of public government or co management? These are just open questions. Perhaps there are answers to these questions that are logical and that are the safeguard of our existing place in Canadian law. But at this point in time, we don't know, so we didn't think the worst.
Justin Brake:On Wednesday, Fisheries Minister and St. John's East MP Joanne Thompson announced an increase in the total allowable catch for Northern cod from 18,000 tons to 38,000 tons. That's for the commercial fishing sector and is good news for cod harvesters in the province. Last June, when the federal government announced the reopening of the commercial Northern cod fishery, scientists and conservationists sounded the alarm, saying while cod populations have rebounded somewhat since the 1992 moratorium, they're still not at levels safe to fish. The same criticisms have played out this week following DFO's announcement. But one researcher at Memorial University says we need to step back and take a broader look at the situation. Dean Bavington, a geographer and author of the 2011 book, An Unnatural History of the Newfoundland Cod Collapse, says Wednesday's announcement is being, "disguised as ecological responsibility," but that such decisions, "continue to obscure the difference between catching cod for food and catching cod for profit, a conflation that's both dangerous and deliberate. This isn't care. It's managerial choreography disguised as ecological concern." You can read Dean Bavington's new piece for The Independent by going to TheIndependent.ca.
Justin Brake:On Tuesday, the province's Public Utilities Board approved a Newfoundland Power average rate increase of 7% to take effect July 1. In January, Newfoundland Power had originally applied for a 10.6% increase, but the PUB rejected that proposal. Advocates and some opposition MPs say the 7% hike is still too much. NDP leader Jim Dinn said residents can't handle another increase in electricity. "This past winter, we saw the devastating impact of higher electricity costs. Families were pushed past their limits, unsure if they could afford to heat their homes the next month. Some even feared losing their homes altogether, and now we're facing yet another increase. It's unacceptable." Dinn and the NDP have tried pushing the government to remove HST from all forms of home heating. Dinn said this week, "People are trying to make up for the heat bills that they had this winter. Another increase will only make the problem worse. We can't keep putting corporate profits on the backs of people who are just trying to stay warm. Neither Newfoundland Power's profits nor the disastrous decisions around Muskrat Falls were made by the people of this province, yet it's the people who are left to bear the cost, often at the expense of heating their homes." The province's Seniors' Advocate Office has released its annual status report on recommendations it's made to the government. Covering the period of April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the report says government has made progress on some of the Advocates' recommendations, but that most of that progress relates to recommendations that were made in 2019. The majority of the outstanding recommendations in this week's status report are from a November 2023 report and relate to helping seniors with cost of living challenges and alleviating the financial stress seniors are experiencing trying to pay for home support services. Susan Walsh, the senior's advocate, said in a statement this week that she is, "pleased that most recommendations in this report are advancing. However, I remain quite concerned that there's no evidence that our recommendations from the 2023 report to make home support more financially accessible to seniors are progressing. Seniors are struggling to access home support services and grappling with the dilemma of how to pay for those services. When a senior is forced to move from their home into a care facility to have care needs met, we've failed them."
Justin Brake:And finally, viewers of Newfoundland's popular NTV News broadcasts will no longer see a familiar face forecasting the weather. After nearly 12 years with NTV, meteorologist Eddie Sheerr has left the broadcaster. In a social media post, he said, "I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunities I've been given and for the life I've built here in a place I'm proud to call home, Newfoundland and Labrador. If the station hadn't taken a chance on me and I hadn't taken a chance on this rock, and the station, out in the North Atlantic, my life would look very different. This decision was not an easy one, but it was mine to make. There's a lot of my life right now that needs more of my time and attention, especially my family." Sheerr is widely known for his social media presence, regularly sharing photos from around the province and regular weather updates. But it's the residents of Channel-Port aux Basques who might miss him the most. In 2022, Sheerr played a pivotal role in the town's response to Hurricane Fiona. Brian Button, the town's mayor, says Sheerr saved people's lives when the meteorologist picked up the phone and called Button hours before the storm made landfall in Southwestern Newfoundland. Shear stressed the importance of moving residents out of their homes and away from low lying areas. You can hear that story and Sheerr's account of that day in Monica Kidd's documentary for the Independent's berrygrounds podcast. It's called 'Swept by the Sea' and we'll link to it in our show notes.
Justin Brake:That's it for the July 22 edition of The Indy Broadcast. You can subscribe to our newsletter at TheIndependent.ca and be the first to get new episodes by subscribing to our show wherever you get your podcasts. The Indy Broadcast is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network and is produced, edited, and hosted by me, Justin Brake. Thanks for listening.