2007 Year in Review

JANUARY

Workout World loses space to new tenant

After spending 20 years in the Labrador Mall, Workout World (WOW) is being forced to move.

The community-owned and operated fitness outfit was served notice to make room for another retail tenant in the mall.

Minister Hickey to step aside pending AG report

Premier Danny Williams announced that (effective immediately) MHA for Lake Melville John Hickey, will step aside from his duties as Minister of Transportation and Works and Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs, pending further information on a review currently being done by the Auditor General (AG) into constituency allowances. The Honourable Trevor Taylor will serve as acting minister.

Resuming contract talks
USW Local 5795 USW and The Iron Ore Company of Canada will meet no later than the beginning of March.

The company and union negotiating committees began collaborating for a new contract Nov. 15 (2006) with a mutual goal of having a collective agreement in place before the current contract expires the end of February.

The talks that paused for Christmas break Dec. 15 are expected to resume Jan. 15.

First baby of '07 - Jersey Lynn Cutler

Jersey Lynn Cutler, a seven-pound, seven-ounce baby girl, was born Jan. 5 at 3:15 a.m. at Captain William Jackman Memorial Hospital and soon after she was named Labrador West's first baby of 2007.

Condon Resigns

Ern Condon, who was elected to the Lab. City town council in September 2005, resigned his post Jan. 9 in a letter addressed to Mayor Graham Letto.

He stepped away from council due to his recent move to Nunavut.

"It is with a heavy heart that I write to officially tender my resignation from the Labrador City town council," he stated in the letter. "I do so in light of the fact, as per our November telephone conversation, that my wife Eileen and I have attained teaching positions in Pond Inlet, Nunavut."

Drake Community Centre in final stages of sale

The Town of Labrador City has accepted an offer on the Drake Community Centre.

The 40-year-old building was closed last year when mould and asbestos was discovered throughout the centre. Since then, the town has been asking for expressions of interest on the building to sell it on an as is where is basis.

Embattled MHA resigning mid-February, taking job in Ontario

Come Valentine's Day Randy Collins will kiss his political career goodbye.

The Labrador West NDP MHA has confirmed he will resign his seat by mid-February of this year.

Collins, who was named by the auditor general last June as one of the over-spenders in the constituency scandal, says he has decided to go back to his former position with the United Steelworkers (USW), but this time he will have to make a move to Toronto, Ontario.

Bloom Lake won't purchase Wabush Mines

As it stands, Bloom Lake developers won't be buying or entering a partnership with Wabush Mines.

Iron ore developers Consolidated Thompson will develop the Bloom Lake Deposit project, located in Quebec this summer. The deposit, located two miles past the Quebec-Labrador border, is projected to have a 40-year mining life putting out seven million tones of iron ore per year.

Consolidated Thompson entered into an exclusivity agreement with Wabush Mines Nov. 22, 2006, which expired Jan. 12.

Conciliator brought into negotiations

A conciliator on the scene of negotiations between IOC and local Steelworkers is not an indication of peril ahead, assures George Kean.

The president of Local 5795 and chief negotiator for the Steelworkers says both sides agreed to call in the provincial conciliation officer Cliff Wells as the move towards common language and monetary discussions are about to begin.

February

Auditor General reports on Lab. West Campus

Auditor General John Noseworthy released his report to the House of Assembly. The report reviewed all departments and crown agencies for the year ending 31 March 2006.

Labrador West came under the scrutinous eye of the auditor general enough so it gained a few pages of space in his 475-page document involving the lease arrangement for the College of the North Atlantic's Labrador West Campus.

Noseworthy highlighted his observation that the Labrador West campus lease payments are poorly managed. The campus is operating without a signed lease since January of 2000.

The landlord has been billing the college $50,000 plus $30,000 ($80,000) per month since 2001. Interest on $30,000 per month (that Works, Services and Transportation won't agree to pay) is also being billed to the tune of $217,000 (to Dec. 2004).

A backgrounder explained-on page 100 of the report-how the initial lease began without public tender.

Combined Councils hoping to raise profile in Labrador

Jim Farrell is once again the vice-president of Labrador West for the Combined Councils of Labrador (CCL).

The CCL held its 35th Annual Socio-Economic Conference and Annual General Meeting in Nain Jan. 25-26 and the Wabush mayor graciously accepted another term as vice-president.

Turpin takes top job at Fireman's Association

Donnette Turpin has taken over the reins of the local Fireman's Association.

The Labrador City organization held its annual general meeting Jan. 29 and Mr. Turpin's name was put forward for the position of president.

The experienced firefighter has been part of the Fireman's Association for four years and feels he was ready to take on the top job.

Passing Grades: failing Mark

Level III student to graduate

without an education

Mark Regular, an 18-year-old from Labrador City, somehow went through the school system, repeating only one grade (kindergarten) with report cards showing averages of high 60s, 70s and even 80s, yet he will leave Menihek High School illiterate.

Town amends arena smoking regulations

Smoking will no longer be tolerated at the Labrador City Arena.

Adam Smith, recreation director, explained a number of concerned members of the community have approached the town over the last few months complaining about people smoking outside the Labrador City Arena.

Under the previous policy, Mr. Smith pointed out, there was to be absolutely no smoking in the building, however, council approved the director's request to have the regulations amended.

It now states there is to be 'absolutely no smoking in building, exterior main entrance area, stairway leading to the main entrance, fire lane and any marked or unmarked public path leading to the facility.'

Battle for the ballot

Voters, who gather at the Legions in Wabush and Labrador City, will decide tonight to run either Nick McGrath or Jim Baker as their PC candidate in the upcoming by-election to fill the seat recently vacated by NDP Randy Collins.

Engineering firm searching for prime hospital location

John Hickey, Minister responsible for Labrador Affairs, and Ross Wiseman, Minister of Health and Community Services, announced Terpstra Engineering Ltd. of Happy Valley-Goose Bay will review six sites in Labrador City and Wabush for the new health facility.

Jim Farrell said he's happy to see government moving ahead on the hospital and hopes the decision will be made quickly.

First home finished in new subdivision

The first house in Wabush's new subdivision is ready for its owners. The Delaney family received the keys to their new home-the Churchill design- from NewLab Realty.

Nobel Construction is the subcontractor charged with constructing the homes in the subdivision and has five different designs near completion.

March

Resounding rejection

Steelworkers say 'nay' to IOC's final offer

What IOC labelled as its final offer didn't meet with much reception in Labrador City.

Steelworkers voted a whopping 98 per cent in favour of a strike after Local 5795 President George Kean offered the disappointing details (of the offer) to his membership.

The document came to the table in Sept-Iles, Que. and Kean said while he knew the reaction would be negative, he wasn't encouraging the membership to be hasty in their response.

Minister Burke and Failing Mark

Education boss addresses

Pathway concerns

Mark Regular's story, which ran on the front page of The Aurora Feb. 12, has gained attention province-wide including from the Minister of Education.

The 18-year-old with a learning disability will graduate in June after going through Grade 1 through 12 without repeating, yet he is unable to read or write in any functional capacity.

Finance Minister listens to Lab. West requests

Finance Minister Tom Marshall was in town Feb. 27 for pre-budget consultations and he had quite an audience.

There were representatives from both towns, the Hyron Regional Economic Development Board, the local Women's Centre, the Labrador West Association of Community Living and various other community stakeholders. Although the Chamber of Commerce was slated to give a presentation, the day proceeded without its input.

Local teen places eighth at MUN Brain Storm

Sarah Downey received the highest mark in Labrador on a multiple-choice test concerning brain functions, earning her a spot at the Memorial University Brain Storm event Feb. 17.

The young girl was one of 28 students chosen across the province to participate and it's the first time someone from Labrador attended the contest.

Premier's thoughts

Williams discusses Labrador West

On a visit to Labrador West (during the by-election) Premier Danny Williams discuss some happenings and future plans for Labrador West.

When asked what the people of Labrador Wet should expect in the next couple of years, the premier talks of what is already committed.

"The one thing is, I didn't want to come in here and be accused of making all kinds of election promises," he stressed promptly. "But there are commitments we have made over a period of time and the biggest one here is the hospital. And the second one that seems to be biggest of issues on people's minds here is the road...the [Trans Labrador] Highway. We already indicated last year that we are prepared to put $50 million into surfacing the road. The $50 million we allocated last year we couldn't use because we were waiting for the feds to step up."

Even if the feds don't step up to the plate, the premier assures the province will go ahead with the hardtop anyway. The reason the province waited until this year, he explained, was to ensure the whole thing got done.

"In fairness, because it's such a huge contribution and expense, those 50 per cent [federal] dollars are huge to us. Why start and do half when if we can get them onboard with us we can get the whole thing done? The total cost of doing all that alone by the province given what we are trying to do in other phases of Labrador is a big nut to crack."

Fire chief Stan Dumaresque says goodbye

Stanford Dumaresque left his post at the Labrador City Fire Department to chase the elusive Camaro dream. He retired from the fire service March 9 in pursuit of a less demanding career.

Baker wins byelection

Tory Jim Baker was elected to represent the people of Labrador West in a by-election on Mar. 13.

Cold front settles over IOC strike

Union, management not talking as dispute continues

The climate between the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) and its Steelworkers has grown as cold as a Labrador winter.

United Steelworkers (USW) Local 5795 and Warehouse Local 6731 have been on strike in Labrador City since March 9 and since then, neither company nor Steelworkers have traded a word.

The silence from the company is something Local 5795 president George Kean says is indicative of what his membership has been dealing with for a number of years now.

IOC comes forward on failed negotiations

"Fair and responsible" is what IOC's Dave Porter called the offer that prompted Steelworkers to go on strike March 8 in Labrador City. Steelworkers in Sept-Iles, Que. followed the same route and set up their picket line last Sunday night.

The company's vice president of Human Resources and Organizational Development called a press conference last Wednesday to offer the company's views on negotiations and the current labour dispute.

Porter maintains the offer was well in line, and very competitive, in terms of the current marketplace and in the industry. The offer, he believes, was also very much in tune with the needs of the IOC workforce.

Union offers examples of seniority injustices

When IOC says seniority is considered and respected in the workplace, the union executives say that is simply not true.

USW International Rep. Tom Harris says there are countless episodes where seniority is ignored and abused by the company and says distribution of overtime is a prime example of that.

"What happens right now is, if the foreman likes me, I can have every opportunity to work overtime," explained Harris. "But others could have more seniority than me and not get any overtime because the company doesn't follow any rules anymore when it comes to overtime."

Prior to 2004, he explained the overtime was controlled by a scheduling committee who would handle and set down rules of how overtime was distributed in a given department.

"When we came back off strike last time, the company said, 'no we are not doing that anymore, those rules are out'. So now it's all up to the team leader."

New chief has big plans for Lab. City Fire Department

There's a new face standing front and centre at the Labrador City Fire Department.

John Courtney, the new fire chief, is eager to begin his job as fire chief/safety officer.

Mr. Courtney worked with the St. John's Regional Fire Department for 29 years as a training officer/fire captain and has enjoyed the fire service immensely.

He noted the fire department has always been a family affair.

April

IOC takes a walk

Talks end in no resolve for striking Steelworkers

The exploratory talks between the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) and its unionized workers ended in disappointment for many in Labrador City. According to the union, the employer got up and walked away from the table.

IOC's President and CEO Terry Bowles commented in a press release saying the company was "surprised and disappointed" with the breakdown.

"We extended our best efforts to address the majority of the five priority issues that the United Steelworkers sent to us through the conciliators only to find that these issues increased both in number and quantum when we returned to the table," Bowles was quoted in the release. "This made a settlement of the current strike impossible."

IOC claims it tabled new proposals including an improved employee transfer process, additional monetary options and further drug coverage in addition to the offer made on March 8. The company says union negotiators discounted these moves as inadequate hence talks broke down.

Work to begin on TLH in matter of weeks

All systems are go for the Trans Labrador Highway says the province's Transportation Minister John Hickey.

The $175 million allocated for infrastructure in the federal budget, he says, definitely contains the $50 million needed to match the province's contribution to pave the TLH. Minister Hickey says he never doubted the feds would come through on the commitment he, and three Labrador mayors received, from Minister Lawrence Cannon last year in Ottawa.

Despite disparaging comments from Labrador's MP Todd Russell recently that the feds had delivered a goose egg on its commitment to the project, Hickey says the project is "definitely, definitely" on the mark for commencement in the very near future.

"I guess Todd won't believe it until he can drive over it, but he can make his trip this summer as we are widening the stretches between Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Labrador West," he said of Russell in a telephone interview with The Aurora.

"Lousy corporate citizens"

Labour boss blasts Rio Tinto

The president of the province's Federation of Labour made a special trip to Labrador West last week in support of Steelworkers on strike against the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC).

Reg Anstey, a familiar face and voice on the labour scene since the 1970s, visited the picketline and offered a motivational speech to the membership at the union centre.

The veteran advocate for labour didn't mince words when he spoke of IOC's controlling company Rio Tinto.

Nichols appointed to town manager by council

Labrador City has selected a new town manager.

At the April 11 council meeting, Mayor Graham Letto announced Joyce Nichols, town clerk, would be moving up in the ranks to take over Martin Roberts' job as town manager-effective at the next council meeting.

Election activity

Six candidates taking up

the race in Labrador West

A total of six candidates - four in Lab. City and two in Wabush - will be vying for the vacant seats on each of the town councils over the next few weeks.

Both by-elections are taking place May 1 with two seats up for grabs in Labrador City and one in Wabush.

Chris Bailey and Jason Ste. Marie along with two former councillors Dick Hepditch and Frank Manstan are taking up the fight in Labrador City. Cheryl Hardy and Russ Corey will duke it out across the lake in Wabush for the open seat.

Lab. City Mayor Graham Letto was amazed by the low numbers coming forth in his municipality.

Diverse selection of candidates seeking the nod in Lab. City byelection

Voters in Labrador City will have a choice of the young and the experienced when they go to the polls in a municipal byelection May 1.

Two of the seven seats are available and four candidates are seeking the two vacancies. Former councillors Richard Hepditch and Frank Manstan are looking to return after been unsuccessful in a bid to retain their seats in a 2005 general election. Up against them are two newcomers: Chris Bailey and Jason Ste. Marie (Bailey was a candidate in the last general election).

Legion Telethon Raises $25,000!

The 22nd Annual Labrador West Legion Telethon passed all expectations when, not only was the fund-raising goal of $20,000 met, but exceeded by more than $5,000. With the unions at the Iron Ore Company on strike for five weeks leading up to the event, and many people in the mining service sector laid off, organizers hoped for the best when the telethon began. Nine hours later, their hopes were not only met but also exceeded.

Easyhome opens shop in Labrador City

Canada's largest furniture and home goods rent-to-own merchant opened shop in Labrador City.

Easyhome, one of the biggest success stories in Canadian business, has only been on the scene since the mid-90s but now have close to 200 stores in the country and are expanding south of the border in the US this year.

Household furnishings, appliances, electronics and computers can be purchased, temporarily rented or leased to own and all products are open to any of these consumer options.

Wabush ammonia scare

Leak forces homeowners and businesses to evacuate

The discovery of an ammonia leak forced the evacuation of several businesses and a few homes in Wabush.

The leak was detected at the Wabush Arena by two of the town's employees.

Enhancing early learning

Daycare centre coming

to Lab. West

The First Steps Family Resource Centre received approval for its proposal for a child care centre and according to Lisa Blackmore, centre coordinator, a daycare is imminent.

"With this new child care initiative (Early Learning and Child Care Capacity) it was recognized that full time child care was non-existent or underdeveloped in rural areas," Ms. Blackmore referenced the province's plan for child care. "For us here it was non-existent, so they asked non-profit groups and organizations who were interested in bringing child care into their communities to send in proposals, so we discussed it and started the process."

Strike ends

Steelworkers in Labrador City accept IOC offer

Steelworkers in Labrador City, who had been on strike since March 8, are off the picket lines.

The USW Local 5795 accepted an offer that came from their employer (Iron Ore Company of Canada) by 59.6 per cent. The Warehouse Local accepted by 66 per cent.

Tuesday the membership gathered at the Labrador City Arena where the bargaining team offered details of the five-year proposal. The gains included base wage increases in each year (.60, .40, .40, .45, and .45 respectively), increases in pensions, medical and travel benefits and a signing bonus of $4,000. The membership opted to review the offer and come back Wednesday to put it to a ballot. A total of 826 ballots were cast resulting in: 492 accepting, 333 rejecting with one spoiled ballot.

While not all members of the negotiating team recommended the membership ratify the agreement, Local 5795 President George Kean did advise his membership that it would be best to accept it.

Wabush mayor continuing quest for overpass

The Town of Wabush is once again reiterating the need for an overpass between the two towns.

In the April 24 council meeting, Mayor Jim Farrell read a letter into the record, which was sent to Rob McGrath with the provincial Department of Transportation and Works, highlighting the dangers surrounding the railway crossing between Labrador City and Wabush.

Class Action settled

Health Labrador Corporation to compensate Lab. West women

A settlement has been reached in a Class Action suit launched against Health Labrador Corporation.

The case involved more than 300 women from Labrador West who were treated with improperly cleaned gynecological instruments at the Captain William Jackman Memorial Hospital back in 2003.

St. John's lawyer Ches Crosbie who represented the women said the monetary settlement of $450 for each woman and $100 for each affected spouse isn't a great amount, but the agreement involved more than monetary compensation.

Range of reactions to Northern Strategic Plan

The recently released Northern Strategic Plan is creating mixed reactions throughout Labrador.

The province announced a number of initiatives within the document April 20 in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and a lot of buzz was generated after the plan was released.

Wabush Mayor Jim Farrell was on hand for the announcements and he feels the plan meets the needs of all Labradorians.

Mayor Farrell noted he was impressed with a lot of initiatives within the document, but some did stand out more than others.

"Signage along the Trans Labrador Highway is a good thing," he said. "The grooming subsidy for isolated communities along the coast is great for those communities-some people aren't connected to the road network and have to depend on ski-doos in the wintertime. There was also $623,900 announced to increase funding levels for current and projected summer and winter road maintenance contracts."

He said while the money allocated to roads may not be perceived as being enough to adequately upgrade the Trans Labrador Highway he noted the levels of funding are better than nothing. Mr. Farrell explained no matter what governments do, it never seems to be enough, but he feels the attention being given to Labrador is much greater now than it's been in the past.

Todd Russell noted the Northern Strategic Plan was designed to bring growth and development to the Labrador region and one quote within the document raised his ire.

"It was a sentence that said Labrador's population is projected to decline 3.1 per cent by 2021," he noted the reference. "How does one justify growth and development if the population is expected to decline? I find that an inconsistency that is really difficult to make sense of. I would have thought this was a real agenda that would help see a population increase in Labrador."

May

New college in the works

There's a new college campus coming to Labrador West.

The province announced a request for expressions of interest April 30 seeking consultants to design a new College of the North Atlantic campus in the region and the news has been met with excitement all around.

Richard Sawyer, campus administrator of the Lab. West facility, said his first reaction was pure jubilation.

"Last year we had heard government had allocated $1 million towards exploring the possibility of building a new facility and they've been here and they've talked to us and the architect was around to develop plans, so we were hoping for something even more positive this year," he stated with a smile. "When we found out that they actually had an idea of what was going to be in the building and $18 million had been allotted to pay for it, we could see they had taken the next step in the process."

Triumphant three

Municipal byelections: Ste. Marie, Hepditch and Hardy

Both towns of Labrador West have a full crew back at their council tables.

The two seats in Labrador City vacated by Ern Condon and newly elected MHA Jim Baker will be occupied by Dick Hepditch and Jason Ste. Marie.

Ste. Marie, a new face to council cleared the most support with 997 votes while Hepditch came in a not-so-distant second with 853 ballots cast in his favour.

Defeated in the by-election was former councillor Frank Manstan with 679 votes and Chris Bailey with 335.

Mayor Graham Letto says he is quite pleased with the selection the people of Labrador West have made and welcomes the combination of the experienced councillor and the new blood.

Hardy replaces Roul

In Wabush, Cheryl Hardy will sit in the chair vacated by former councillor Lori Roul. Hardy managed 293 ballots in her favour while contender Corey Russell totaled 191 votes.

Wabush Mayor Jim Farrell said he is pleased to welcome Hardy to the fold and is confident she will bring a lot of knowledge and insight to his council.

New strides in health care

Labrador City

goes live with PACS

Because of new technology x-rays can now be read as far away as St. John's immediately after the image is processed in Labrador West.

The Captain William Jackman Memorial Hospital (CWJMH) hooked in with the province's Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS).

Last month the Labrador Health Centre in Happy Valley - Goose Bay was hooked into the same province-wide system. Dr. Michael Jong, VP of Medical Affairs, explained diagnostic images at the Captain William Jackman Memorial Hospital moving from hard copy to electronic imaging, will improve service delivery to all patients.

Bloom Lake construction to begin on schedule

As soon as permits arrive from government agencies, construction on the Bloom Lake iron ore mine is a 'go'.

The Bloom Lake Iron Ore Property is located on the south end of the Labrador Trough, in the province of Quebec. The resource, located two miles past the Quebec-Labrador border, is projected to have a 40-year mining life- producing seven million tones of iron ore per year with a 65 per cent total ore concentrate.

Richard Quesnel, president and CEO of Consolidated Thompson, said although he is super busy these days, it's an exciting time for his company.

New houses for Lab. City

Council approves applications for RSM and Ashuanipi Construction

There could be new houses popping up all over Labrador City as early as this summer.

In the April 27 council meeting, two companies applied for outline planning permission for residential developments in two different areas of town.

Nova Consultants put in an application on behalf of RSM Mining Services for the area known as Hudson West. RSM wants to construct approximately 150 new houses over the next three years with 49 lots planned in the first year.

Ashuanipi Construction put in the second application and requested permission to erect 52 new mini homes in the Harrie Lake Subdivision in the Quartzite and Tanya Crescent area.

Construction in the court
More mini homes proposed for Harrie Lake Subdivision

More houses may be going up in the Harrie Lake Subdivision if Northern Steel has its way.

In addition to a 52-unit housing project proposed by Ashuanipi Construction on Tanya and Quartzite Crescent in the Harrie Lake Trailer Court, Northern Steel is requesting outline planning permission for a residential development on Canning Avenue.

There are 11 lots available for development on Canning Avenue West and in the May 9 council meeting, council approved Northern Steel's first permit in the application process.

Tragic death in Natuashish

Mushuau election

clouded by fatal stabbing

The new Mushuau Innu First Nation chief was elected amidst tragedy in Natuashish May 3.

Chief Prote Poker says the Innu community is struck by great sadness following the death of 26-year old resident Raphael Asta who has family residing as well in Natuashish.

The man was found on side of the road May 2 and pronounced dead a short time later at a local clinic. An autopsy report revealed, "the cause of death was the result of being stabbed."

"There is a lot of sadness in the community," said Chief Poker in a telephone interview with The Aurora. "A lot of people are concerned with what happened and people are concerned that there's so much drinking. People are saying there has to be a better way of holding elections so that alcohol is not involved. There must be a way and we are going to explore how to find that."

Passenger complains of filthy passenger train

Since IOC divested itself of QNS&L passenger service, the train ride has become a nightmare, according to a regular passenger.

IOC transferred the passenger rail services in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador over to Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc in 2005 for the nominal fee of $1 (CAD). The transfer marked the first time in history a First Nations group owned and operated a Canadian railway line.

That transfer to the First Nations group, Carson Gibson says, was not in the best interest of passengers from Labrador West and definitely not for tourists who use the service.

Gibson and his wife have used the train service for many of their 38 years living in Labrador West. His wife, he says, is nervous and would prefer that option rather than driving the, often times dangerous, road to Baie Comeau.

Each year the couple opts to travel to Sept-Iles via train (along with their vehicle) and drives on to New Brunswick from there.

Residence crucial to new college facility: Barron

The money allocated for a new college in Labrador West doesn't go far enough, according to one Wabush councillor.

The province recently announced it would construct an $18 million college campus in Labrador West, but Coun. Ron Barron said a facility without a residence doesn't make sense.

"It's a good thing that government has committed to a new campus in Labrador West," Mr. Barron admitted. "It's been long advocated for and I commend government for the investment, but without a residence with this campus it will make it harder for this campus to remain viable."

June

Class action divide

A long-standing lawsuit involving more than 300 Lab. West women and Health Labrador could be put to rest as early as this week.

The case included 327 women who were treated with improperly cleaned gynecological instruments at Captain William Jackman Memorial Hospital in 2003.

A settlement was reached between the parties a few weeks ago and, according to St. John's lawyer Ches Crosbie, it's now up to a judge to decide if the settlement is fair and reasonable.

Not all the women, he pointed out, have to be in agreement for the settlement to be accepted.

Wabush Mines sale: big string attached

Two of the three Wabush Mines owners have accepted an offer from Consolidated Thompson Mines Ltd (CLM).

Stelco's 44.6 per cent stake and Cleveland-Cliff's 26.8 will net a cash deal $44.4 million and $24.1 million respectively.

Along with the cash, Stelco will see $1.9 million in warrants to buy shares of CLM and Stelco will keep $35.7 million in its share of inventory.

The third owner Dofasco Inc (28.6 per cent) however, has 90 days to exercise its right of first refusal on the transaction.

USW Local 6285 president Jim Skinner says he won't jump up and down until the deal is done. He doesn't like the idea that Dofasco is still in the equation with the power to possibly stop the deal.

"I am not totally glad about the way it's progressing because it's another 90 days before we get any closure to this," said Skinner. "Everyone is getting too excited too soon.

It's a good thing that someone is interested in the Wabush operation for its infrastructure, but I am more interested in having someone interested in Wabush for its ore body and develop what's there now and if that's in conjunction with another ore body in Bloom Lake then that's even better. Certainly very leery of someone like Dofasco who may be interested in the infrastructure that doesn't involve putting new capital into the mine."

Skinner said he doesn't like the way government is thumping its chest over the deal and implying it had a major role to play in making it all happen.

Breakdown in negotiations

Contract talks between United Steelworkers Local 6185 and the Town of Wabush broke off.

The union, which represents 18 workers with the town, has been without a contract since Aug. 31, 2006.

USW Local 6185 President Kim Conway explains a number of language and monetary concessions from the Town of Wabush brought the discussions to a stalemate.

"I have a clear mandate from my membership to accept no concessions whatsoever," the union's chief negotiator explained. "We could see no reason to proceed with discussions if the other side wasn't prepared to move those off the table."

Although she says a there are several concessions, the most pertinent is the monetary; in particular, cuts to air travel.

Steelworkers President George Kean to serve on WHSCC Board

Labrador City's well-known union man George Kean has landed a spot on a significant provincial board.

Shawn Skinner, Minister Responsible for the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation, announced the appointment of five new directors to the board of the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC) earlier this month (June 7).

Kean says he is quite pleased to be on the list and eager to get working on a lot of issues that have been important to him over many years.

"I feel I can do a lot of good there and I have a great deal of experience in that area," Kean commented. "I have been dealing with the WHSCC for the last 25 years.

Council agrees to cost share water and sewer for hospital and college

Labrador City is footing part of the bill to install water and sewer pipes for the new hospital and college.

Council agreed unanimously to cost-share the servicing of the hospital and college site with the province since the proposed locations for the facilities are outside the town's limit of service.

Mayor Graham Letto believes cost-sharing the water and sewer is a great investment for the future of Labrador City.

Mine plans to ground air allowance

Union vows to fight for benefit won in 1975

Just two weeks after Consolidated Thompson's offer to buy Stelco and Cleveland-Cliffs shares in Wabush Mines was accepted, Wabush Mines announced it plans to cut the air transportation allowance to its employees by one-third.

United Steelworkers currently receive $1,598 annually-the amount is also given for each spouse and dependent child.

In a memo sent out to employees by resident manager Bob Behrendt June 19, it was explained Wabush Mines had worked out a deal with Provincial Air that would see the roundtrip (Wabush to St. John's) airfare reduced to $575 for employees of Wabush Mines and eligible family members.

United Steelworkers Local 6285 President Jim Skinner was angered by the unusual move calling it a parting shot from a company that he says has treated his membership with a total lack of respect.

"You can be guaranteed this membership will not tolerate this," he said of the change slated for implementation Jan. 2008. "I can tell you if this was to happen today, there's be no ore produced in Wabush today. We went on strike for six months in 1975, we stood fast to get this benefit and we are not going to give it up."


JULY
Money announced for Labrador Highway

Premier Danny Williams sounded his government's horn in person while at the same time trumpeting a blow to the federal government.
He, along with Minister of Transportation John Hickey and Labrador West MHA Jim Baker, met in Wabush to announce $15 million from the provincial purse for the Trans-Labrador Highway (TLH) with work to begin by August.
Unlike the headline on the government news release, the $15 million will not be dedicated to hard-surfacing. Rather a portion, eight kilometres in the Churchill Falls section, will have a double layer of chip seal with the remaining money to be spent on widening the highway.

Boost to the wallet
People with disabilities to receive extra financial support
Adults living with disabilities are eligible for $362 per month as of July 1, 2007.
The money ($11 million annually) was announced in this year's provincial budget under the Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Eligible recipients of this fund (through Health and Community Services) are adults between ages 18-64 with physical, intellectual and psychiatric disabilities living with family members.

IGA opened for business
Big city style enters small town

The doors of IGA were opened to a throng of eager customers Canada Day weekend who took in the boutique-style supermarket.
IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance) is a group of independent grocers supplied by Sobey's, which franchises the name.
The franchise located in the Carol Lake Shopping Centre is owned by a three-way partnership: Alec Snow and Pete and Bill Cornick.

Abuse victims' claims still outstanding
It is still unknown when, or if, sexual abuse victims of Father Kevin Bennett will receive all the money to which they are entitled from the St. George's Catholic Diocese.
Eight additional claimants will now be included under the case that saw some $13 million awarded to 36 original victims, according to victims' lawyer Greg Stack. The additional claims raise the total amount to approximately $14 million.
Stack said about $7 million has been distributed to the victims, meaning each one has received about half what they are owed. He questions whether the diocese can come up with the remaining money.
The negotiated payment schedule was extended to give the diocese an extra year, until Dec. 31, 2008, to hand over the rest of the money owed to victims. The payments are in relation to a court case against former priest Kevin Bennett, who was convicted of molesting boys in various churches.
Stack said Bishop Douglas Crosby, now head of the diocese, hasn't been forthcoming with information about how efforts to find the money are proceeding or what he is doing to raise the money.

Lab. City votes to sell land to local retailer
Labrador City is selling a plot of its land on Amherst for the low, low price of $205,000.
In the July 10 council meeting, Diane Gear, economic development director, explained two submissions were received in response to a call for proposals in early June for the land located at 222 Amherst Ave.
"In evaluating the proposals, total economic merit was considered, price being just one of the deciding factors," Ms. Gear stated.
The first proposal, she noted, came from Flynn's Services, who wanted to use the land for additional storage for ski-doos. Future plans for the land included the possibility of the construction of an additional showroom as well as indoor storage space for ski-doos and bikes.

Medical travel gets better
There are some good-news changes for Labradorians who travel for medical reasons.
The province made enhancements to the Medical Transportation Assistance Program in early June, effective July 1, and Wabush Mayor Jim Farrell wants to ensure residents are aware of the changes.
"When this (program) was first brought up the first $500 was deductible," Mr. Farrell pointed out. "You had to pay over $500 yourself before you got anything back at all. In the budget two years ago, the $500 was wiped out altogether and the first $500 the province would pay with no deductible. That was good, but now they've increased that $500 to $1,000."

Senior saddened by unaffordable rent
Eva Bolger feels she's being forced out of her home.
The soft-spoken senior moved to a three-bedroom apartment on Elm Street 11 years ago after her husband, Harold, became too disabled to manage a household.
Their home on Grenfell was difficult for the couple to handle, so it made more sense to move to a building where chores like snow clearing and renovations would be taken care of by a landlord.
After many years of living happily in the top floor apartment on 8 Elm, spending many evenings on the veranda, Harold died in March 2004 after a 16-year battle with his disability.
The forlorn widow, however, stayed in the apartment, not wanting to give up what she now considers home.

Lab. City Catholic Church designated as basilica
Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Cathedral in Labrador City is no longer.
Pope Benedict XVI has bestowed the title of Basilica on the community landmark. Former pastor Father Tony O'Dell said this is an historic event, not only for the local church, but also for the diocese and the province. Father O'Dell is now the Episcopal Vicar for Labrador.
"Newfoundland and Labrador now has two Basilicas, one in St. John's and now one in the Big Land, Labrador," he said. "Prior to this announcement, there were just 20 basilicas in Canada, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Labrador City just the 21st in Canada."

Charges span nine-year period
Few talking about Andersen situation

Some new details emerged on criminal charges against a sitting Liberal MHA, while a cone of silence enveloped much of the province's political establishment.
Torngat Mountains MHA Wally Andersen faces three charges - one count each of fraud over $5,000, forgery and breach of trust.
According to a list of charges filed at provincial court in St. John's, Andersen is accused of offences spanning a nine-year period - from April 1, 1997 through March 31, 2006.
Police allege that Andersen "did by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means unlawfully defraud" the government of more than $5,000.

AUGUST
IOC to inject $60 million in Lab. City mining operation
A $60 million expansion at the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) is casting a bright light on the company's future as well as the Town of Labrador City.
IOC announced it would give its project a huge injection of cash to increase the production capacity of its operation in Labrador City.
The upsurge is projected to see an increase of 18.4 million tonnes by mid-2008 in keeping with high market demands.

Good news for library
Government approves funding for needed repairs
The library in Labrador City will soon get a major overhaul.
Thanks to emergency funding announced by Minister Joan Burke, the maintenance problems that caused the library to close (in March of this year) will be addressed to the tune of $300,000.

Menihek student receives outstanding invitation
The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) has selected Menihek High School student Sherif Rizk for its prestigious membership.
The society recognizes the top scholars in the nation and invites only those students who have achieved superior academic excellence.
Rizk, who graduated from Menihek High School in June, says he was very pleasantly shocked when notification came to his mailbox.

Pilgrimage to Oreway
Son connects with father's crash after 51 years
DREAMS NEVER DIE-Pierre BÉlanger's journey to Oreway was a dream he held close to his heart for 51 years. The 61-year-old from Lambton, Quebec (who lost his father at age nine) longed to see the place where his father's plane (a Quebecair DC-3) went down Jan. 16, 1956. Last week his dream finally became a reality.
A trip to Labrador has changed Pierre Belanger's life forever.
The 61-year-old and his wife Mimi travelled from Lamton, QC to Labrador for a very special reason. Pierre expressed a longtime wish and desire to find the location where his father's plane crashed Jan. 16, 1956. It was only a few months ago Pierre learned his father, Capitaine GÉrard BÉlanger, controlled crashed the DC-3 he was piloting on a return trip to Sept-Iles from Schefferville after the starboard engine failed and rime ice built up in blistery winter conditions. Pierre thought, through the very scanty information he had received, his father's plane had gone down in Wabush. The actual crash site was about midway between Schefferville and Sept-Iles at the Iron Ore Company of Canada's (IOC) Oreway Station.

Churchill Falls native wins Miss Teen Canada Galaxy pageant
Krista Collins received the best gift a girl could get on her Sweet 16 - a slew of prizes, cash, a sash and the Miss Teen Canada Galaxy crown.
Sixteen couldn't get any sweeter for Churchill Falls native Krista Collins.
The young girl competed in the Miss Teen Canada Galaxy Pageant from Aug. 9-12 in Mississauga, ON and the day before her 16th birthday she was crowned the winner.
"It was quite the surprise," Krista said in a telephone interview from Churchill Falls. "It was really exciting."

SEPTEMBER
Collins charged
Former MHA appearing in court Oct. 30
Randy Collins has been charged in connection with the legislative spending scandal that shocked the House of Assembly last year.
The 55-year-old former Labrador West MHA was charged with one count each of fraud over $5,000, uttering forged documents, breach of trust and frauds on the government Aug. 28, after an RNC investigation into the referrals received from the Auditor General in June 2006.

Seniors complex: no go
The Oram Group will not be building a seniors complex in Labrador West.
Last fall, Paul and Karen Oram, owners of the group that operates two personal care homes in the province, came to town to discuss the possibility of constructing a facility in Labrador West.
The Labrador West Seniors Building Committee (LWSBC) had high hopes the group would develop the seniors complex, but those dreams were dashed in a letter sent to the Labrador City council.

Dofasco/Mittal puts halt to Wabush Mines sale
Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd (CLM) won't be buying Cleveland-Cliffs' and Stelco's shares in Wabush Mines after all.
The third owner Dofasco (acquired last year by Arcelor, which was subsequently taken over by Mittal Steel) holds 28.6 per cent of the Wabush joint venture.
CLM's offer was accepted by Cleveland and Stelco (June 6, 2007), but Dofasco/Mittal held a 90-day right to first refusal, but showed no indication they'd exercise the option. To the surprise of many as the 90-day period came down to only several days, Dofasco announced it would purchase the stakes of its two counterparts.
Richard Quesnel says the news came as a disappointment for his company that's developing the Bloom Lake deposit just 13 kilometres north-west of Fermont, QC on the south end of the Labrador Trough.
"Wabush Mines would have been a good for us as it would create a great synergy," said CLM's President and CEO. "But we will proceed with the Bloom Lake project on a standalone basis."

Province unveils long-awaited energy blueprint
A 10 per cent equity stake in future oil and gas projects and a commitment to build a transmission line to the island as part of the proposed Lower Churchill hydroelectric project are among the highlights of a new energy plan released by the provincial government.
Premier Danny Williams released the long-awaited document, entitled "Focusing Our Energy," during a news conference at the Johnson GEO Centre in St. John's.
It comes just weeks after the province announced it signed a memorandum of understanding with a consortium of oil companies for the development of the Hebron-Ben Nevis offshore oilfield, and less than a month before voters go to the polls in the Oct. 9 general election.

Labrador MP unmoved by provincial energy plan

The Labrador MP is disappointed in the province's vision for future energy development.
The province released its long-awaited energy plan, Focusing our Energy, Sept. 11, but according to Todd Russell, the plan held very little benefit for Labrador.
"For one there's no long-term vision for Labrador development, where the unique energy needs of Labrador will be taken into consideration," he said. "There are no new transmission lines being built in Labrador to supply either Labrador's domestic needs or industrial needs. The only new transmission line that will go to a customer in this province is a transmission line that takes power out of Labrador."

Wolves on the loose
Lorraine Mitchell got quite a start when she went to let her cat in, but found a wolf instead.
The Wabush resident and town councillor got out of bed around 4 a.m. Sept. 9 to see if her feline was ready to come back indoors and was surprised to see a much larger animal staring at her from her backyard.
"I turned on the patio light and there was a wolf standing in the backyard right beside the patio," she recalled. "He came around the side of my house, came running around, stopped when I turned the light on, looked at me and then took off."
After waking her husband to tell him what she saw, the couple watched the wolf go to the neighbour's yard, walk around and then return to Ms. Mitchell's front lawn before talking a leisurely stroll up Bowater.

Parents' account of meth user's nightmare
"Forewarned is forearmed."
Mark and Ruth McLaughlin, founders of Crystal Meth Society of British Colombia, to the area last week to spread the message on the hazards of highly addictive stimulant drug and hope their story, as well as some hard core facts, will make an imprint on the town.

OCTOBER
Combined Councils of Labrador reject energy plan
The Combined Councils of Labrador are hoping a meeting with the province will help address some of their concerns left out of the energy plan.
During a meeting held last Friday the council's executive hoped to meet with Minister Dunderdale, John Hickey and an official from Newfoundland Labrador Hydro. This meeting was postponed because of the Innu Nation election.
It didn't take long for the council's eight members to oppose the plan. Happy Valley-Goose Bay Mayor Leo Abbass and Labrador City Mayor Graham Letto also attended the meeting.
Stan Oliver, President of the Combined Councils agrees the difficulty now is trying to raise their concerns during an election campaign, which will be a challenging, but not impossible task.
"It is our obligation as elected leaders to bring an issue to the forefront when people have concerns. When else would you do it but during an election," adds Mr. Oliver.

Combating cancer and company
Lab. City man's case heard in Supreme Court

Frank Hammond of Labrador City is in the middle of two acute battles. Cancer has the 66-year-old fighting for his life and a court case has him fighting for the lives of countless more.

Chamber of Commerce needs higher membership fees to remain viable
Members of the Labrador West Chamber of Commerce (LWCC) will pay a little more for membership in the next fiscal year.
The LWCC held its annual general meeting (AGM) Oct. 1 and high on the list of agenda priorities was a change to the membership fee structure. Jason Ste. Marie, the newly elected president of the Chamber of Commerce, presented the fee structure for membership approval.

Tories recapture Lab. West
Though predicted to be a tight race in Labrador West, Baker cleared almost 51 per cent of the vote with 2,204 cast in his favour.
The Tory incumbent won the seat earlier this year after NDP Randy Collins, who has been charged in the Constituency Scandal, vacated it.
With province's energy plan creating much controversy throughout Labrador with feelings of exclusion from the Big Land's natural resource, the seat, along with Lake Melville's were hard to call.
Baker, who only had months to prove himself, admits he was very anxious waiting for the results to come in.

Local Youth Ventures participant wins provincial award
Tyler Mills is a great example of what an entrepreneur should be.
The 17-year-old has re-opened his business, Tidy Tyler's Wash and Mow, with the help of Youth Ventures every summer for the last four years with much success. In addition to buying himself his dream car and saving some mad money for university, the business guru has also been collecting provincial Youth Ventures awards over the last few years.
He's taken home winnings for High Achievement in Customer Service, Financial Management and has also been named Youth Venture of the Year. This year he has a new award to add to the mantelpiece.

McDonald's entices workers with pay increase
Finding workers to fill low-wage jobs has gotten increasingly more challenging over the last year in Labrador West.
Some businesses have taken measures rising to that challenge and McDonald's in Labrador City has put money where its recruitment mouth is.
Although the fast food outfit traditionally paid minimum wage (which is currently $7.50 per hour) to its employees starting off, management has decided to sweeten the pot offering $8.25 for part-time workers and $8.75 for full time.


NOVEMBER
Precedent-setting victory
Supreme court decision rules in favour of former IOC truck driver
A man seeking workers' compensation coverage for his cancer treatment has won a victory in Newfoundland Supreme Court.
Frank Hammond of Labrador City drove a fuel truck at the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) mine for more than four decades.
Last Monday, Supreme Court Justice Derek Green upheld a previous decision that entitles Hammond to benefits for treatment of his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
(NHL).

IOC asks to house employees at LCC
IOC is considering constructing housing in LCC.
The iron ore company submitted a development application to the Town of Labrador City during the Oct. 30 council meeting asking for outline planning permission for the construction of workers temporary housing at the former Labrador City C