Lawyers argued Monday how much time Matthew Power should spend behind bars after the former figure skating coach was found guilty of sexual offences agains two girls when they were teenagers. The Crown is asking for seven years while the defence is proposing four years. NTV’s Marykate O’Neill reports.

It’s been more than a week since the cargo ship MSC Baltic III ran aground near Lark Harbour. Salvage crews are still on site, trying to organize the mammoth task of removing the vessel from the shoreline. NTV’s Don Bradshaw reports.

Sofia Dubyk never planned to come to Canada. She moved to St. John’s in October 2022, eight months into Russia’s invasion of her home country, Ukraine. Dubyk said she lost friends during the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and, for her, this year marks not only three, but 11 years of war.

The Crown is seeking seven years in federal prison for a former figure skating coach who sexually assaulted two of his students.

Thirty-year-old Matthew Power was convicted in November of eight charges, including sexual assault, child luring, sexual interference and making porn available to children.

He was in his early 20s while the girls were 14 to 16 years old when he abused them as their coach in the C.B.S. area between 2016 and 2020.

It started on Snapchat, and led to sex at Power’s house, in his car, at a cabin, and in a storage room at the rink.

Crown prosecutor Nicole Hurley argued he should receive seven years in total while defence lawyer Rosellen Sullivan countered with four-and-a-half years at the most.

Sullivan and Crown prosecutor Nicole Hurley. (VOCM News)

That’ll be minus the time he’s been in custody since he was found guilty in late November.

Power will be sentenced by Justice Valerie Marshall for each of the eight counts, but his total prison term will hinge on which ones run concurrent versus consecutive, or one after the other.

A mother of one girl, and one of the victims, both broke down while reading their victim impact statements in court, by video, today.

The girl said she would get sick in her car before going into the rink, and have nightmares about Power’s dark, bearded face.

Said the mother: “I had to watch my child not want to live anymore. I can’t forgive myself for trusting him.”

Power is scheduled to be sentenced in just over a month, on April Fool’s Day.

Supreme Court Justice Valerie Marshall. (VOCM News)

Two of the people affected by Matthew Power's sexual abuse told the court on Monday that their lives have been devastated by his actions.

The latest in a string of funding announcements made by Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial government since January took place at a construction site in Clarke's Beach on Monday. A $44-million commitment was made between the provincial and federal government's to help build over 280 new homes in the province. 

Grammy-winning soul and R&B singer Roberta Flack has passed away at the age of 88.

Flack was in high rotation on radio in the late 60s and early 70s with hits like The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Killing Me Softly with His Song.

With an intimate style and a voice that could fill a room, gained widespread popularity relatively late in life when Clint Eastwood used The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face in his thriller “Play Misty for Me.”

Flack was also a civil rights activist, gaining friends in the movement including the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Angela Davis.

Flack was diagnosed with ALS in late 2022.

A 38-year-old man has been arrested and charged after a Stephenville homeowner was reportedly robbed at knife-point.

RCMP were called shortly after 5:00 Friday afternoon after a suspect, armed with a knife, confronted a homeowner, demanding cash.

RCMP forced their way into the home in question when they got no response and found Thomas Keeping inside. He’s been charged with robbery, uttering threats and failure to comply with a probation order.

He was held in custody over the weekend, pending a court appearance today.

The provincial and federal governments are contributing more than $44 million for the construction of 280 homes in the province.

MP Ken McDonald and Minister Responsible for Women and Gender Equality Pam Parsons made the announcement this morning on Dawe’s Avenue in Clarke’s Beach, where six affordable rental units are scheduled to be built with the help of $300,000 from the Affordable Housing Fund.

The 280 new units will be spread among 26 projects across the province.

Following a report of a residential robbery in Stephenville, 38-year-old Thomas Keeping was arrested by Bay St. George RCMP on February 21.

Shortly after 5:00 p.m. on Friday, police responded to the report and attended the Stephenville home. Prior to police arrival, Keeping, who was allegedly armed with a knife, robbed the home owner of a sum of money. Officers arrived at the scene and with no response at the residence, police forced entry into the home.  Keeping was located inside the residence and was subsequently arrested.

Keeping is charged with the following criminal offences:

• Robbery
• Uttering Threats
• Failure to Comply with Probation Order

He was remanded into custody over the weekend and appears in court today.

The investigation is continuing.

Two people were taken to hospital – one of whom was airlifted to hospital in Quebec with serious injuries – as the result of a two-vehicle collision on the Trans-Labrador Highway on Saturday morning near the Bloom Lake tracks.

RNC say the two vehicles collided head-on and one of the drivers, a 60-year-old woman from Quebec, was airlifted to hospital.

The highway from Labrador City to the Quebec border was held for an extended period for collision analysts, but is now fully accessible to traffic.

Any witnesses or anyone with possible video footage from the area between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on Saturday is asked to contact RNC investigators.

RCMP are investigating a frightening armed robbery at McNally’s in Happy Valley-Goose Bay on Friday.

RCMP say two people – one of whom was carrying a shotgun – entered the bar with their faces covered.

Bar patrons were ordered to look away, while the suspects took money from the cash and alcohol from the bar.

The culprits then left the building. There were no injuries.

Photo via RCMP

Both suspects were wearing dark clothing at the time.

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

Happy Valley-Goose Bay RCMP is investigating an armed robbery that occurred in the evening of Feb. 21 at McNally’s Billiards on Burnwood Drive.

Just before midnight on Friday, two people wearing facial coverings entered McNally’s Bar; one carrying a shotgun. Patrons in the bar were directed to look away while the suspects took money from the cash register and alcohol from the bar. The culprits then left the building. Nobody was injured during the robbery.  

Both suspects were wearing dark clothing. The investigation is continuing.

RCMP say the injuries suffered by a snowmobiler who reportedly fell from his machine while crossing a pond on Friday do not appear to be consistent with the fall.

RCMP say two snowmobilers were travelling across Gravel’s Pond near Port au Port together, when one of the men reportedly fell from his machine. The other snowmobiler checked on the other operator and discovered that he was seriously hurt.

The injured snowmobiler was taken to hospital for urgent medical attention and remains in hospital.

Family members say the man has had surgery to remove metal fragments from his head, with more medical intervention expected.

Police say the injuries suffered are not consistent with a fall, and the cause of the injury is under investigation by Major Crimes.

RCMP are asking the public for any possible surveillance images between Gravel’s Pond and the Main Road in Port au Port between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 21st.

The RNC is investigating a head-on collision in Labrador West.

At approximately 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, police responded to the area of the Trans-Labrador Highway, west of Labrador City near the Bloom Lake tracks. Responding officers located two vehicles that had been involved in a head-on collision. The operators of both vehicles were transported to hospital for treatment of injuries. The collision scene was held for further investigation by RNC collision analysts.

Due to the extent of injuries, the operator of one of the vehicles involved, a 60-year-old female from Quebec, was later airlifted to a hospital in Quebec. The Trans-Labrador Highway from Labrador City to Quebec is now fully accessible to traffic.

The RNC is seeking any witnesses or video footage (CCTV, dash-camera, cell phone) from the area between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Saturday. Anyone with information to assist the investigation to contact the Labrador West RNC at 709-944-7602.

Uncertainty and destabilization are two words used by political scientists in St. John’s to describe the Canada-U.S. relations right now. The Signal’s Adam Walsh and his guests discuss the consequences of a Donald Trump presidency and what it means for Canadians.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada, as home to the second largest population of Ukrainians outside of Ukraine, will continue to support the country and will adhere to the rules, values and principles protecting the sovereignty of all countries around the world.

Trudeau is in Ukraine as leader of the G7 on the 3rd anniversary of Russia’s invasion. He told a summit of EU leaders in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv that peace and security remain Canada’s main goal and acknowledged that Canada and all countries need to do more.

“With the world changing, we’re all going to have to do more,” Trudeau told EU leaders.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he appreciates Canada’s support since the very first days of the war.

Zelenskyy says Canada helped Ukraine in the very early days with drone technology, and they simply weren’t able to get anywhere else at the time.

Some parents are crying foul over changes made to the structure of the provincial girl’s U13 AAA program – collapsing two teams in the eastern region into one.

Parents have been reaching out to VOCM News to express their dismay over what they call a “flawed administrative process” that is “unfair and inequitable.”

The U13 AAA Puffins won gold at the Sweetheart Tournament in PEI last week – believed to be the first AAA female hockey team to win gold for Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Atlantics are being hosted in NL but this year, Hockey NL decided to introduce a pilot project whereby the two teams in Eastern be collapsed into a single team, to align with the team structure in other regions of the province. That means the Puffins can only play AAA, while other teams can play AAA and club hockey as well.

Photo via X

That means many Puffins players would be ending their season in February. One parent told VOCM Open Line he thinks it’s unfair that the pilot is affecting U13 AAA girls in the Eastern region.

“Nothing was touched with U15, U18, these girls were still having their weekend tournaments across the province, and they’re playing boys, but for whatever reason, for them to change the U13 program in the year that Newfoundland actually gets to host the Atlantics, just seems a bit off there. And to make two teams and to have some girls come February, when the season’s not over…I mean the season’s just over for them, it doesn’t make sense.”

Police are investigating after an incident left a man with serious injuries in Port au Port on Friday.

Bay St. George RCMP responded around 4:30 p.m. to the report of an injured snowmobiler on Gravel’s Pond in Port au Port. Two snowmobilers were traveling across the pond together. One snowmobile came to a stop on the pond and the operator fell off the machine. The other snowmobiler checked on the operator and found that he had sustained serious injuries. The man was taken to the hospital for urgent medical attention. He remains in hospital at this time.

At this point in the investigation, the injuries sustained to the snowmobiler do not appear to be consistent with the fall. The cause of the injury remains under investigation. 

Police ask the public to check for all available surveillance footage, including dash cam footage, in the area of Gravel’s Pond and the Main Road in Port au Port between 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21. 

Anyone having any information about this incident is asked to contact RCMP MCU West by contacting Bay St. George detachment at 709-643-2118.

Residents across Newfoundland and Labrador are looking at a fall election at the municipal level, and St. John's Mayor Danny Breen says his city is making some tweaks they hope will boost voter turnout. 

Life Goes On is the theme of a special event this evening in St. John’s to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

This evening’s event at the Convention Centre in St. John’s will open with an exhibition of work by photographer Oleksandr Naselenko. The heroine of the photo essay, “Adamivna,” is the head of the village of Partizanske, and it tells the story of the war in Ukraine through the tragic events surrounding one person.

Executive Director of the Ukrainian National Avalon Branch, Bruce Lilly, says they’ll also be screening a preview of Brian O’Dea’s new documentary on the resilience of Ukrainian women and amputees.

“There’s a focus on women and there’s a focus on amputees as well, which they call ‘superhuman.’ There’s a Superhuman centre in Ukraine that is doing work in the middle of the war,” an element that is also highlighted in the film.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Ukraine as the leader of the G7 to discuss ongoing developments and dramatic shifts in international policy. Lilly says the Ukrainian community has long been appreciative of Canada’s support.

Photo via CPAC

“Canada has always been a very strong supporter of Ukraine and Ukrainians. Obviously, Ukrainians have been coming here for more than a hundred years, they’ve helped shape the fabric of Canada,” says Lilly, “and this weekend there were over 50 peaceful demonstrations across the country” commemorating the 3rd anniversary of the Russian invasion. “I think that there’s no misapprehension or misunderstanding about where Canada stands with Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian National Avalon Branch is hosting this evening’s event, and they are inviting anyone who wishes to join them to come out.

The event gets underway this evening at 7:00 at the St. John’s Convention Centre.

Choices for Youth says there aren't enough housing options for young people in St. John's, with 200 on a waitlist for homes. The organization raised $80,200 at its Coldest Night Of The Year fundraiser on Saturday, but says sustainable funds are needed to keep programs running.

For the first time in its history, Newfoundland and Labrador will have someone on the stage in Mexico representing Team Canada at the Junior Pan American Games for Taekwondo.

Kaiden Crocker represented team Newfoundland and Labrador at the national championships in Montreal earlier this month and has been gearing up to head to Mexico in April.

Photo submitted

Coach and Dad Ian Crocker says they’ve had to train harder than other parts of the country due to the lack of competition in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“The gap comes in experience and if you’re from a place where you get a lot of matches and you’re fighting every weekend and you fight 15 matches in a year and then we’re here in Newfoundland and it’s hard for us to get five, well they’re going to have an advantage in that part, in the experience part, the actual fighting in the ring bit, which is why we travel.”

Quadrangle has received funding through the federal government and the 2SLGBTQIA+ Chamber of Commerce to introduce an Entrepreneurship Training Program.

As a result, Quadrangle is hiring two new positions: an entrepreneurship navigator and an entrepreneurship mapping officer.

That will allow them to support the business goals and aspirations of the local 2SLGBTQI+ community “for years to come.”

Federal Minister Rechie Valdez, speaking on the Tim Powers Show on VOCM, says an economy which leaves people behind is not a strong economy.

She says the $250,000 grant will help entrepreneurs on the ground who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ access skills training and networking opportunities.

There has been a major upset today in Atlantic University Sport volleyball. Memorial University Sea-Hawks upset top-ranked Dalhousie Tigers in league semifinal play Sunday afternoon, winning in four sets

Memorial, which finished 10 and 10 during the regular season, won the best of three semifinal two games to one (26-24, 20-25, 25-22, 25-14).

The Tigers were the top team in the AUS during the regular season with a 16-4 record. Dalhousie, of course, are an Atlantic powerhouse with eight titles in the past 10 years, and projected by many to contend again in 2025.

It has been a Cinderella season for the Sea-Hawks who made it to the playoffs for the first time in several years. In fact, MUN went 0-20 last year and have emerged the AUS’ biggest surprise this season.

Memorial now advances to the Atlantic final next weekend against either St. Mary’s or UNB. That best-of-three series is tied at 1-1 with the deciding game set for tonight.

A local music teacher says he’s excited and overwhelmed to have been nominated for a Juno Award.

Robert Colbourne of Holy Heart of Mary in St. John’s is nominated as MusicCount’s Teacher of the Year and will attend the March 30th Juno Awards in Vancouver.

Colbourne says he’s so used to promoting the achievements of his students, that having the attention turned on him is something he’s having trouble getting used to.

Colbourne jokes that winning a Juno would be a great honour, but his main goal is to meet his hero, Michael Buble.

“I have to say, I’m really looking forward to going. Michael Buble is hosting and I’m a huge fan, so I’m hoping to get a picture with Michael Buble so that we can display it either at home, or at Holy Heart.”

The Kittiwake Joint Council in Bonavista North is in the process of developing what it calls a “complex” but “rewarding” tourism and recreation project in Bonavista North.

The project would involve the construction of what’s being called a state-of-the-art series of coastal hiking and walking trails spanning approximately 100 km of coastline from Gambo to Indian Bay.

To get the project going, the Joint Council is reaching out to like-minded individuals interested in getting involved.

The committee would be tasked with developing a plan in accordance with a Trail Development Checklist.

That would include finding funding sources and engaging with professional trail designers.

The joint council expects that because of the size and scale of the project, it will be undertaken in phases. They’re asking anyone interested, whether young or old or athletic or not, to contact the town council offices in Gambo, Hare Bay, Dover, Centreville-Wareham-Trinity, and Indian Bay.

At 10:15 a.m. the RNC responded to the downtown area of St. John’s to a report of a man being verbally aggressive to people in the area.

As a result of the investigation, officers determined that the 44-year-old male had threatened and assaulted another person and caused property damage at a business.

He was arrested and held for court. He was charged with assault, uttering threats, causing a disturbance, and breaches of court orders.

The Department of Digital Government and Service NL says it has not received any direct complaints concerning a company conducting business door-to-door, which has been the subject of some recent discussion on social media.

The department confirms that a direct seller’s licence was issued to Newfoundland Water Solutions, which is under the sole directorship of Chris Christodoulou, in August of 2024.

As of last week, the department had not received any complaints from customers/consumers related to that business.

That’s despite widespread concerns and questions raised on social media about the company and its practices. The department says consumers who feel that a company is conducting business in an unfair or unconscionable manner are encouraged to contact the Consumer and Financial Services Division to discuss their issue and, if appropriate, file a complaint.

Complaints can only be filed by a consumer who has, or has had, a business relationship with the company. Complaints are not investigated based on a report from a third party.

When doing business with a company, consumers should ask to see the salesperson’s company-issued ID and seller’s licence or registration. Don’t be pressured into buying anything, and watch for warning signs that include an offer of a free gift if you buy a product, an offer that is only good that day, or a claim that a neighbour just made a purchase.

Get information and then call or visit local stores to compare prices, as some door-to-door products may be overpriced; never leave a salesperson unattended in your home, and if you feel threatened or intimidated, ask the person to leave. If you are suspicious, immediately report the incident to the police.

With crunchy snow underfoot, Mount Pearl is going to resume its Safe Seniors Walks.

Starting Tuesday, municipal enforcement officers will guide two weekly walks at St. David’s Park where the walkways and paths are cleared and salted. The city says the winter maintenance will mitigate the risk of a slip or fall.

Despite the name, families and community members of all ages can join in.

Applications are now open for eligible non-profit and private sector employers for the 2025 Summer Employment Program for Students.

The program provides up to $4,032 in funding per full-time equivalent position for private sector businesses and up to $7,800 for non-profit organizations and municipalities to create summer employment opportunities for students.

The Summer Employment Program for Students will see students across the province secure employment to help prepare them to enter the workforce and assist businesses to operate more affordably. 

Applications close on Thursday, March 20.

This morning at 11:00 a.m. Minister of Housing and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions John Abbott and MP Ken McDonald will make a housing announcement in Clarke’s Beach.

The event will take place at 17 Dawe’s Avenue.

They will be joined by Minister Responsible for Women and Gender Equality and MHA for Harbour Grace-Port de Grave Pam Parsons for the announcement.

Saturday night was the coldest night of the year—figuratively.

Almost 300 residents bundled up for the annual Coldest Night of the Year Fundraiser, in support of Choices for Youth.

The 2.5 km trek in downtown St. John’s joined similar efforts held across Canada.

Katie Keats with Choices for Youth says they surpassed their goal of $60,000—raising over $75,000 and counting.

Donations are being accepted online until March 31st.

Roads are partly snow-covered across the Avalon and central. On the west coast, roads are snow-covered with slushy sections.

In Labrador, roads are partly snow-covered with icy patches.

The North Sydney to Port aux Basques crossing on Marine Atlantic scheduled for 11:45 has been rescheduled to 12:30 p.m. Crossings for tonight are cancelled and crossings on Tuesday could be impacted.

The MV Astron W is in service on a load and go basis. The MV Flanders is also on a load and go schedule. The MV Sound of Islay is out of service and the MV Qajaq W is out of service.

At the St. John’s International Airport, WestJet Flight 1049 and Air Canada Flight 693 are delayed. At the Deer Lake Regional Airport, Provincial Airlines Flight 902 is delayed. Flights in Gander are on time.

A new Narrative Research survey shows that the majority of Atlantic Canadians asked say they’re supporting Canadian producers in light of tariff threats from the United States—and the greatest support for shopping local is in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The poll, conducted between February 10-19, shows that of Atlantic Canadians asked, 85 per cent say they are spending more time shopping to find out which products are ‘made in Canada’ before purchasing.

Seventy-five per cent say they are more likely to buy Canadian goods given threatened U.S. tariffs, and 70 per cent say they will no longer buy a favourite product because it is made in the United States.

Narrative Research CEO Margaret Brigley says overall, Canadians appear to be largely unified on the issue.

“We do research on all sorts of topics and you very rarely see people unified on anything,” said Brigley. She says Canadians seem to have come together on the issue. She cites as an example; “over 90 per cent of people said they’re really in support of removing interprovincial trade barriers.”

Saturday night was the coldest night of the year—figuratively.

Almost 300 residents bundled up for the annual Coldest Night of the Year Fundraiser, in support of Choices for Youth.

The 2.5 km trek in downtown St. John’s joined similar efforts held across Canada.

Katie Keats with Choices for Youth says they surpassed their goal of $60,000—raising over $75,000 and counting.

Donations are being accepted online until March 31st.

An aggressive man was busy causing a world of trouble in downtown St. John’s yesterday morning.

RNC were called around 10:15 a.m. to reports of a man being verbally aggressive to those in the area.

Not only that, police found he had also threatened and assaulted someone, as well as caused damage to a nearby business.

The 44-year-old was arrested and charged with assault, uttering threats, causing a disturbance, and breaches of court orders.

He was held for court.

The Corner Brook Winter Carnival kicked off on Friday and today is day four.

Today is a civic holiday in the city.

There are several events taking place today including the Family Fun Day in the Park from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Margaret Bowater Park.

City Hall and City Administrative Offices along with most businesses are closed today and there will be no curbside green bin, recycling, or garbage collection.

The annual event, now in its 52nd year runs until March 2.

Among the concerns surrounding proposed changes to the province’s junior high curriculum was the space needed to accommodate the changes.

The department of education was hoping to implement the changes in some schools as early as this fall, but those plans are temporarily paused as they collect more feedback from the public and educators.

The revised curriculum had already received pushback from educators and post-secondary professors who are urging more time to get it right.

Minister Krista Lynn Howell says they were hoping to introduce the changes sooner rather than later to look at the logistics involved and the classroom space needed for a modular approach to learning in grades 7 to 9.

“We have to give administrators time to figure out what their space requirements would be.”

A woman has been charged after punching a correctional officer in the face at the city lockup.

Police were called to the assault just before 2:30 yesterday afternoon.

The 31-year-old was charged for assaulting a peace officer and breaches of court orders.

A woman who was brutally raped by Sofyan Boalag when she was 15 says he deserves no compensation after he was violently attacked at a federal prison.

It is possible to find success in the multi-level marketing world. But sometimes, business can come to a screeching halt. That’s what happened to Amanda Kirby and every other Epicure ambassador in Canada.

It has been a gruelling year for St. John’s City Councillor Debbie Hanlon, who is battling cancer. But she will soon be getting a special day in her honour. As NTV’s Rosie Mullaley reports, “Deb’s Day” on March 8 already has Hanlon smiling.