Michelle Lidstone learned the art of sushi and brought it to her customers in Roddickton-Bide Arm.

Stem cell researchers are trying to reverse a deadly genetic variant that's plagued families in this province for generations. Those who carry the mutation say the medical research is straight out of science fiction.

A massive wind farm proposed on the Burin Peninsula is moving on to the next steps of the environmental assessment process.

EverWind Green Fuels’ proposal is for three separate wind farms north and south of Marystown, and south of Swift Current, consisting of 1,500 turbines in total.

Now, government has approved the guidelines for the company’s environmental impact statement.

The guidelines, which can be found online, outlining what the company is required to address in the document.

March is Easter Seals Month across Newfoundland and Labrador.

The month, which recognizes and promotes the work of Easter Seals, kicked off at Government House in St. John’s on Thursday.

At the event, the organization named 14-year-old Rhea Stark as their 2025 ambassador, and recognized last year’s ambassador Andrew Woodrow by presenting him with the Fraser Edison Easter Seals Ambassador Trust Fund Scholarship.

The organization also unveiled their 2025 framed seals, and revealed a focus on accessibility in sport and recreation by aligning with the province’s Year of Sport initiative.

The official opposition wants government to make sure all costs are covered after the community of Boyd’s Cove had their artesian well damaged by the highway maintenance division a year-and-a-half ago.

Opposition leader Tony Wakeham was referencing a letter sent to government by Boyd’s Cove local service district chairperson Bruce Mercer.

The letter states that the damage happened on August 1, 2023, and since that time government has shown “little or no concern” for what happened.

He explains that the province’s insurance company offered a settlement of $10,000, which is far less than the over $18,000 it would take to fix the issue.

When Wakeham raised the issue in the House of Assembly, he referenced what the community interprets as the company’s response which as outlined in the letter, and states that the town could have a “cold plate or burger sale” to make up the difference. Wakeham asks government to pay for the repairs. Steve Crocker, acting in place of Transportation and Infrastructure minister Fred Hutton, says he will look into it.

The Registered Nurses Union says it is proud to take part in the 69th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women Forum taking place at UN Headquarters in New York March 10-21.

The RNU says this year holds special significance as they mark 100 years since women in Newfoundland and Labrador won the right to vote and hold public office.

The union says the fight for equality is far from over however, and women in nursing – one of the most female-dominated professions – continue to face systemic disparities. Among them are unpaid clinical placements and ongoing battles for fair wages and safe workplaces.

The RNU says at a time when one of the world’s most powerful nations is rolling back progress on diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging, they will not retreat.

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NL Hydro President Jennifer Williams and Hydro-Quebec CEO Michael Sabia will be in the town of Churchill Falls tomorrow to attend meetings on the Churchill Falls MOU.

There is much backroom work ongoing right now between negotiating teams and lawyers to bring the MOU past the finish line to definitive agreements.

Teams from both organizations will also tour the Churchill Falls facility and the town as part of the visit.

They will hold a virtual news conference Monday afternoon. VOCM News will be on the call.

Canadians will find out tonight who the next Prime Minister will be.

The race was initiated in early January with Justin Trudeau, who had doing poorly in the polls and facing criticism of his leadership for some time, announcing his plans to resign once a new leader is elected.

The leadership contest is between Frank Baylis, Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, and Karina Gould.

Speaking on the Tim Powers Show on VOCM, Dalhousie University political science professor Lori Turnbull said it appears as though the leadership contest has been overshadowed by what is happening with the United States.

Despite that, no matter who wins, Turnbull underscores tonight’s result as an important shift for the Liberal party .

“They’re moving on from the leadership of Justin Trudeau,” says Turnbull, who argues that he has been a “consequential leader” for the party. She says he has been leader of the party for 12 years, and Prime Minister for 10. In that time, he took the party form third place to first place, and “made the party over in his own image.” Turnbull attests that tonight is a significant moment for the Liberals as they are “changing the channel and becoming something different.”

Historian Craig Baird says tariffs passed in 1890 backfired on Republicans.

Conception Bay South and Mount Pearl will co-host Hockey Canada's 2025 U18 National Women's Hockey Championship. The mayor of C.B.S. says it’s going to inspire a new generation of young, female hockey players in the province.

The town of Stephenville is clarifying its position on snowclearing assistance at Dymond International Airport.

The town was asked to plow the runways while parts for their equipment were ordered.

The town clarifies that they have helped the airport with snowclearing on two occasions, totaling nine-and-a-half hours, while their snowblower was temporarily out of service.

The town says no further assistance has been requested or planned at this time

The Bonavista Biennale, a celebration of art in the landscape, is set for this August to September on the Bonavista Peninsula.

Each year, artists from across the country and around the world display their work all along the peninsula, incorporating it into the landscape.

This year’s event is being curated by Dr. Heather Igloliorte, the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Decolonial and Transformational Indigenous Art Practices.

The complete list of 2025 Biennale Artists

The Women’s Institute (Port Union/Catalina/Little Catalina, NL)

Douglas Penney (English Harbour, NL)

Eastern Owl (St. John’s, NL)

Ethan Murphy (St. John’s, NL)

Daniel Rumbolt (St. John’s, NL)

Toby Rabinowitz (St. John’s, NL)

Brian Amadi (St. John’s, NL)

Melissa Tremblett (Corner Brook, NL)

Larry Weyand (Corner Brook, NL)

Michael Massie (Kippens, NL)

Nellie Winters (Makkovik, Nunatsiavut)

Sarah Baikie (Rigolet, Nunatsiavut)

Andrea Flowers (1934-2019, Hopedale, Nunatsiavut)

Clara Clayton-Gough (Halifax, NS)

Lisa Myers (Toronto, ON)

Taqralik Partridge (Toronto, ON)

Maureen Gruben (Tuktoyaktuk, NWT)

Marianne Nicolson (Langford, BC)

Haruna Sugisaki (Oiso, Japan)

Sancia Miala Shiba Nash (Honolulu, HI, USA)

Inuuteq Storch (Sisimiut, Kalaallit Nunaat / Greenland)

Da´iddada´llu (Guovdageaidnu, Sápmi / Norway)

Sa'adatu Usman has lived in five different countries and now lives in Newfoundland and Labrador. Through her new non-profit Global Citizens Inc., she is hoping to support other newcomers with what she has learned through her travels.

Daylight Saving Time begins overnight tonight.

The clocks spring ahead one hour at what would have been 2 a.m.

The provincial government says while adjusting your clocks, it is also a good idea to check the batteries in all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

Smoke alarms are required on every level of a home, including inside bedrooms.

Sewnology’s Shweta Mohan says her dresses are ethically and sustainably made. While she worked in robotics, she always loved fashion and decided to make the leap four years ago.

International Women’s Day and the Year of Sport came together this week with Mount Pearl and CBS co-hosting the U18 National Women’s Hockey Championships this November.

Trevor Murphy of Hockey Canada says it’s exciting to see such high-caliber women’s hockey coming to Newfoundland and Labrador for the first time.

“Having this opportunity to showcase these women in the province is a great opportunity, not only for the province but to inspire all the young players coming up through,” says Murphy.

The Department of Education’s Student Financial Services Division is advising the public of fraudulent emails circulating targeting student aid recipients.

Individuals have reported that they have received emails which request them to contact the “Student Loan Debt Department”. The department reminds all student loan borrowers that no such department exists in any jurisdiction in Canada, and this is an attempt to scam individuals. Recipients are advised to delete the email without responding. The department has notified the federal Canada Student Financial Assistance Program.

Individuals are reminded to be extra vigilant against email scams:

• Do not click suspicious links.
• Do not provide personal information including credit card numbers.
• Never share passwords.
• Do not respond to urgent requests from unknown sources.
• Report potential fraudulent email activity immediately.

If a student aid recipient suspects that they have received a fraudulent email or phone call, they can contact the Student Financial Services Division at 709-729-5849, toll free at 1-888-657-0800, or email [email protected].

The Association of Seafood Producers has a new board chair.

Kim Quinlan is the first woman to chair the ASP board of directors, succeeding Paul Grant in the role.

She is the VP of Marketing at Quinlan, and is a member of the Women Presidents Organization.

The association says Quinlan has “mastered the industry form the ground up,” and has been a driving force within ASP for five years.

The provincial government is working on expanding its capacity to deliver services in French, and is now making the NL Driver’s Handbook available in both official languages of Canada.

The English version of the handbook can be found here, and the French version can be accessed through this link.

The head of the NLTA says schools have become battlegrounds. Trent Langdon worries people with far-right ideologies are spreading disinformation, after protesters stormed a school in Carbonear.

The provincial government has provided an update on two separate land transactions.

A total of 64.764 acres was acquired from H3 Development for $23,274,700 million, including 10 acres of donated land, for the new acute care hospital campus slated for Kenmount Crossing in St. John’s.

An appraisal of the 10 acres of donated land was determined to have a market value of $450,000 per acre, a value that applies to the remaining 54.764 acres as well. Government purchased the remaining 54 acres for $425,000 per acre.

Kenmount Crossing was determined to be the best site for the new facility, given it is the convergence of three of the largest municipalities.

An appraisal of the land off Snow’s Lane was commissioned by the department in 2018 and determined a market value of $160,000. An adjustment of two per cent per year for the passage of time is typically applied, making the current land value approximately $176,000. The Purchase and Sale Agreement for $176,000 has been finalized, with the land transaction scheduled to close in May.

The property is deemed landlocked with no access point from Snow’s Lane, Logy Bay Road or the Outer Ring Road. An access intersection for the property from the Outer Ring Road cannot be approved as per Transportation Association of Canada guidelines and Transportation and Infrastructure’s Highway Access Policy.

It may come as a surprise to some, but NLC is seeing a steady increase in no-alcohol and low-alcohol beverage sales.

NLC released its 3rd quarter results earlier this week with beverage alcohol sales at $90.7 million, a three per cent increase over the same period one year ago.

Among the areas seeing increased growth are ready-to-drink beverages, and also low or non-alcoholic drinks.

Bruce Keating (file photo)

NLC CEO Bruce Keating says the trend is not limited to the local market.

“We’re also seeing a lot of interest when we talk to our counterparts in other jurisdictions and….we’re looking at putting plans in place to expand our offering in-store in that area as well” says Keating.

A package containing nearly $1-million with of contraband items has been intercepted at Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick, which houses some inmates from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Last Monday, after what Correctional Service Canada describes as the “vigilance of staff members,” a package containing several contraband items was seized on the perimeter of the medium security unit.

Items seized include methamphetamine, ecstasy, shatter/THC, tobacco, marijuana, nicotine patches, and cell phones. The estimated institutional value of the items is over $941,000.

Police have been notified and the institution is investigating.

Natural Resources Canada is highlighting some of its women scientists who are working within the department conducting research on this International Women’s Day.

The federal department says Anne Farineau and Rachel van Herpt traveled to the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula last summer to install a new global navigation satellite system station and were part of the first all-woman crew to set up a receiving station for satellite data in Newfoundland.

Stations, like the one installed at L’Anse aux Meadows, receive signals from satellites, and help scientists track Earth’s movements, measure tectonic shifts and monitor sea levels. The two researchers met a number of challenges along the way, including some pretty wild weather, and learning more about the history, flora and fauna of the region.

(Via Natural Resources Canada)

Two men are facing charges following separate assaults at homes in the capital city.

Police responded to the first incident just after 4:30 p.m. yesterday following reports of a domestic disturbance at a home in the east end.

As a result a 41-year-old man was charged with assault with a weapon.

Then, just before 2:00 this morning police were called to a home in the centre city area.

According to the RNC, officers were assaulted by a 37-year-old man inside the home.

He is now facing a single charge of assaulting a police officer.

Both of the accused were held for court.

A 26-year-old woman, who was already being held at the St. John’s city lockup, is in more trouble after police say she spit in a correctional officer’s face.

The incident occurred at the lockup shortly before 8:30 last night.

The woman has been charged with assault as a result.

She was held for court.

Both candidates in the race for the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party leadership – a contest that will automatically elect the province’s next premier – said this week they’ll make all their campaign donations and expenses public.

St. John’s journalist and author Rhea Rollmann has been tracing back the province’s 2SLGBTQ+ history for years. As a transgender woman, Rollmann says people have a lot to learn from gender diverse Canadians. Rollmann spoke to CBC News to mark International Women’s Day on Saturday.

After years training with the boys, Ashley Reid wanted to create a space for women and gender-diverse individuals to learn kickboxing and jiu jitsu. This International Women’s Day, she’s offering additional classes exclusively for women and girls at her martial arts school in St. John’s.

The N.L. Teachers Association is raising the alarm again about aggressive and inappropriate behaviour towards teachers. That’s after a protest about privacy concerns at a Carbonear school resulted in police being called. NTV’s Beth Penney reports.

Crews involved in the salvage ship that ran aground near the Bay of Islands last month are inching closer to starting the recovery process. Federal officials gave an update Friday on the operation. NTV’s Don Bradshaw reports.

Tariffs or no tariffs, moves by the United States have people in Canada looking at local choices when they shop. NTV’s Colleen Lewis has the story of a woman who’s made it her business to keep fashion Canada.

Yvonne Jones announced Friday she will not run for the provincial Liberal leadership. Meanwhile, retired CBC journalist Anthony Germain is running for the federal Liberal nomination in Terra Nova-The Peninsulas.

One Canadian journalist, through his video and reports was able to bring global attention to the resilience of a nation that is under attack. NTV’s Maria Kavatsiuk has a special series on his brave journey in Ukraine. 

The Big Picture

The area of low pressure bringing today’s warm temperatures and rain to the Island, a mix of rain, ice, and snow to Labrador, will continue to move through the Province overnight into Saturday. Colder air will replace the warm air overnight on the Island, changing the rain to snow for most areas by Saturday morning. While significant amounts aren’t expected, it will be enough to make travel very wintry across much of the Island, particularly central, south, and west. The Northern Peninsula will see the change to snow occur Saturday morning at some point.

Labrador will see a mix of rain, freezing rain, and snow change to snow overnight from west to east and south to north. However, for the areas in the southeast, rain will be the most prominent precipitation type overnight.

Cold air returns Saturday, which will set the stage for a return to winter Province-wide, for the winter and next week after Friday’s spring-like day for the region.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Rain will change to snow on the Island after midnight, except on the Great Northern Peninsula. The change will not occur there until Saturday morning. I am not expecting snowfall amounts to be overly significant, but wintry travel will be found over a large chunk of Newfoundland by sunrise on Saturday. Lows fall to near freezing, except will hold near 2° on the Northern Peninsula. Wind speeds in the east and south pick up and gust as high as 80 km/h

Labrador will see rain in the south and southeast continue into Saturday morning. Meanwhile, areas of the North and mid-coast will see rain showers and/or pockets of freezing drizzle overnight. Light snow will continue to fall in the west. Lows fall to near freezing in the north and west, but stay above freezing by a degree or two from Goose Bay to Rigolet, and southward to the Straits.

SATURDAY

Colder air sweeps across the Province, changing any areas of rain over to snow by mid-morning. The GNP and parts of Labrador will see periods of heavy snowfall throughout the day. The West Coast, South Coast, Burin, and Avalon Peninsulas will see areas of snow and snow squalls on Saturday. Some will be locally intense, leading to reduced visibility. Significant snowfall for these areas isn’t expected, but substantial local amounts will be found under persistent snow squalls and flurries. Highs on the Island will be near 0°, except closer to -4° near the West Coast. The GNP will start near 2° but will fall through the day. Readings in Labrador will be near -6° in the west to nearly 0° almost everywhere else.

Wind speeds will also be quite high, with gusts peaking as high as 90 km/h from the southwest for much of the island. The coast of Labrador will see southeast winds as high as 100 km/h. Wind speeds relax late Saturday night.

SATURDAY NIGHT – SNOW ON THE AVALON?

An area of low pressure will pass near, or just east of, the Avalon Peninsula Saturday night into Sunday morning. I think much of the Avalon will see 5 to 10 cm of snow between midnight Saturday and 9 AM Sunday. That said, my forecast confidence is low on this one, so be sure to check back for updates. Lows near -3° to -6° on the Island.

SUNDAY

Flurries across much of the Province. Otherwise, expect a mix of sun and clouds. Highs of -1° to -3° on the Island and -2° to -12° in Labrador. It will be the coldest in the west.

MONDAY

Scattered flurries across the Province, with the chance of light snow in southeastern Labrador and the top of the Northern Peninsula. Highs of -2° to -4° on the Island and -7° to -13° in the Big Land.

TUESDAY

Scattered flurries. Highs near -4° on the Island and -3° to -6° in Labrador.

WEDNESDAY

Chance of rain and snow over eastern Newfoundland, while southern, central, western, and the GNP and Labrador will likely see light to moderate snowfall. Highs near freezing on the Island and along the Labrador Coast. Meanwhile colder air returns to the west where highs will be near -16°.

The top executives with government-owned utilities from Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador will meet in Churchill Falls on Monday to tour the massive power station and discuss the Churchill Falls MOU.

Both the province's education minister and the teachers' union are worried about far-right ideologues targeting schools, and attacking teachers both in person and online, after a series of incidents across the province.

The outgoing premier of Newfoundland and Labrador says he's drawing on the province's history as he urges Canadians not to underestimate U.S. President Donald Trump's "imperialist" ambitions.

A former longtime journalist and broadcaster is taking a stab at federal politics.

VOCM News has confirmed that Anthony Germain, a former host on CBC TV and radio, will be seeking the Liberal nomination in the district of Terra Nova-The Peninsulas.

Germain retired from CBC last year, and has most recently been working as a teacher and senior media counsel with M5.

It’s sustainability over speed on the MSC Baltic III cargo ship salvage mission. Nearly a month since the vessel ran aground near Lark Harbour, crews are still working to remove fuel and cargo.

Shaun Majumder has always proudly wore his home of Burlington, N.L. on his sleeve, and says he's happy that he his and family are now back north of the border.

Fraudulent emails are circulating in the province targeting recipients of student aid.

The Department of Education says people have informed them that they have received emails which request them to contact the “Student Loan Debt Department.”

The department reminds all student loan borrowers that no such department exists in any jurisdiction in Canada, and that it’s an attempt to scam people.

Government advises recipients of the email not to open it but just hit the delete key.

Anyone who suspects that they have received a fraudulent email can call the Student Financial Services Division at 709-729-5849, or toll free 1-888-657-0800. or by email [email protected].

Labrador MP Yvonne Jones has ended the speculation: she will not seek the leadership of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.