The course is set for the 2025 edition of Targa Newfoundland with 25 teams registered so far. Targa 2025 is scheduled from Sept. 11-18.

Targa Newfoundland starts and ends in St. John’s, and covers about 2000 kilometres of roads across the island. Drivers will hug the rolling, rugged coastline and speed through the streets of charming towns and outports that will welcome you with open arms.

The first rally stages will be held along the Irish Loop in Witless Bay, Bay Bulls, Burnt Cove and Bauline East. The next stages are in the Placentia Bay area, which was once the French capital of the region, along the Cape Shore from Point Verde to St. Bride’s, Sanctuary and Cape St. Mary’s. Teams then head to Gander where they’ll race through the streets of the famous airport town.

From there, the rally winds through the central Newfoundland towns and outports along Notre Dame Bay from Glenwood to Leading Tickles including Pleasantview, Point Leamington and Glover’s Harbour before heading to Appleton.

The next leg follows the Road to the Beaches along Eastport Peninsula on Bonavista Bay through the communities of Eastport, Happy Adventure, Salvage, Burnside, and Port Blandford.

Random Island in Trinity Bay will host multiple stages through the outports of Weybridge, Hickman’s Harbour, Lower Lance Cove and Petley.

On the final day of competition in the scenic Conception Bay area, teams will race through Conception Harbour, Colliers, Marysvale, Turk’s Gut, and Georgetown before the finale through the narrow streets of historic Brigus.

A Paradise man’s bank account just got a whole lot chunkier thanks to a Set for Life win through Atlantic Lottery.

Richard Simms says he was on his lunch break at work when he remembered he had a scratch ticket stuck in his visor that he hadn’t scratched yet.

When he checked it, Simms was left “in total shock” to see that it was a winner.

Simms and his wife, Elora, opted to take the lump sum payment of $675,000, which they say will be used to buy their first home and take some family vacations.

Simms is the second Set for Life top prize winner in Newfoundland and Labrador so far this year. Daniel Beason from Colinet won the same prize in February.

The annual Deer Lake Strawberry Festival will take place this year from July 18-20.

The festival this year will coincide with the Town of Deer Lake’s 75th Birthday. 

The band lineup will be announced soon.

The Deer Lake Strawberry Festival is one of the longest ongoing festivals in the province featuring a wide variety of activities.

As voting wraps up on Saturday to crown the next Kraft Hockeyville, Crossfield is bidding to claim Alberta's first grand prize in more than a decade. 

It’s been another busy week, so let’s use that news.

1. Elisapie and Deantha Edmunds brought home Juno Awards on Sunday. Edmunds won Classical Composition of the Year with her piece titled Angmalukisaa. Elisapie took two awards: Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year and Adult Alternative Album of the Year for Inuktitut, an album featuring Inuktitut covers of contemporary classics. Which song is not covered on Inuktitut?

A. Wild Horses, by The Rolling Stones
B. Dreams, by Fleetwood Mac
C. Born to Die, by Lana Del Rey

2. Kugluktuk Coun. Nadene McMenemy became the recipient of the Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers last month, for her year-round fundraising efforts to distribute Christmas gifts and food every holiday season. The work to raise $60,000 starts every year in January. What is included in her fundraising efforts?

A. A telethon event
B. A triathlon
C. A hotdog eating contest

3. Toonik Tyme’s first event was last weekend with a snowmobile race from Iqaluit to Kimmirut and back, with a loaded qamutik. The race was scheduled a few weeks early this year to avoid what?

A. A partial solar eclipse
B. Conflict with a snowmobile race hosted in Kimmirut
C. Wet conditions along the trail

4. North of North star Anna Lambe has been cast in a movie set in Alaska. Who will be her co-stars?

A. Brad Garrett and J.K. Rowling
B. Brad Pitt and J.K. Simmons
C. Bradley Cooper and J.K. Dobbins

5. Fuel prices went down April 1, including gasoline, which fell by 17 cents. If you live in Qikiqtarjuaq (or any other Nunavut community outside Iqaluit) and filled up your gas tank after the drop, how much did you pay per litre?

A. $1.34/litre
B. $0.99/litre
C. $1.55/litre

Why was this year’s Iqaluit-Kimmirut-Iqaluit snowmobile race with qamutik scheduled a little early this year? (File photo by Daron Letts)

Answers

1. C — You’ve probably heard Elisapie’s Inuktitut versions of Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac on the radio, but if you heard Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die in Inuktitut, it wasn’t from Elisapie’s lauded album.
2. A — Kugluktuk Coun. Nadene McMenemy hosts an annual telethon event to raise the approximate $60,000 she needs to make sure her community has plenty of Christmas gifts and food to feast on every holiday season.
3. C — Racers loaded their gear early this year to avoid wet conditions experienced last year along the trail between Iqaluit and Kimmirut.
4. B — Anna Lambe will star alongside Brad Pitt and J.K. Simmons in Heart of the Beast, an action adventure film about a man and his dog who survive a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness.
5.  C — It’s no April Fools. Gas is now $1.55 per litre in Nunavut communities outside Iqaluit.

The NDP announced a plan during a campaign visit to the St. John’s region today to ensure that every Canadian has access to a family doctor by 2030.

It’s estimated that 20 per cent of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians do not have a General Practitioner for their primary health care.

Leader Jagmeet Singh said one of his measures would be to increase the Canadian Health Transfer to the provinces by one per cent. The money would have to be used to increase access to health care by training and hiring more doctors. The funding would not be a blank cheque though, in order to qualify, a province would have to meet conditions.

About 7,500 physicians would be needed in order achieve his objective but with his plan, Leader Singh said it can happen.

He says there are an estimated 15,000 physicians in Canada that are trained, with the only barrier being they cannot get residency in Canada.

“We also have to train more people in our country and look at having more primary care centres,” he said.

The NDP is trailing in the polls but Singh is confident that Mary Shortall will reclaim St. John’s East.

One person was taken to hospital in unstable condition after a Friday evening fire caused heavy damage at a home in Winnipeg's Tyndall Park area.

The defending-champion Drummondville Voltigeurs were expected to easily beat a youthful Halifax Mooseheads team that barely made the QMJHL playoffs. But the Mooseheads, up 3-2 in their first-round series, may have actually benefited from their inexperience.

Saskatoon police are investigating the disruption of a University of Saskatchewan event with "racist and deeply inappropriate" imagery as a possible hate crime.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Saturday that an NDP government would improve access to family doctors by opening more residency spots for internationally trained physicians living in Canada, and boost federal health transfers by one per cent to provinces and territories that can 'guarantee' access to doctors.

Edmonton Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl is "out short term" but should return "well before" the playoffs begin after sustaining a lower-body injury against the San Jose Sharks Thursday night, says head coach Kris Knoblauch.

A city of Hamilton employee has died and a crewmate is in hospital with injuries after they were struck while doing roadwork in Ancaster Friday.

Hamilton Police were called around 10:30 a.m., to a collision on Golf Links Road, between Martindale Crescent and Legend Court after two city workers were struck while doing road work. The workers were in the curb lane on Golf Links Road when they were struck by a white Infiniti sedan travelling westbound. A 43-year-old male was taken to hospital with minor injuries, while a 55-year-old male succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

The 76-year-old driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

The City issued a release reading, “Our hearts go out to the families and individuals, and to all City staff, during this very difficult time. We are providing support to those impacted and we ask that their privacy is respected.

We have lowered the flags at both the employee’s work location and at City Hall to half-staff, in honour of our colleague. This loss will be felt across our organization and the Hamilton community.”

Mayor Horwath also Offred condolences writing, “I was deeply saddened to learn of the serious accident earlier today involving two of our Public Works team members…These individuals dedicated themselves to serving our city, and this loss will be felt throughout our community.

On behalf of my council colleagues, our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time. We also send our thoughts to the injured worker and wish them a full recovery. We will do everything we can to support their loved ones and coworkers as they navigate this challenging moment.”

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact the Collision Reconstruction Office at 905-546-4753 or [email protected]. Investigators are also urging motorists who were in the area at the time to review their dashcam footage for anything that may aid the investigation.

In addition, residents or businesses in the vicinity with security cameras are encouraged to check for any recordings that may be relevant.

To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit anonymous tips online at www.crimestoppershamilton.com.

Well, that escalated quickly!

A week after bemoaning the sluggish state of the federal election campaign in Nunavut, an exciting competitive race to be the territory’s only member of Parliament has shaped up.

Toward the end of the campaign’s first week, the NDP’s Lori Idlout was the only declared candidate. It was back in October 2023 that the first-term MP secured her party’s nomination to seek a re-election to the position she won in 2021.

Now she’s joined by Conservative, Liberal and Green candidates, meaning the four of the five parties represented in the House of Commons have candidates in Nunavut. (The Bloc Québécois obviously is not fielding a candidate in this riding.)

Both the Liberal and Conservative parties are offering up well-known community leaders to challenge Idlout. It suggests that all three parties see the riding — which has elected NDP, Liberal and Conservative MPs over the past 20 years — as winnable.

The Liberals picked Kilikvak Kabloona, CEO of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., while the Conservative standard-bearer will be James Arreak, a vice-president at Qulliq Energy Corp.

The Green Party’s candidate is Brennan Wauters, who appears to be from British Columbia.

The news that Arreak and Kabloona had joined the race was greeted by Nunatsiaq News readers — as you might expect — with a mixture of approval and criticism. The NDP, Liberal and Conservative candidates have been in public life for years and have track records that Nunavummiut are aware of.

It’s encouraging to see a strong field of candidates on the ballot for the April 28 election. Nunavut voters appear to have good options — professionals with experience in management or government.

However, all of that might be overshadowed because of the dynamic of this particularly unusual and high-stakes election.

Party leadership — who Canadians want as prime minister — often has more to do with how people vote than who their local candidates is.

One issue is dominating the campaign across the country — who is best able to manage the once-stable, suddenly shaky relationship between Canada and the United States.

Will that be the case in Nunavut? Will the debate about whether Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Pierre Poilievre or the NDP’s Jagmeet Singh can stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump overshadow important issues specific to Nunavut?

Some of the issues Nunavut candidates should be talking about is the fate of the Inuit Child First Initiative, the affordability of food and the effectiveness of the Nutrition North program, how to ensure adequate and affordable housing, and how to deliver what Premier P.J. Akeeagok and NTI have described as “nation-building” projects like the Grays Bay road and port.

But there’s a big risk the national media will naturally focus on Canadian-American relations and the impact tariffs will have on the North American economy.

Nunatsiaq News will try to steer the discussion to what’s important to northerners — including how Trump could affect Canada-U.S. relations.

Now that there’s a full slate of candidates, we look forward to hearing from them and sharing their views with you.

More than a decade after Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education took over the school system in Sheshatshiu and Natuashish, attendance numbers and graduation rates have dramatically increased. For its contribution to the community, the school board and its teachers are being honoured by the Innu Nteimun Music Festival.

At the heart of a local town is a more than a century old restored train station-turned museum that continues to attract visitors with its authentic characteristics that allow folks to take a step back in time.

The Herbert CPR Train Station Museum, located on Railway Avenue, was built in 1908 and is part of a beloved museum that features CPR artifacts, vintage vehicles, a model of a settler's cottage, and more. 

Pat Gammel, chairperson for the Herbert Heritage Association, noted that the group is a small but dedicated team that works to maintain such an integral part of the community's history.

"We've got a lot of train memorabilia in there and a lot of old farm equipment," he said. "They repositioned it 180 degrees and moved it away from the tracks a bit, so it has been moved from its original spot, but it was originally built in Herbert."

The Train Station Museum is open during the summer months and boasts a gift shop, tours, lunch, ice cream, free admission, and wheelchair accessibility. 

Gammel highlighted that the group is hoping to make some changes to the iconic hat-filled train car that's part of the museum to better underscore the CPR's rich history within the community.

"I think we're going to be doing a bit of revamping this year," he shared. "We're in desperate need of a paint job on the south side of the building, we're hoping we can get volunteers or somebody who can donate some paint or something."

The Herbert Heritage Association also held its AGM this past week, where plans for several fundraising events that will be happening this year to support the museum were spotlighted, including a trio of Beer & Wing Nights.

For more information, head to the town's website, visit the Herbert Heritage Association on Facebook, or check out the Herbert CPR Train Station Museum's Facebook page.

The death toll from a Russian missile strike in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to 18, including nine children, regional governor Serhii Lysak said Saturday.

It was a bittersweet occasion at an art-focused business in Paradise Friday, as a community paid tribute to a young boy who passed away last November, while another family was given a new lease on life.

Friday would have been Jake Anstey’s 12th birthday, and mom Lisa and stepfather Doug used the occasion to help another family in need.

Their wheelchair accessible van, donated by Bursey’s Bus Service and Get Messy NL, has been passed on to mom Sabrina and daughter Avery Reid.

Nicknamed “Chewy” after the Star Wars character, the van will help Avery meet her medical and daily needs.

Lisa Hodder says the donation was a beautiful way to celebrate Jake’s life and carry on his legacy.

“He’s in heaven – it’s his first heavenly birthday,” said Lisa. “We held onto the van for a while because we couldn’t bear the thought of it leaving our driveway but when we thought about what Jake would want, he would want another child to have it and the freedom that it presents.”

Avery’s mom, Sabrina, describes it as like winning the lottery.

Sabrina says the van will bring them freedom, which they do not have right now.

“I can’t take her many places on my own anymore but now we will be able to go where we want to go, and one of the first places will be Rainbow Riders to set her up with some horses.”

RCMP NL says a number of various online and telephone scams remain in circulation, as well as local scams on buy and sell sites and reports of fraudulent credit card use.

What to watch out for:

• Police will never ask for money
• Courts may ask for money, but you need to pay in person
• You never have to pay to claim a prize
• Be suspicious of “winning” a prize in a contest you never entered
• Use reputable or first party websites when booking hotels or call the company directly
• Never send cash in the mail to people you don’t know