Liberal Leader Mark Carney says he governs for all of Canada and called prominent conservative Preston Manning's comments on Western independence "dramatic" during a campaign stop in Montreal on Friday. 

Three Ontario businesses pleaded guilty and were fined thousands of dollars after a joint investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and police uncovered illegal employment practices involving foreign nationals.

The CBSA said the three businesses pleaded guilty to employing a foreign national without authorization on Feb. 28, 2025.

CDA Landscape Services faced 20 counts of the aforementioned charge, while TDA Landscape Services and SDA Services, all located in Oshawa, faced two counts each. The CBSA said CDA Landscape Services was fined $400,000, TDA Landscape Services was fined $25,000, and SDA Services was fined $25,000.

The investigation was launched in 2019 after the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) arrested a foreign national for impaired driving. Subsequent efforts by CBSA and OPP investigators uncovered a network of unauthorized workers operating across multiple southern and eastern Ontario jurisdictions, including the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

The CBSA said officers determined that more than 700 foreign nationals who the organization had employed without authorization to work in Canada were identified throughout Ontario. Multiple foreign nationals were also found inadmissible due to criminality and were removed from Canada by border agents, officials added.

In a news release, the CBSA said in 2024 alone, border agents removed over 16,470 foreign nationals from Canada for violating the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — The Trump administration’s expansive new tariffs will likely lead to higher inflation and slower growth, and the Federal Reserve will focus on keeping price increases temporary, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Friday.

Powell said in written remarks that the tariffs, and their impacts on the economy and inflation, are “significantly larger than expected.” He also said that the import taxes are “highly likely” to lead to “at least a temporary rise in inflation,” but added that “it is also possible that the effects could be more persistent.”

“Our obligation is to … make certain that a one-time increase in the price level does not become an ongoing inflation problem,” Powell said in remarks being delivered in Arlington, Virginia.

Powell’s focus on inflation suggests that the Fed will likely keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at about 4.3% in the coming months. That is likely to disappoint Wall Street investors, who now expect five interest rate cuts this year, a number that has increased since President Donald Trump announced the tariffs Wednesday.

Economists forecast that the tariffs will weaken the economy, possibly threaten hiring, and push up prices. In that scenario, the Fed could cut rates to bolster the economy, or it could keep rates unchanged — or even hike them — to combat inflation. Powell’s comments suggest the Fed will mostly focus on inflation.

Powell’s remarks come two days after Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs that have upended the global economy, prompted retaliatory moves by China, and sent stock prices in the U.S. and overseas plunging.

Weaker growth and higher prices are a tricky combination for the Fed. Typically the central bank would reduce its key interest rate to lower borrowing costs and spur the economy in the event of slower growth, while it would raise rates — or keep them elevated — to slow spending and combat inflation.

“The Fed is in a tough spot with inflation set to accelerate and the economy poised to slow,” said Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide.

Some positive news arrived Friday when the government reported that hiring accelerated in March, with 228,000 jobs added, though the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%, from 4.1%.

Yet those figures measure hiring in mid-March, before the scope of the duties became clear. The tariffs have also raised uncertainty about how the economy will fare in the coming months, which could limit businesses’ willingess to invest and hire.

Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press

Inuktitut speakers can access an online media training course for free through Ottawa-based communications training firm Trustmakers.

John McKay, managing partner at Trustmakers, which has worked across Canada’s North for more than a decade, announced the move in February at the Aqsarniit Tradeshow and Conference in Ottawa.

McKay pointed to a growing demand for these training opportunities.

“Governments and public sector organizations have been struggling to meet Inuit and other Indigenous employment targets,” he said in an interview.

“We understand and have heard that there’s a need for more professional development opportunities for Inuit in their own language.”

The Inuktitut version of the online course, which was previously available for $595 per participant, can now be accessed without an account or payment through the Trustmakers website.

The training consists of nine self-directed modules, including 11 short video exercises, and guidance on conducting and evaluating practice sessions.

The course covers the rules of the game for spokespeople and public sector organizations, particularly non-profit organizations.

It also explains what guides reporters in their work, what rules they operate under, and how media interactions between spokespeople and reporters do not have to be “adversarial.”

“Destroying trust in media relations seems to have been a common practice,” McKay said.

“Without trust, you’re dead in the water.” 

McKay said his company steers participants towards an open approach to media relations. It’s a diversion from what he described as more “outdated” practices.

“We totally reject the old-school 1960s Mad Men approach to media relations — spin, manipulation, evasion, deflection,” he said.

Trustmakers has delivered media training in collaboration with the Government of Nunavut, federal organizations such as Parks Canada and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.

McKay said he hopes to work with postsecondary institutions such as the Nunavut Arctic College and the new Inuit Nunangat University to expand access to professional development in media and communications.

He also said there has also been unexpected interest in the course from non-profit organizations working with youth.

The company also offers live workshops in English and French, conducted via videoconference from Trustmakers’ Learning and Media Production Centre in Ottawa.

While Trustmakers has previously conducted workshops in Inuktitut, McKay said his staff are actively seeking new partnerships to expand the new offering.

He also said he welcomes feedback on the Inuktitut course content, including exercises and podcasts, to ensure it meets the needs of those using it.

Festival season has almost arrived in Newfoundland and Labrador, and for musicians across the province that means it's time to get to work. But there isn't a set wage, and that can spell trouble during the busy period.

Lawyers wrapped up closing arguments Wednesday in a criminal fraud case against the developers of the never-built SkyCity condo project, whose developers are accused of misleading investors.

Young hockey players and parents in Labrador are frustrated after learning that they will have to fly home on Sunday morning, before their provincial tournament is over.

Parents have taken to social media to express their anger that Hockey NL did not take their travel into account when scheduling tournaments on the island.

Hockey NL is working on making changes to the schedule, but some parents say that’s not good enough.

One parent says their kids worked hard all year and fundraised to cover the $1,422 cost of tickets per person to participate in the provincials only to learn that they will be shut out of any games scheduled after 1:00 p.m. on Sunday because the schedule doesn’t take flight times into account.

Lab City deputy mayor, and hockey parent, Mitchell Marsh echoed the dismay felt by many hockey families in Labrador on VOCM Open Line.

He says the kids had a travel day on Wednesday, a day before the tournament began. In this case, many didn’t arrive in St. John’s until 1:00 in the morning and they still had to travel across the island to start the tournament on Thursday.

He says they’re typically given a day after the tournament, but this year they have to leave on the last day of the tournament. He says in the end, it’s about the experience and the memories, but “what if one of our teams make the championship game? We’ve got to leave, we can’t play it, we can’t play the championship game.”

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Spring is in the air and so is the sound of music in Carbonear as the town gears up to host the annual Kiwanis Music Festival involving students from schools throughout the Western Avalon. This year’s event ran from March 30 to April 4 and was staged at the Princess Sheila Nageira Theatre, Bethany United Church, Salvation Army Citadel, Carbonear Academy, and Carbonear Collegiate.
“This is our fifty-second festival,” said Lynn Burke Evely, who has been a member of the Carbonear Kiwanis Club for about five years, and president of the Carbonear Kiwanis Music Festival for two years. “It’s still going strong despite the fact that there are other festivals in the province that have unfortunately folded due to low participation or other reasons.”
Burke Evely said the festival has received a lot of community support, which has helped it continue.
“We have a committee of Kiwanians who are focused every year, of course, on developing and carrying out all the elements of the music festival,” she said. “This year we’re happy to say that there seems to be a bit of a resurgence in participation. We’re up in the numbers of our participants over last year, and there seems to be more interest in some of the choirs and the bands from the schools in particular who are returning who may have had to take a break from participation for various reasons over the last few years.”
This year the festival has about 1,500 participants. There are 10 schools participating with primary choirs, junior high choirs, high school choirs, recorder groups, concert bands, rock bands, combination rock bands and glee clubs, and so on.
“Depending on what the music program looks like in the school, we have a class that would suit whatever that program is,” Burke Evely said. “So anybody who’s involved in music within the school can certainly have an opportunity to participate.”
Students of all grades participate in the festival.
In addition to students, the festival will see community groups perform. This year this includes four choirs — two youth choirs and two adult choirs — as well as five family music groups.
The family music class is popular and non-competitive.
“It offers families an opportunity to participate in the festival and make music together and showcase their talents in that way,” said Burke Evely.
Individual participants are also a big part of the festival.
“They would be school age because the class starts at six and under and would go up to high school,” said Burke Evely. “I think the highest age that we would see participants would be 18. So there are a number of private music schools and music teachers in the area who would be instructing students in voice and piano, and instruments such as violin and cello and guitar, trumpet, the whole gambit of different instruments that kids would be playing. And, of course, there’s the choral component, as well, which would be the choirs.”
The competition’s categories are comprised of various classes. Participants are assigned to a class based on age, experience, and type of music. Selections are made for first, second, and third place each competitive class. March 30th will focus on musical theatre. Classes in vocal, piano, and instrumental will be performed from March 31 to April 2, with instrumental continuing into April 4 and concluding the regular classes. The Rose Bowl Competition will be held on April 4th.
“That’s a little bit of a different competition than regular classes because you qualify to be recommended to compete for the Rose Bowl, which is like the big award of the festival if you participate in some of the senior classes in a specialty area,” Burke Evely explained. “It requires you to participate in a concert group class, where the participants of that class would perform three or more selections within a period of time, and they’d be chosen to participate for further competition in the Rose Bowl if they win that particular concert group class.”
The festival will have four adjudicators: Jill Dawe, Dr. Douglas Dunmore, Leslee Heys, and Melanie Jardine. Dawe is a trumpet player and music teacher in St. John’s who teaches middle school instrumental, choral and classroom music. She also has a private studio of young trumpeters, is a founding member of Saltwater Brass, and has been second trumpet in the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra since 2018. Dunsmore began his career in Saskatchewan working with singers and choirs, and later moved to St. John’s where he became Director of Choral Activities at the MUN School of Music. He has served as an officer of prominent choral organizations, as a guest clinician, conductor, adjudicator, and juror in various Canadian provinces, and has participated in international choral festivals. His work in the musical community has been recognized by ArtsNL, and he was recently appointed to the Order of Canada. Heys is a multi-faceted musician, and pianist for the award-winning choral ensembles Shallaway and Lady Cove, and a sought-after pianist and adjudicator. In the past year, her original works and arrangements have been performed by the likes of the Texas All-State Honor Choir, Amadeus Choir, Unisong, the University of Florida and University of Toronto, Shallaway, Lady Cove, and Newman Sound. Jardine has performed with the Canadian Opera Company and, since moving back to Newfoundland, with Opera on the Avalon, Best Kind Productions, Atlantic Light Theatre, Theatre St. John’s, and Terra Bruce Productions. She adjudicates at Kiwanis and Rotary Music Festivals throughout the province and has also been a Vocal Facilitator for the Growing the Voices: Festival 500 program, So You Always Wanted to Sing.
On April 9 and 10, the Carbonear Kiwanis Music Festival’s grand concerts will be held at the Princess Sheila Nageira Theatre. The concerts will showcase a variety of performers who competed in and possibly won awards in the festival, including the Rose Bowl competitors.
“It’s quite an awesome show to attend because it showcases all the talent in the area. Different ages, different types of music, different categories of music, all that stuff,” said Burke Evely.
The grand concerts are also where the festival’s awards are presented.
“At the end of the festival, we have thirteen thousand dollars’ worth of special awards that are given, and they are given to the best performances or the adjudicators’ choice as to who is deserving of a particular award within certain categories,” said Burke Evely.
Most of the awards are sponsored by local businesses, or have been given perpetually in memory or honour of someone in the community who supported the festival or was passionate about music.
Programs for the Carbonear Kiwanis Music Festival can be purchased at Bartlett’s Irving in Bay Roberts and Music Plus in Carbonear. Tickets to the festival events will be available for purchase at the door, and will cost five dollars for classes or ten dollars for concerts. A recording of the festival will also be available to watch via Eastlink at a later date.

The post Some 1,500 participants booked for Carbonear Kiwanis Music Festival appeared first on The Shoreline News.

Sean (Diddy) Combs was hit with a new federal indictment on Friday charging the hip-hop mogul with five criminal counts including racketeering and sex trafficking, court records showed. Combs, 55, had previously faced three criminal counts. He has pleaded not guilty. His trial in Manhattan Federal Court is scheduled to start on May 5.

A new version of a government-commissioned report about Alberta's inactive oil wells and what to do about them now says the province should manage a new insurance fund, rather than backstop it with taxpayer funding.

The Town of Paradise provided an update to the public on March 4 regarding the status of the construction of the new lift station No. 10 at the intersection of Topsail Road and St. Thomas Line. The Town stated the project is on budget. This information is false and misleading as the project is over budget as of that date by $ 3.6 million, according to the information approved by council and reflected in the council minutes.
The initial budget was $25.1 million for construction and engineering, and the total cost as of March 4, 2025 is $28.7 million.
A quick review of the Council Minutes will disclose the original budget and all of the change orders. I have attached a summary of all council motions pertaining to this project and as noted, the project is in excess of the budget by $3.6 million at this time.
Why does the Town continue to mispresent the facts with respect to this financial quagmire? Is it deliberate so that the cost of the project is presented with a positive political outcome? Is it possible that the people generating this information simply do not understand the math?
Perhaps the taxpayers of Paradise may wish to ask council members why this deception continues.
Allan English
Paradise

The post Accounting for Lift Station No. 10 cost overruns appeared first on The Shoreline News.

Backup goaltender Eric Comrie made 26 saves for his second shutout in two months as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0 on Thursday night in a matchup of Western Conference divisional leaders.

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Spaniard’s Bay council will ask staff to look at some of the commercial signage near a busy stretch of the Conception Bay highway that has a gas station on one side and a pharmacy on the other.
Councillor Sherry Lundrigan brought forward the issue at council’s March 18 public meeting. Lundrigan said “the blind spot” near the Baccalieu Trail Pharmacy also has a set of Canada Post super mailboxes nearby.
There are signs located on either side of the Baccalieu Trail Pharmacy, she noted. The sign to the left of the building is for the pharmacy itself, while the sign on the right advertises Gosse’s Windows Doors & More. Lundrigan said the Gosse’s Windows sign is in a blind spot, obstructing the view of the turn in the road to the right of the building — anyone turning left when leaving the pharmacy parking lot would have difficulty seeing oncoming traffic.
Lundrigan said the pharmacy sign also obstructs the view of those turning right when leaving the parking lot, but it is not as significant an issue.
Mayor Paul Brazil said he uses an alternative exit when leaving the parking lot.
“When you’re turning to go down say towards Spaniard’s Bay, down our way, you can’t see nothing around that turn until the car’s almost on top of you because the sign’s right in the blind spot,” said Lundrigan, referring to the Gosse’s Windows sign. She suggested that moving the sign back three or four feet would rectify the problem.
Mayor Brazil said the sign might be on private property, but he would have a look at it. He noted that even if the signs weren’t there, vehicles coming around the turn are on top of each other quickly. If the sign is on private property, he added, council could make a request for the sign to be moved, but not a demand. It could also write a letter to the provincial Department of Transportation and Works about it.
Lundrigan said the issue has been made worse by the sign.
“You can’t see anything until the car’s past the sign, and then the (oncoming) car is almost on top of you before you actually pull out,” she said.

The post Lundrigan looking for a sign of improvement at Spaniard’s Bay blind spot appeared first on The Shoreline News.

High prices, and uncertainty over the Trump tariffs have made a gloomy real estate picture even worse. According to the Cornerstone Association of Realtors, real estate sales in the Hamilton, Burlington, Haldimand County and Niagara North market areas fell to 701 units in March, marking the lowest level reported for that month since 2009. By the end of the third quarter, the total number of sales reached 1,854, which was 27 per cent lower than last year’s levels. While Hamilton, Burlington, and Niagara North all experienced significant double-digit declines in sales, Compared to last year, Hamilton Real estate sales slowed in March for the third consecutive month. By the end of the first quarter, there were 1,218 sales, a decline of 21 per cent over the same time last year and the slowest start of the year since 2010.

Hamilton

Year-to-date sales declined across all regions within the Hamilton market area. While Hamilton East was the only area to report sales activity similar to last year, all areas experienced exceptionally low sales compared to longer-term trends.

Burlington

For the third consecutive month, sales in Burlington slowed, causing first quarter sales to total 368 units, a 36 per cent decline over 2024. This marks the slowest start to the year ever recorded.

Meanwhile, new listings continued to trend upward, but not as much as in other areas. In March, there were 357 new listings and 155 sales, resulting in the sales-to-new listings ratio improving over the previous two months, reaching 43 per cent

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Carbonear council is hoping to soon resolve problems with the phone system at the swimming pool.
Councillor Malcolm Seymour, who chairs the Town’s recreation committee, put forward a motion at council’s March 11 meeting to approve the supply and installation of a new telephone system at the pool by Alt Telecom at a cost of $5,980 HST included, plus a monthly charge of $145.
The pool’s previous phone system was supplied by Bell Aliant, but that company no longer provides the same service the town is looking for, Seymour said.
“They have a company out of Ontario that does all this stuff for them and the price range, when we looked at comparing it like we always have to do, Bell wasn’t even handy to what we got here,” said Seymour. “So, this is why we went this way.”
Alt Telecom is based in St. John’s. The proximity of the company found favour with Deputy Mayor Sam Slade.
“(It’s) always important, we say, that we get our maintenance as close to the area as we can,” said Slade. “That’s very important, that part of it. And that doesn’t only go for the phone system. Sometimes, when you’re a long way away from whoever’s supplying you, and you’ve got to pay for them to travel or come in here to fix or repair or whatever the case may be, that could become quite costly, too.”
Councillor Peter Snow expressed concern about the resolution.
“I know several businesses in the area that the phones have been down for two or three weeks and have been contacting back and forth with Bell,” said Snow. “My concern there, even though it might be a new company or a new company name, they’re probably piggybacking on Bell’s system. So it’s still the same lines then, otherwise, we’re just going to a new company for new equipment. I don’t know if it’d be wise to delay this resolution for a few more weeks or if you want to go ahead.”
However, Snow acknowledged that if Alt Telecom is going to be cheaper than Bell and its system works, council is obligated to go with the cheapest system as long as it’s functioning.
Councillor Danielle Doyle expressed concern about Alt Telecom’s cost.
“I’ve got no problem with the quotes or the package or anything like that,” she said. “I want to know what we are paying for that service in there because it is an increase from what we currently have.”
Seymour assured his fellow councillors that Alt Telecom had been well-vetted.
“This has been really looked at and really investigated into for the regards of where we need to channel and where we need to go with this,” he said.
Seymour said Alt Telecom has been in service for a long time and also operates in other areas of Newfoundland including Deer Lake and Clarenville.
“We did some background checks and everything on it, but in regards of what we’re doing here, we’re not going to jump to a conclusion and say we’re going to do this, but we did do our homework.”
Seymour said the malfunctioning phone system has been the biggest challenge for people wanting to contact the pool.
Put to a vote, the motion to hire Alt Telecom passed.

The post Council moves to fix faulty phones at Carbonear pool appeared first on The Shoreline News.

By Ivan Morgan

I love walking into a set of offices and immediately knowing they are perfect. There’s no time to waste. You only need them for the next few weeks. Lots of parking? Yup. Good location? Check. Back rooms? There is a feel you get when the place is right. Cut a cheque and get moving.
Desks, chairs, tables, phones, internet access… already ordered but now we have an address. Running a political campaign is a lot of fun. It’s also a lot of hard work. I have run a few. I have participated in many. I have worked on political campaigns since I was six. It’s in my veins.
I have a decades old personal tradition. Just as the campaign is starting, I like to sit in the campaign office after hours, in the dark, late in the evening, and imagine the many characters who will soon overrun this space. I sit in the quiet and think of the days to come. What will it be like? I prepare to expect the unexpected. The planning, the arguments, the fights, the hugs, the laughter and the tears. That’s the first part of my tradition.
Go volunteer on a political campaign. There’s one on the go now and two more to come. It doesn’t matter which party, pick the one you like the most. Campaigns are unlike anything else you are ever likely to experience. While only a few short weeks long, you can make friends that can last a lifetime and collect memories that will last just as long. Not sure what you can offer? No worries – they’ll figure that out. As the old saying goes, 85 per cent of success is simply showing up.
If it’s done right, running a campaign is crazy busy from the get-go; getting all the gear in and installed while finding the people to do the work. The people… ahh the people. Campaigns get folks from every walk of life crammed together working for the cause. There’s nothing quite like it.
Politics is about people. Getting people to convince other people to vote for your people. Doors must be knocked on, homes have to be called, flyers need to be designed, printed and delivered. There are signs to be knocked together and placed all over the riding. It all should have been done yesterday. I was a sign manager once on a federal campaign. One of the greatest compliments I ever received was from a CBC commentator (back when folks listened to that station) almost 30 years ago. “Signs! The only feller who’s got more signs up than (my candidate) is that fella STOP!”
If you volunteer to knock on doors don’t worry about people being unpleasant. I have been knocking on doors in various capacities for almost 60 years. I can count the rude people I’ve encountered on my fingers. The worst you will get is a curt reply or – and this only started happening over the last 20 years – no one answering the door. Knocking on doors remains my favourite (only?) part of politics. Want to know about the real issues – not the nonsense the parties cook up to distract you? Knock on 100 doors.
Done properly a political campaign is intense. So much to do. So little time. So many people all wanting different things.
I’ve been on winning campaigns and on losing ones. When its all over, to finish my political tradition, I like to sit again in the dark empty offices and remember. While dark and still, the office echoes with the highs and the lows, the laughter and the anger, the joys and the tears of the last few short weeks. It seems so odd to me that what days ago were rooms packed with hard working, passionate people are now empty, dark and quiet.
It starts with a bare set of rooms. Now that’s what it is again.
But oh the in between…
Ivan Morgan can be reached at [email protected]

The post Nothing wrong with making friends and influencing people appeared first on The Shoreline News.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is set to visit some areas affected by prolonged power outages after a powerful ice storm hit central and northern parts of the province last weekend.

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A family from Conception Bay South have won a prestigious Southcott Award for their work preserving an old house in Brigus.
The awards are presented by the Newfoundland and Labrador Historic Trust to recognize and encourage efforts to preserve Newfoundland architecture.
Stephen and Stacey Burfitt of Foxtrap earned the honour for their renovation and restoration of the Brigus home known as the Fowler House.
Burfitt said as a child, he often visited Brigus with his family. They had relatives there and would also attend events such as the Blueberry Festival. Years later, with a family of his own, Burfitt, his wife and three children started making their visits to the picturesque town.
It was on one of these excursions that he and Stacey noticed Fowler House. They had taken their children to Brigus for a picnic and, as they drove around afterwards, they spotted the yellow, three-storied structure and its “For Sale” sign. Stephen immediately called a realtor.
“We just knew we wanted to make it work somehow,” said Burfitt. “We just fell in love with the charm of the house. Kind of a love at first sight type of thing.”
The couple realized it was a fixer-upper when they purchased it in 2017. The realtor informed them that some funding would be available from Heritage NL for renovations. However, the Burfitts did not realize just how much work the building would require. By 2020, it became evident that if they did not do something with the house soon it would fall into even worse condition — they could see rot outside and near the windows. So, they put out a call for contractors, and contacted Heritage NL about funding.
Since then, the exterior renovations have been completed, and the house has been adorned with new clapboard, structural supports, insulation, and roof. Burfitt credits Brad Baldwin and his crew from BBMJ Contracting for the work. The house’s windows have also been evaluated, restored, or replaced where necessary by Neil Hammond of Hammond Woodworking. The wiring and the plumbing inside the house still needs to be updated. Though he works full-time with Konigsberg Maritime, repairing and maintaining electronics on supply vessels and shuttle tankers, Burfitt hopes to complete the bulk of the interior renovations himself.
A friend of the couple suggested they make social media accounts for the house and its renovations to garner community interest. The Burfitts did just that, making Facebook and Instagram accounts under the name “Brigus – Twine Loft House”. The couple is considering turning the home into an Airbnb to recoup the costs of the renovations, a plan which could also benefit from a catchier title.
While the Burfitts were aware Fowler House was a heritage home when they bought it, they did not know many details about its history. Since then, they have learned a lot about the house from others, many of whom they connected with thanks to social media.
The Fowler House was built around 1850 by William Green for the Garland family. It seems that Mr. Garland was a mariner. The house is one of few in Newfoundland that still has its original roller, a device for pulling up fishing nets to be mended. Mending took place in the house’s twine loft, which inspired the name given to the building by the Burfitts. Ms. Garland was a milliner who ran a hat shop in the building. Hats would be displayed behind the main front window. This shop became the setting of a Brigus ghost story. Ms. Garland would come down every morning to find that her displayed hats had been knocked over during the night. For decades, it was rumoured to be the work of an apparently hat-hating spectre. However, it was eventually revealed to be the mischief of children, who had discovered a small hole in the window and knocked the hats over with wire from the outside.
After the Garlands, the house had various owners, including the Fowler family for whom it came to be named. According to a timeline compiled by Megan Webb, the house was owned and lived in by members of the Fowler family from the 1920s until the mid-1990s.
Of the original house, the upstairs floorboards and twine loft remain. The house’s unique location is also worth noting: it is built into a cliff, and each of the three floors has a door on ground level. Burfitt said his family cannot wait to go back to the house, and that their kids love it there. He joked that, even if the house were not ready to be lived in, they would camp in it just to go back. He hopes that by this coming fall the house will have water, heating, and insulation. Ideally, he and Stacey would like to retire there someday.
The Burfitts did not know they had been nominated for a Southcott Award until they were informed they had won. There were four categories, with the Burfitts winning for Heritage Restoration. While they could not accept the award in person, they sent an acceptance speech to be read on their behalf. In it, they thanked Baldwin and his team, as well as Hammond. They also thanked Rex Passion for his knowledge of wooden windows and connecting them with Hammond, and Dale Jarvis and those at Heritage NL for their contributions to the restoration. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without you,” the Burfitts wrote, “and we promise to maintain this home for as long as we can, continuing our commitment to preserving some of Newfoundland and Labrador’s history.”

The post CBS couple awarded for restoration of Brigus heritage home appeared first on The Shoreline News.

It’s almost Easter! Many of us have fond childhood memories that well up at this time of year. But things might be different in the here and now. Maybe you feel pressure about the prospect of providing special foods and treats for your family.

Springtime can feel like life is being renewed once again. But that renewal doesn’t lessen the household needs like paying bills and buying groceries. Is your supply of funds smaller than the demands you’re facing?

The Kingsville Community Food Bank is standing by to assist those whose wallets and pantries need some help. We appreciate the dedication of the Food Bank volunteers, and we are thankful for those in our community who choose to give so generously.

Here’s a list of items that the Food Bank is looking for in April:

They also welcome gift cards for groceries, products for babies, pet supplies including dog and cat food, laundry and dish detergents, toilet paper, paper towels, and more. Cardboard boxes and cloth bags are always welcome. If you can help, the Food Bank thanks you for your generosity.

The Food Bank is located at 18 Division Street North in Kingsville across the street from RBC Bank. You can also use their drop-off bin inside Zehrs, shown in the picture below.

Check out their Facebook page to learn more.

Hours and Contact Information:

Tuesdays
9 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Wednesdays
4 p.m. – 7 p.m. 
Thursdays
9 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Services: Curbside pickup

Phone: (519) 733-8591
Email: [email protected]

Top image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Food Bank list and bin images from Debby Jarvis-Chausse

The post April 2025 Kingsville Community Food Bank’s Needs appeared first on Kingsville Times.

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Harbour Grace council is supporting more training opportunities for volunteer firefighters in the town and again promoting the annual breakfast fundraiser on behalf of the Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade.
The Town has received a number of pieces of correspondence related to training opportunities for firefighters, including one from Fire Commissioner Robert Fowler who advised council of a free online Alternative Fuel Training program.
The Provincial Fire Services Division also advised council of the Fire and Emergency Services Training School taking place in Gander from May 24 to 30.
Councillor Brendan Chafe, council’s fire department liaison, recommended the items to Town Manager Amy Dwyer, who in turn passed them on to Fire Chief Dave Earle.
Chafe also provided council with his regular fire department liaison report. The brigade will be having its annual steak and eggs breakfast fundraiser on March 15. Tickets for the event cost $20, with proceeds going to the fire department. There were tickets remaining at the time of the council meeting, though it was believed they were selling quickly.
“I will say to the public that it is an amazing steak and eggs breakfast,” said Chafe. “It’s not a little steak. It’s a steak.”
He noted that, given the current cost of steak, the ticket price for both steak and eggs is pretty good and recommended that anyone interested to buy a ticket and give it a try.
“It’s a good fundraiser to support our brigade,” said Chafe, adding that tickets were being sold by brigade members.
Chafe also offered citizens a friendly reminder on behalf of Chief Earle. “If you’re looking for information about the brigade or upcoming events, call 596-5151,” Chafe said. “This is not the emergency line. If there’s an emergency, call 911. Please don’t call 911 for information on our brigade, because it seems like there might be a little bit of miscommunication there on what numbers to use.”
Chafe also asked those trying to reach the department to be patient. “Leave a message and somebody will get back to you,” he said.

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By Mark Squibb

Two water and sewer projects approved by the Town of Paradise have come in under budget, although the Town will not reap any particular benefit as the projects had been funded by the provincial government.
Council approved installation of 100 metres of both water and sewer main, connections to two properties, hydrants, culverts, upgraded ditching, new asphalt, and the addition of a new turning circle along Bay View Heights, and installation of 500 metres of watermain, 300 metres of sewer main, connections to three properties, new hydrants, culverts, upgraded ditches, and a new asphalt and turning circle along Drovers Road.
Five companies bids on the Bay View Heights job. Mercer’s Paving submitted the lowest bid, $395,178, plus HST. The project is cost shared with the provincial government to the tune of $529,564, plus HST. The engineering contract is valued at $76,588, and for a total cost of $471,766, plus HST, leaving a surplus of $57,797.
Meanwhile, the Town received six bids for the work along Dover’s Road. Precision Excavation submitted the lowest tender price of $1.1 million, plus HST. The project is cost shared to the tune of $1.5 million. Engineering costs are valued at $126,945, plus HST, and construction costs are $1.1 million, for a total of $1.2 million, plus HST.
Councillor Glen Carew said he was happy to see two more streets on the Town’s priority list in the queue to receive services. He added that seeing both projects had come in underbudget, he had spoken with Town staff regarding whether the extra money could be shifted to other, similar projects.
The answer, said Carew, is that the Town could apply to the province to have the funds reallocated, but that such requests are not always successful.
Councillor Deborah Quilty also applauded the motion.
“It’s been a long time coming, but I’m glad to see we’re getting to the very end of that priority list that we set many years ago,” said Quilty.

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