Latest news with #St.John's-based
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
N.L. doesn't regulate cosmetology. This business owner says that needs to change
Richelle Abbott dedicates hours of her week connecting nail technicians to potential customers, sorting through dozens of online posts and a phone book-like directory. She manages the Find a Nail Tech N.L. Facebook group because she says there's nobody to turn to when things go wrong in the nail and esthetics business. "It's just a group of passionate nail techs and estheticians volunteering a few hours a week, trying their best to do some free education and uphold safety standards that don't exist for us on paper as a province," Abbott told CBC News. The online community has nearly 6,000 members. Abbott said she's happy that she's able to help people find safe cosmetic services, but it shouldn't fall on individuals like her. The St. John's-based woman is a medical esthetics student and got her first nail technician certificate in 2017. The work may be a part of the beauty industry, but that doesn't mean it's delicate. Nail technicians work with chemicals and sharp tools that could cause infection when not handled properly, according to Abbott. "Beyond complaining about the business, there's nobody that's going to help you make sure that it doesn't happen again," she said. That's because the cosmetics industry in Newfoundland and Labrador is unregulated: it doesn't have set standards for quality control or minimum education requirements. Other provinces, such as Nova Scotia, have associations and legislation protecting service providers and customers. Nova Scotia's Cosmetology Act says it prescribes "the hours of school training required to apply for a licence" to provide services. It also regulates the application of false eyelashes, hair, skin and nail care and the removal of hair. The Cosmetology Association Of Nova Scotia is required to conduct examinations in cosmetology at least three times a year throughout the province. Richelle Abbott wishes Newfoundland and Labrador had something similar. "We've had regular complaints from people who have gotten infections, have been cut, have had to do … multiple rounds of antibiotics because they have [a] bacterial infection, viral infection, fungal infection," Abbott said. "Nail fungus is a big one, and it most always comes from improperly sanitized tools and bacteria remaining in workplaces." CBC News asked several provincial departments for an interview, but received a statement on behalf of the provincial government. Spokesperson Gina MacArthur wrote: "If a consumer has concerns about potentially unsanitary practices occurring in a business where cosmetic esthetics services are provided, a complaint can be directed to their local government service centre of the Department of Digital Government and Service N.L. for investigation by an environmental health officer." The statement also said professionals have the ability to form an industry association if they so choose. There was no mention of potentially introducing related legislation or by-laws. Similar concerns are shared in the hairstyling side of the industry. Olivia Chafe is the co-owner of Entity Salon Inc. in St. John's, which offers haircuts, colour and a variety of other hair and spa services. Chafe said she taught hairstyling for over 10 years, where she realized how important it is to have standard practices. "We're working with chemicals every day," she said in her office at the back of the salon. "If I put bleach on someone's head and I'm not fully trained or educated, I could give you a really bad chemical burn. "That's really scary." All businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador are subject to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, but Chafe says that's not enough. The salon owner said regulations for education and training wouldn't only help to avoid shoddy work, but it would make customers feel more empowered and comfortable. "They just come into these places and assume that the person that's servicing them is fully trained and skilled, but the chances are they probably aren't," said Chafe. "I just feel so bad for the client and that's why I'm so vocal on all of this," she said. Chafe has been working on developing a full apprenticeship program at Entity. The salon will hire a student who must be approved by a trainer before they touch a client's hair. Chafe told CBC News that there was an apprentice practicing in the main area as she spoke. "I feel like an association would actually [give us] more standards of operation," Chafe said. "It's kind of sad that we don't have that here in Newfoundland." Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
CBC
05-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
N.L. doesn't regulate cosmetology. This business owner says that needs to change
Richelle Abbott dedicates hours of her week connecting nail technicians to potential customers, sorting through dozens of online posts and a phone book-like directory. She manages the Find a Nail Tech N.L. Facebook group because she says there's nobody to turn to when things go wrong in the nail and esthetics business. "It's just a group of passionate nail techs and estheticians volunteering a few hours a week, trying their best to do some free education and uphold safety standards that don't exist for us on paper as a province," Abbott told CBC News. The online community has nearly 6,000 members. Abbott said she's happy that she's able to help people find safe cosmetic services, but it shouldn't fall on individuals like her. The St. John's-based woman is a medical esthetics student and got her first nail technician certificate in 2017. The work may be a part of the beauty industry, but that doesn't mean it's delicate. Nail technicians work with chemicals and sharp tools that could cause infection when not handled properly, according to Abbott. "Beyond complaining about the business, there's nobody that's going to help you make sure that it doesn't happen again," she said. That's because the cosmetics industry in Newfoundland and Labrador is unregulated: it doesn't have set standards for quality control or minimum education requirements. Where are the regulations? Other provinces, such as Nova Scotia, have associations and legislation protecting service providers and customers. Nova Scotia's Cosmetology Act says it prescribes "the hours of school training required to apply for a licence" to provide services. It also regulates the application of false eyelashes, hair, skin and nail care and the removal of hair. The Cosmetology Association Of Nova Scotia is required to conduct examinations in cosmetology at least three times a year throughout the province. Richelle Abbott wishes Newfoundland and Labrador had something similar. "We've had regular complaints from people who have gotten infections, have been cut, have had to do … multiple rounds of antibiotics because they have [a] bacterial infection, viral infection, fungal infection," Abbott said. "Nail fungus is a big one, and it most always comes from improperly sanitized tools and bacteria remaining in workplaces." CBC News asked several provincial departments for an interview, but received a statement on behalf of the provincial government. Spokesperson Gina MacArthur wrote: "If a consumer has concerns about potentially unsanitary practices occurring in a business where cosmetic esthetics services are provided, a complaint can be directed to their local government service centre of the Department of Digital Government and Service N.L. for investigation by an environmental health officer." The statement also said professionals have the ability to form an industry association if they so choose. There was no mention of potentially introducing related legislation or by-laws. Not just nails Similar concerns are shared in the hairstyling side of the industry. Olivia Chafe is the co-owner of Entity Salon Inc. in St. John's, which offers haircuts, colour and a variety of other hair and spa services. Chafe said she taught hairstyling for over 10 years, where she realized how important it is to have standard practices. "We're working with chemicals every day," she said in her office at the back of the salon. "If I put bleach on someone's head and I'm not fully trained or educated, I could give you a really bad chemical burn. "That's really scary." All businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador are subject to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, but Chafe says that's not enough. The salon owner said regulations for education and training wouldn't only help to avoid shoddy work, but it would make customers feel more empowered and comfortable. "They just come into these places and assume that the person that's servicing them is fully trained and skilled, but the chances are they probably aren't," said Chafe. "I just feel so bad for the client and that's why I'm so vocal on all of this," she said. Chafe has been working on developing a full apprenticeship program at Entity. The salon will hire a student who must be approved by a trainer before they touch a client's hair. Chafe told CBC News that there was an apprentice practicing in the main area as she spoke. "I feel like an association would actually [give us] more standards of operation," Chafe said. "It's kind of sad that we don't have that here in Newfoundland."
CBC
25-04-2025
- CBC
As this aviator mourns loss of Amelia Earhart statue, there's a $10K offer for justice
Newco Metals offering $10K for arrest and conviction of thief Artists and aviators alike say they remain stunned by the theft of a statue depicting Amelia Earhart in Harbour Grace, while a Newfoundland and Labrador company is offering up a big reward to bring the culprit to justice. Kim Winsor, an airline pilot originally from the province and co-chair of the First Canadian Chapter of the 99's International Organization of Women Pilots, says the group is feeling tremendous loss. "It's hard to talk about it without getting choked up," Winsor told CBC Radio's On the Go. "Devastating. Speechless. So sad. You know, the Town of Harbour Grace has done such a fantastic job preserving aviation history in Newfoundland and the history of Amelia Earhart, and recognizing what a pioneer she was in aviation. So it's heartbreaking." Winsor and members of the 99's visited the town in 2022 to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Earhart's historic transatlantic flight. Earhart was the group's first president. The bronze statue of her likeness, erected in 2007, was stolen in the early hours of Thursday. Morgan MacDonald, a Newfoundland sculptor known for his work with bronze, told CBC News he was horrified by the theft. He trained alongside the statue's sculptor, Luben Boykov. "I was just shocked," MacDonald said. "The thing that saddens me the most is how, you know, an artist's original work of art is now possibly destroyed and lost forever." MacDonald says another statue could be crafted, but added it would likely take hundreds of thousands of dollars and ultimately wouldn't be the same. Members of the 99's, driven by international president Robin Hadfield, have created a fundraising effort to raise money for a replacement. "There are many statues throughout the world of Amelia Earhart, and [Hadfield] said of the statues that she has seen, this was the nicest one she had ever seen," Winsor said. $10k reward offered for thief's conviction Meanwhile, a St. John's-based metal recycling company says it's offering a hefty reward for justice. "We are offering a $10,000 reward to the arrest and conviction of the person or people who are responsible for this," said Don Drew, operations manager of Newco Metal and Auto Recycling. "We want them caught. We want them convicted, we want them to serve time for what they have done. This is a hit on this entire province… we're proud of our history. And in this one action, it has affected all of that." Rewards have now reached $25,000 in total, including many anonymous donations from a group called Friends of Amelia. Drew says Newco Metal often works with police in theft cases, like when car parts are stolen, and says scrapyards across the province are on high alert — given they're some of the only places bronze could be melted for profit. He says that hurts the reputation of the industry, and its value as scrap — between $2 and $3 per pound — pales in comparison to the statue's significance. "We're watching for anything that comes in that resembles a statue or those pieces of bronze or large amounts of bronze," he said. If the thief or thieves aren't found, Drew says the $10,000 would be donated to the town toward a new statue.
National Observer
25-04-2025
- Business
- National Observer
Poilievre pitches doubling offshore oil production and new East Coast LNG
The Conservative Party platform published Tuesday committed to doubling oil production and greenlighting a proposed LNG facility in Newfoundland and Labrador to 'generate another billion dollars in revenue for Newfoundland's economy, and create thousands of new jobs.' The promise echoes the NL government's commitment to double offshore oil production by the end of the decade in an effort to even out the province's struggling balance sheet, which experts say would be a significant blow to Canada's emission reduction targets. This federal election has been dominated by debate over the future of oil and gas in Canada, with the front-running party leaders pitching visions for the country to 'unleash' its resources or become a 'clean and conventional energy superpower.' Western Canada has dominated the conversation, including pitches for new pipelines to get Alberta crude to new markets and LNG export terminals dotting BC's coast. But also important, though far less discussed, is the future of fossil fuels off the East Coast as plans to develop new oil fields continue to swirl. Data reviewed by Canada's National Observer shows new oil leases are about to come up for auction — but whether there will be many buyers is an open question, as is whether leases would ever be developed. That hasn't stopped the politics from factoring into the election. Poilievre's offshore dreams are shared by the province's industry association, Energy NL, which sent a letter to each of the federal parties late last month. The letter highlighted the group's opposition to the federal emissions cap and questioned whether each party leader would support the use of the province's 'lower carbon offshore oil to meet global demand.' In the Conservatives' response, the party highlighted the 'need to get out from under America's thumb' by expanding Canada's natural resources, making the country 'sovereign and self-reliant to stand up to Trump from a position of strength.' Fossil fuel development has been a hot topic, both regionally and federally, in the Maritimes. Now, it's landed in the Conservative Party's platform — a 'jarring' development that has some experts challenging it on an economic and ecological basis. On Thursday, Charlene Johnson, CEO of Energy NL, told St. John's-based radio station VOCM she likes what she's hearing from the Conservatives. 'They answered all the questions with exactly what we wanted, and then some,' she said. 'But again, we're hearing some positive signals from the Liberals too. Not as definitive as we would like to see, not specifically 'the emissions cap is gone,' but I think there's something there to work with.' Offshore oil's potential to diversify Canada's trading partners away from the US was a sentiment shared at the recent right-wing Canada Strong and Free Network conference by former president of the Canadian Association for Petroleum Producers Tim McMillan, now a partner at Garrison Strategy. Speaking to a room full of Conservative supporters, McMillan said Atlantic offshore oil 'has global capacity because it is seaborne.' He said rather than a new east-west oil pipeline, Eastern and Atlantic Canada should produce more oil and gas themselves. 'We could build an east-west pipeline. Would that be the most efficient next pipeline for Canada? Probably no,' he told the room. 'I think that it would be putting a band-aid on a bigger problem when we could be producing very high-value economic resources in our large provinces in Eastern Canada, as well as in Atlantic Canada.' 'A powerhouse in the clean economy' Meanwhile, there is no response from the Liberals on Energy NL's website, and the party did not respond to multiple requests for comment by deadline. Under Justin Trudeau, the Liberals approved Bay du Nord, Canada's first deepwater offshore oil project, which is about 500 kilometres east off Newfoundland's coast. The party has maintained a level of strategic ambiguity around its stance on oil and gas development. The NDP, which did not provide a response to questions from Canada's National Observer on offshore oil in Atlantic Canada, also wrote back to Energy NL. While the Conservatives said they would 'immediately scrap Bill C-69,' which includes the Impact Assessment Act, the NDP said it 'supported Bill C-51, ensuring Atlantic Canada can harness renewable offshore energy, and be a powerhouse in the clean economy.' (The party was presumably referring to Bill C-69, as Bill C-51 relates to the criminal code.) The party did not take a stance either way on the offshore oil and gas industry, and instead said it will work with NL on 'critical minerals, wind and hydrogen, electrification and [carbon capture and storage],' which the province has highlighted as 'key priority areas.' While the other federal parties maintain varying levels of commitment to supporting NL's offshore oil and gas industry, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says her party is the only one 'that's called forever for a moratorium on any offshore drilling.' She said her party did not receive Energy NL's letter. In an interview with Canada's National Observer, she emphasized how 'extremely incompetent' both NS and NL's offshore energy boards are, both of which are responsible for releasing and rewarding bids for companies to explore the Atlantic for oil and gas deposits. She says both are 'pro fossil fuel organizations … they are mandated in their creation to expand offshore oil and gas.' Meanwhile, the Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of NS and NL is teeming with marine life — leatherback sea turtles and North Atlantic right whales. The area 'is just an ecosystem that cannot tolerate any development,' said May. And while Poilievre says billions will be generated by expanding the offshore industry, May says the International Energy Agency, the IPCC and the World Bank have said that 'no country should be creating any new fossil fuel infrastructure.' The International Energy Agency's most recent forecast shows oil, coal and gas demand peaking before the end of the decade. This scenario, based on world governments' existing policies, still overshoots the global goal to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 C to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The IEA has repeatedly said that if the world is going to avoid crossing that dangerous 1.5C threshold, there is no room in the global carbon budget to develop new oil and gas fields — a finding squarely at odds with Newfoundland and Labrador's stated plan to double offshore oil production by 2030. New exploration licenses up for bid Data obtained by Canada's National Observer shows 33 exploration licenses for Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia's offshore will be made available to companies this year, which if developed, would add emissions equivalent to nearly 51 million cars per year over their lifetimes. The figures were originally sourced from the Rystad Database and were included in the International Institute for Sustainable Development's Carbon Minefields Newsletter. Angela Carter, Canada research chair in equitable energy governance and public policy and an associate professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, called those emissions globally significant and dangerous. 'If we want to preserve some amount of climate safety there can be no new exploration, no new fields developed, and indeed existing projects have to be wound down to align with climate safety,' she said. 'There's no room in the global carbon budget for these projects, that's the fact of the matter.' Carter said she is concerned because pro-oil and gas rhetoric is ratcheting up in Newfoundland and Labrador. 'We are still major players when it comes to producing oil. That is important for Canada, for the world and for the climate,' Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey told the Empire Club of Canada in December. 'This is the product the world needs right now, and it would be irresponsible for us not to develop it.' In June, Furey made similar comments at the Energy NL conference, framing the province's oil as 'pipeline-free' and pledging to 'be all-in on oil and gas for decades and decades to come.' 'This is very jarring,' Carter said. Instead of doubling down on oil and gas, she said, the province needs 'an exit plan' from financially volatile fossil fuels — which accounted for 14 per cent of the province's GDP in 2023 according to its most recent budget. Even with no exit plan in sight, the public could be watching the industry's last gasps. Over the past decade two trends have emerged: the offshore regulator has increased the number of exploration licenses up for bid while at the same time, there is a clear decrease in the number of parcels actually being awarded. 'Basically what's happening — not because the board is somehow becoming more careful — it's that firms are not acquiring the lease blocks anymore,' Carter said. On top of that, major fields expected to hold billions of barrels of oil have turned out to not be commercially viable. 'I think we're seeing evidence of firms slowly withdrawing from the offshore here,' she said. 'The exploration that is occurring is coming up dry, and so now [oil proponents] have a lot of aspirations for Bay du Nord,' she said, because if that project proceeds, it would open up a region called the Flemish Basin, which to date has no active oil development. Bay du Nord is a proposed project owned by Equinor that the federal government approved in 2022. The company has not decided whether to proceed with it, after determining there would be major cost increases from its original $16 billion estimate. As part of its goal to improve the economic justification for Bay du Nord, last year Equinor began drilling nearby deposits. In November, Equinor announced it had completed its exploratory drilling without finding significant deposits.
CBC
23-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
N.L. government looking to sell idle Buchans energy plant
The Newfoundland and Labrador government is looking to offload a long-idle power plant in central Newfoundland, and says it's hearing interest from a renewable energy company that plans to double the plant's former output. Industry, Energy and Technology Minister Andrew Parsons said the Buchans generation station, which hasn't been operational since 2014, can be put to better use. "It's sitting there idle and the conversation we're about to have is what we intend, or hope to see, done with it," Parsons said. Last week the province issued a non-binding letter of intent to a consortium, which includes Qalipu First Nation, Qalipu Holdings LP, Angler Solutions and St. John's-based renewable power company Growler Energy. Growler Energy CEO Robert Woolgar says he's worked in the energy sector for 30 years and is familiar with many of the province's assets, but Buchans stands out in particular because it's the community where his wife is from. "Growler — being a renewable energy company and this being a smaller plant — there could be a spot there for us to help support and basically get the plant back operational," said Woolgar. Taking over a plant with existing infrastructure is enticing, he adds: these days, there's more interest in decarbonization and electrification, especially at a time when the public utility is looking to increase its energy capacity. "Having these resources there that really just need somebody to come in and basically get them operational again, that adds value," said Woolgar. Much of the necessary plant infrastructure is already in place, he said, including the dam and reservoir. "You're not creating that new asset more than just basically getting an aging asset back to operations." Woolgar said the company could double or even triple the plant's energy generating capabilities, which was previously 1.8 megawatts. It will still take time before Growler Energy and the government make a deal, said Woolgar. Before they shake hands, they'll need to complete a feasibility study and carry out community engagement. If they strike a deal, first energy could be produced in late 2028, which would be sold back to the province through a power purchase agreement. 'Big win here' Parsons called the possible deal a "win-win," as Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro doesn't have plans for the Buchans plant. The Buchans community is supportive of the plan, he said, adding that the Qalipu First Nation are involved in the proposal. "What we're doing is allowing [Growler Energy] to start the feasibility study to figure out what this will entail. So again, I think it's a great move all around," Parsons said. Parsons added the province is always going to be looking for more power for residential growth and commercial growth. "This is a big win here. And the work itself will be undertaken by a private company using their funds, and then they'll work out to see if there's an affordable power-purchase agreement with Hydro. Hydro is not going to pay just anything for this. It has to be reasonably priced." "That's why I'd like to see the site become operational again and bring all the benefits that these things do," he said.
