Heavy weather has descended on parts of the province on perhaps the worst weekend of the year in the hustle and bustle of the final weekend before Christmas.

Storm warnings are out for parts of central Newfoundland, the west coast, the northern peninsula and southern Labrador, with varying amounts of snow and high winds making travel difficult. In the east and the south, the system dumps rain – up to 50mm in the south and 30mm in the Avalon.

Photo via NL 511

Tractor trailers are being advised by highways not to attempt the Wreckhouse. Some of the runs on the interprovincial ferry system are sitting this one out, including the two boats serving Bell Island. Marine Atlantic crossings have also been disrupted.

#NLTraffic #HWY1TranscanadaHighway Steady Brook to Corner Brook
Status: Travel Not Recommended – Icy Patches, Drifting Snow

— NL511updates (@nl511updates) December 21, 2024

Canada Post says it’ll be working through the weekend to get holiday deliveries out before 25th.

The Crown Corporation started delivering mail earlier this week, after a significant backlog caused by a strike that lasted over a month. The service will start accepting new international mail on Dec. 23.

They expect delays in rural areas into 2025.

They say all parcels that were held up over the course of the strike will be delivered before Christmas.

The Department of Education has released a new NLSchools Responsible Student Use of Personal Electronic Devices Policy. The policy will come into effect when students return from holiday break on January 6.

Under the policy, students in grades K-6 are encouraged not to bring personal electronic devices to school and will not have access to devices during school hours.

Students in Grade 7 to Level 4 who bring a personal electronic device to school must switch it off and store it out of sight during instructional hours. Students can access their devices during recess and lunch breaks.

There will be individual exemptions to the policy for medical and educational reasons. The department provided consultation options before implementing the policy. There was engagement and feedback from over 13,000 participants, of which over 40 per cent were students, as well as the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association and other educational partners.

All occupants, including the family cat, are safe after a stubborn fire in Mount Pearl late last night heavily damaged a home.

St. John’s Regional rushed to the scene just after 11:00, but Platoon Chief Derek Hunt said that the heavy smoke in the area made it difficult to locate the exact house. It was number 113 near Blossom Avenue.

There was heavy smoke and fire coming from the front of the house in the basement window and going up the eave of the house. Platoon Chief Hunt says they quickly laid down attack lines to get the upper hand.

He says four people were in the house at the time.

The RNC are investigating the cause.

A man who was stopped by police on Major’s Path just before the lunch hour yesterday proved to be a handful.

The 42-year-old became irate and got out of the vehicle, refusing to comply with RNC officers. Police first arrested him for obstruction of justice, then charged him with drunk driving after he refused to provide a breath sample.

The man had virtually no credentials to legally be behind the wheel.

An RNC officer who was going about their business doing an investigation at an Eastern Health facility in St. John’s last night was suddenly attacked – unprovoked – by a person unrelated to the investigation.

The RNC officer defended himself and was able to arrest the 23-year-old man for assaulting a peace officer.

The suspect remains in custody.

RCMP have issued an arrest warrant for a Labrador man wanted on a number of serious charges including sexual assault.

RCMP in Nain believe that 37-year-old Sonny Merkuratsuk is actively evading their attempts to locate him.

Merkuratsuk is wanted on charges of sexual assault, break and enter, uttering threats and failing to comply with a release order.

RCMP are asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact them or Crime Stoppers.

Police need help in locating a man who pointed a gun in the Gander Mall last night.

The incident happened at about 7:00, but there were no injuries. The person in question is about 5′ 11″ tall, has a moustache and was wearing black clothing at the time.

There currently is no public safety threat.

Dozens of abuse victims who had their claims for compensation rejected earlier this year have won a victory in their ongoing legal battle against a Roman Catholic archdiocese in St. John's.

When Santa Claus visited the Inuit communities of Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik and Rigolet last week, Labrador Morning host Rhivu Rashid was along for the ride.

A fire in Mount Pearl late Friday night has caused extensive damage to a home and displaced four people.

Firefighters were called to the home on Smallwood Drive at about 11:15 p.m.. When crews arrived there was heavy fire and thick smoke coming from the home. Firefighters were able to put out most of the flames in quick order, however crews were on the scene for well over an hour ensuring no hot spots remained. Initial reports from the scene suggest the blaze may have started in the basement of the home.

Derek Hunt, Platoon Chief with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department (SJRFD) said that all four people who were inside the home were able to escape unharmed. For a while a cat was unaccounted for, however firefighters located the family pet inside. The animal was brought outside where it was given oxygen before being turned over to its owner.

Smallwood Drive was closed between Jersey Avenue and Arena Road as crews worked. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A collision in downtown St. John’s early Friday evening has sent a pedestrian to hospital.

At about 5:15 p.m. emergency crews responded to a portion of Water Street, just east of Blackhead Road. Personnel arrived to find a pedestrian lying in the road, having been struck by a westbound pickup truck. The collision caused minor damage to the front of the vehicle.

Paramedics and firefighters assisted the individual to a stretcher before placing them aboard an ambulance. They were taken to hospital with injuries not believed at the time to be life-threatening.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary closed the westbound lanes of Water Street for a time as collision reconstructionists conducted an investigation into the cause of the collision.

A patient at the Waterford Hospital is facing a charge of attempted murder.

That’s after a serious incident at the hospital in St. John’s last night. NTV’s Becky Daley 

The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League is returning to St. John’s next season. The league confirmed the relocation of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan this afternoon. Here’s NTV’s Mark Dwyer.

It’s a space designed to help bring ideas to life, but Corner Brook’s centre for research and innovation is struggling to find enough of those ideas.

The building has been open for a year-and-a-half, and has been home to a number of projects, but operators say they’d like to see more people make use of the centre.

NTV’s Don Bradshaw has more.

This week, the Exploit’s Nordic ski club finalized funding to buy a new trail groomer, which is expected to make a big difference for the coming season.

NTV’s Colleen Lewis has more.

Today was the annual Christmas dinner at the gathering place where more than 400 meals were served. The dinner was sponsored and served by the staff at the Crossroads Inn and Suites for the third year in a row.

Heavenly Creatures organizers Jessica Rendell and Ivan Morgan say more people are turning to the pet food bank but they desperately need donations so they can help people who are being squeezed by the cost of living crisis.

The warmth of a hot dinner plate at the Gathering Place brings people in from the cold this Christmas season. This team of volunteers is helping make that happen.

The RCMP is investigating a recent theft of merchandise from Woodward’s C-Store in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Police are seeking assistance from the public to identify two suspects. 

Shortly after 10 p.m. on Dec. 18, a man wearing a hood over his head and a pair of sunglasses entered the Tenth Street store while a woman with her hood up held the door open. The man gathered some items from the store and ran out the open door with the woman following behind him. Efforts to locate the two were unsuccessful. The investigation is continuing.

An arrest warrant has been issued for 37-year-old Sonny Merkuratsuk who is actively evading police.

Merkuratsuk is wanted by Nain RCMP in relation to the following charges:

• Sexual Assault
• Break and enter
• Uttering threats
• Failure to comply with a release order

RCMP have arrested and charged a second person in connection with the theft of copper wire from a Newfoundland Power communications site in Old Perlican.

On Monday, 40-year-old Hope Cox of Carbonear was arrested while leaving the scene in a vehicle.

The other suspect fled the scene on foot.

Harbour Grace RCMP say 42-year-old David Joseph Traverse was arrested on Wednesday, thanks to help from the public.

Traverse is facing charges of break and enter, theft over $5,000, damage to property over $5,000, possession of break-in instruments, wearing a disguise, and failure to comply with the condition of a release order.

A woman well known in the not-for-profit sector has been charged with fraud involving a local violence prevention organization.

Forty-six-year-old Valerie Barter of Conception Bay South, is the former Executive Director of Violence Prevention Avalon East, and was recently named as the project manager for the Bell Island Support Network.

RNC say Barter is facing one count each of fraud under $5,000, uttering a forged document, and forgery.

Anyone with information is asked to contact RNC or Crime Stoppers.

The RNC is investigating allegations of fraud involving a Conception Bay South woman.

To date, 46-year-old Valerie Barter has been charged in relation to fraudulent activity involving a not-for-profit violence prevention organization. She appeared in court today on charges of:

• Fraud under $5,000;
• Uttering a forged document; and,
• Forgery.

The investigation is ongoing.

The Crown and defence agreed to combine a number of charges into one proceeding that will see St. John's man tried on 72 counts.

A new Angus Reid survey shows that all three party leaders are failing to connect with Canadians.

While Justin Trudeau deliberates on whether or not to lead his party into the next election, a new poll from Angus Reid shows that all three party leaders have some thinking to do when it comes to inspiring voters.

Trudeau’s approval rating fell over 2024 to just 28 per cent, tied for his lowest point in public opinion after nine years at the helm.

The other major party leaders are not faring much better however, with both Pierre Poilievre of the Conservatives and Jagmeet Singh of the NDP viewed in an unfavourable light by more than half of Canadians. Fewer than two in five view either of them favourably.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shuffled his cabinet in the wake of Chrystia Freeland’s bombshell resignation this week.

Freeland’s departure follows a number of other cabinet ministers who have either stepped down or signaled their intention not to run again.

A number of backbenchers are being promoted.

St. John’s East MP Joanne Thompson, whose riding is expected to be a real battleground come the next election, was sworn-in at Rideau Hall over the lunch hour, taking over the Seniors portfolio vacated by Seamus O’Regan.

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith is the next housing minister, and David McGuinty is taking over public safety. Ginette Petitpas-Taylor is the President of Treasury Board, Anita Anand is the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, while Steve MacKinnon is the new minister of Employment.

Sixteen years after the Fog Devils left St. John's, the Quebec Martimes Junior Hockey League is returning to Newfoundland and Labrador next season.

A joint force police operation involving the RNC and RCMP is currently underway in the capital city.

Four arrests have been made and a search is being conducted on a property on Salisbury Street.

It’s all in connection with an ongoing investigation into firearms and drug trafficking.

VOCM News will have further information as it becomes available.

A 30-year-old man has appeared in court on a series of charges related to an attack at the Waterford Hospital that left a fellow patient with life-threatening injuries.

Thomas Parsley appeared in court this morning on charges of attempted murder and assault with a weapon as the 66-year-old victim clings to life in hospital.

The two men were patients at the Waterford at the time of the attack last night.

Parsley has been sent back to the Waterford for a psychiatric assessment and is scheduled to return to court on Monday.

Longtime Liberal MP Churence Rogers says he won't be returning to Ottawa once his term in office ends next year. The member for Bonavista-Burin-Trinity told Radio-Canada on Friday he won't be seeking re-election and it has nothing to do with the "turmoil" within the Liberal Party.

Thirty-three-year-old Justin Joseph Melvin King of Victoria was sentenced in provincial court in Harbour Grace earlier this week for charges laid by Harbour Grace RCMP.

As part of a plea agreement, King was sentenced on Dec. 16 for a number of offences that occurred in February, 2023.  His convictions include flight from police, dangerous operation and resisting arrest. He received a nine-month Conditional Sentence Order, a 24-month Probation Order, a fine of $8930, and a driving prohibition of 75 months.

RNC Chief Pat Roche says despite increased enforcement and widespread public awareness campaigns, people are still getting behind the wheel while impaired.

Roche says despite they’re best efforts, they’re not getting everybody and that is borne out by the number of collisions involving drivers who are over the limit of alcohol or drugs.

Roche says a misconception that many have is that impaired driving typically occurs at night.

“I remember one of my first impaired drivers was at 6:00 a.m….and that’s because they had been out all night drinking, and then the next day they think they’re sober and can drive, and they cannot,” says Roche. “You get them at 11:17 in the morning, these times of day, and those are dangerous, because everyone thinks you’re safe in daytime driving, and there’s no safe time for impaired drivers.”

It’s the worst-kept secret in hockey circles.

Glenn Stanford and Brent Meade, Executive Director of St. John’s Sports and Entertainment, are set to make an announcement this afternoon at the Mary Brown’s Centre.

The pair are expected to announce the official transfer of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan to St. John’s in time for the 2025-26 hockey season.

It will mark the return of major junior hockey to the province for the first time since the Fog Devils left. It also will give the Mary Brown’s Centre an anchor hockey tenant after the Growlers folded just before the end of last season.

Today’s news conference starts at 1:30. VOCM News will be there.

It’s been local hockey’s worst kept secret for months.

Now, major junior hockey is returning to the province’s capital next season. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMHL) is expected to confirm the relocation at a press conference this afternoon in St. John’s.

The Acadie-Bathurst Titan will relocate to St. John’s for the start of the 2025-26 season. Led by veteran hockey executive Glenn Stanford, a group of local business leaders have acquired the Titan and are moving the club to the Mary Brown’s Centre for next fall. The Titan have a handful of draft picks heading into this year’s draft.

It’s not the first time the capital city has had a major junior club. The St. John’s Fog Devils were a part of the league from 2005-2008 before relocating to Montreal. Now, with the departure of the Newfoundland Growlers last season, an anchor tenant returns to Mary Brown’s Centre for 2025.

NTV is tracking the story and will have more at 5:30 and 6 p.m.

A 30-year-old man is facing a charge of attempted murder after what police are calling a "serious assault" between two patients at the Waterford Hospital in St. John's.

All eyes are on Ottawa today as the Prime Minister shuffles his cabinet in the wake of Chrystia Freeland’s bombshell resignation this week.

Freeland’s departure follows a number of other cabinet ministers who have either stepped down or signaled their intention not to run again.

A number of backbenchers could be promoted. Among the names being suggested are Nathaniel Erskine-Smith who is slated to become the next housing minister, and David McGuinty who is rumoured to be pegged for the important public safety portfolio.

What is not expected today, however, is a decision from Justin Trudeau as to whether or not he intends to heed growing calls for his resignation.

Despite the chaos and controversy of recent weeks, Trudeau maintains a stalwart group of supporters in the Liberal caucus.

The new cabinet will be sworn-in in a ceremony at Rideau Hall starting at 1:00 Newfoundland time.

Retired nurse Mary Keiley was awarded a Confederation Medal this week in recognition of her volunteering at a St. John's hospital, washing the hair for those who couldn't do it themselves.

The Member of Parliament for Bonavista-Burin-Trinity will not be on the ballot for the next federal election. In a news release today, Churence Rogers says that he has made the bittersweet decision to retire.

Rogers says, ” I remain committed to this Liberal Government, its leader – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and stand proud of all our accomplishments in the last 10 years. As your MP, I am proud of the work I’ve been able to accomplish.”

The Liberal MP was first elected in 2017, and having turned 70-years-old this year, says he plans to spend more time with family.

RCMP in Newfoundland and Labrador are warning residents of a “grandparents scam” that is currently in circulation where the scammer is representing themselves as a police officer, targeting victims to provide bail money for an arrested loved one, or money for a loved one who was in an accident.

Recently, people on the Burin Peninsula have told officers that they received a phone call from an individual who identified themselves as an RCMP officer and provided a fake name. The scammer used the legitimate names of victims’ family members and told them that the relative had been arrested and required money for bail.

In one instance, someone was contacted and informed that their child, who was residing in Alberta, was arrested and needed money for bail. In another instance, an individual was contacted by a scammer pretending to be an officer with the Marystown RCMP and advised that their child was in an accident and in need of money.

RCMP will never ask for money from the public for the purpose of bail or any other reason. RCMP NL ask the public to discuss this type of scam with elders or vulnerable people in their family or community.

The President of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association says they’re pleased to see a growing number of elected officials questioning or disputing the boundary of a proposed National Marine Protected Area off the south coast of Newfoundland.

The South Coast Fjords National Marine Conservation Area will stretch along the coastline from McCallum to La Poile.

Fish farmers believe that Ottawa and Parks Canada are being lobbied by activist groups, including the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the Ecology Action Centre.

Aquaculture President Sheldon George is concerned about the potential impact on both farmed and commercial fishing industries.

George says five other Marine Protected Areas have been established in Canada “and in all five of those areas, fishing and aquaculture has been…negatively affected.” He says they have concerns that the same thing will happen here if the Marine Protected Area for the south coast is established as is currently proposed.

Premier Andrew Furey, Minister Elvis Loveless, Mayor of Hermitage / Sandy Cove Steve Crewe, and MP Clifford Small have all spoken out against the proposal.

A 30-year-old man is in custody this morning, facing a charge of attempted murder following an incident at The Waterford Hospital in St. John’s on Thursday. A 66-year-old man suffered life threatening injuries and was transported to hospital.

The victim remains in hospital and the 30-year-old is expected to make a court appearance this morning.

Both are believed to be patients at the hospital.

NTV News is tracking the story and will have more details as they become available.

After seven years as a Liberal MP, Churence Rogers is calling it a career.

First elected in Bonavista-Burin-Trinity in 2017, Rogers says it is with “mixed emotions” that he bows out of federal politics.

He says he will stay on until the next election.

Now 70 years of age, Rogers says he remains committed to the Liberal government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader.