Latest news with #TheBroadcast
CBC
16-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Trump Islands? They're in Newfoundland. But don't change the name, says lifelong visitor
Believe it or not, Newfoundland has a set of islands that bear the same name as U.S. President Donald Trump. They're situated in Notre Dame Bay off the island's north coast. North Trump Island and South Trump Island are separated by the Trump Island Tickle. Collectively they're known as the Trump Islands. Grant Young, who grew up in nearby Twillingate and has visited the islands many times over the years, says he doesn't associate the name of the islands with the president south of the border. "Trump was not going to stop me from going to Trump Island. No, I don't think I'll ever be down to Mar-a-Lago, though that's not so much on my list of to-dos," Young told CBC Radio's The Broadcast. During the heightened political tension between Canada and the U.S., people are showing their support for the north by renaming U.S. items — like one B.C. coffee shop that renamed the Americano to the Canadiano. And despite the repeated tariff threats from the U.S. president, and rhetoric about making Canada 51st state, Young says he doesn't want to see the Trump Islands renamed. "I don't think they should be renamed because I don't want to give Trump that much power. But it's too bad that there's such a coincidence because it's a beautiful, serene, natural place," he said. "It's got all the things that Donald Trump is not. It's got character, it's got history, it's caring." Years of enjoyment Young said he isn't sure where the islands got their name, but that it didn't come from the U.S. He has been visiting the islands since he was a child. Initially, he was brought there with friends by motorboat and the practice carried on as he got older. "We used to go there a lot when we we're teens, because that would be a place [with] no grown-ups," Young said. "We could have a beer and a fire and no police. And like, it was fun. It was a place to go." When he got older, he'd go the Trump Islands to have cook-ups on the beach and sail around the tickle. He said the islands were resettled, but about 15 to 20 cabins still stand. "It's kind of like a little Exploits Island if you want to look at it," said Young. There's a "beautiful harbour" where the islands join, Young says, believing it would have been an ideal place to live and work in the fishery. He says sailing by the area today is the thing to do for people in the area, but it's not much of a tourist attraction for tour operators.
CBC
10-03-2025
- CBC
N.L. government orders cleanup of aquaculture sites on Newfoundland's south coast
Aquaculture companies operating on the south coast of Newfoundland have been ordered to cleanup old open net pen salmon cages. In recent months, the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) has identified a number of sites with abandoned aquaculture equipment. Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne says some of the material may have been there decades. "I've told the companies that I expect it to be cleaned up in a reasonable period of time," Byrne told CBC Radio's The Broadcast. The ASF initially found the sites using Google Earth and followed up with a helicopter flights over of areas along the south coast in early February. Byrne says the companies involved include: Cold Ocean Aquaculture (Cooke), Northern Harvest Sea Farms (Mowi) and Nova Fish Farms (Ocean Trout Canada Inc). Some of the cleanup has already begun, and Byrne is keeping a close eye. "I've informed them that if there are additional sites, they should do that as well," he said. In December, the ASF released photos of an area near Gaultois called the Locker. The cove contained partially sunken sea cages, plastics, netting and feed bags. Byrne ordered a cleanup, which was completed in January. Differing opinions Andrew Clarke is director of conservation campaigns with ASF. "We were able to see that there was garbage that we had seen before with the aquaculture rings laying there half sunk, half floating and definitely problematic," Clarke said of the helicopter flights. "It did look like it had been there a while, and I think in one particular instance we went back to 2010 or 2011 and it was there then. So this isn't anything that was freshly stored." But Keith Sullivan, executive director of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association, says this latest campaign by the ASF is a clear attempt to manipulate people in Newfoundland and Labrador. He says it's a thinly veiled attack on the people who are working in the business and the communities that depend on aquaculture, and an attack on the entire industry overall. "That's equipment that's actually sitting on licensed sites. This is not of an off-licence site or in an area that equipment shouldn't be. But certainly, you know, companies are very committed to making sure that there's no debris and if it leaves their sites or anything, it will be certainly dealt with as quickly as possible," Sullivan said. "I know sometimes in Newfoundland and Labrador we have storms and if something kind of comes loose, I mean, they do everything to prevent that. But good code of practice. But absolutely make sure that you know that doesn't go into the marine environment unnecessarily." Mel Jackman, 72, lives in Harbour Breton. I call Hermitage Bay a dump and it's about the dirtiest bay in Newfoundland. He sees things differently, spending months at his cabin at Hardy's Cove, far into Hermitage Bay. "Hermitage Bay was always a very clean bay. You get wood driving in there and a certain plastic bottle or something every now and then. But a few years ago, aquaculture came in there and, you know, almost immediately you start seeing things like rope, buoys, Styrofoam, that kind of stuff coming into the bay," Jackman said. "And it wasn't so bad at first, but then seems like every year, I guess as the equipment and stuff was getting older, there was more and more. And right now out there, I mean, as far as I'm concerned, I call Hermitage Bay a dump and it's about the dirtiest bay in Newfoundland." Clarke says he's happy the province took action on cleaning up the Locker, but wonders why it is left up to organizations like the ASF to point out environmental concerns. "We need to have stronger regulations around garbage. We have to have stronger regulations around how they are being stewards of the environment and they need to do a better job," he said. "We can't expect the Newfoundland government or the DFO to be able to regulate them because this is really simple stuff, right? This wasn't hard for us to find. We're an NGO that looks after wild salmon. Why we are the ones that had to call this out?" While the Province acts as the regulator in the aquaculture sector, Byrne says the federal government has been shirking its responsibilities in protecting the ocean. Sullivan says companies are taking action. A company called Eco Axis — formerly known as ASL Energy — is currently operating in Harbour Breton and is recycling old aquaculture material. It's being shredded and granulated to make industrial pipe in Quebec. "I will say there is certainly a big commitment by companies to make sure that keeping sites clean and going forward is a really good development," Sullivan said. Jackman says he isn't against aquaculture, but doesn't want to see expansion and the possibility to "ruin more coastline." "If they've got to stay, stay where they are and cleanup after themselves. I mean, it's easy to carry a tub and put your garbage in and take ashore," he said.
CBC
10-03-2025
- CBC
N.L. government orders clean up of aquaculture sites on Newfoundland's south coast
Aquaculture companies operating on the south coast of Newfoundland have been ordered to clean up old open net pen salmon cages. In recent months, the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) has identified a number of sites with abandoned aquaculture equipment. Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne says some of the material may have been there decades. "I've told the companies that I expect it to be cleaned up in a reasonable period of time," Byrne told CBC Radio's The Broadcast. The ASF initially found the sites using Google Earth and followed up with a helicopter flights over of areas along the south coast in early February. Byrne says the companies involved include: Cold Ocean Aquaculture (Cooke), Northern Harvest Sea Farms (Mowi) and Nova Fish Farms (Ocean Trout Canada Inc). Some of the clean up has already begun, and Byrne is keeping a close eye. "I've informed them that if there are additional sites, they should do that as well," he said. In December, the ASF released photos of an area near Gaultois called the Locker. The cove contained partially sunken sea cages, plastics, netting and feed bags. Byrne ordered a clean up, which was completed in January. Differing opinions Andrew Clarke is director of conservation campaigns with ASF. "We were able to see that there was garbage that we had seen before with the aquaculture rings laying there half sunk, half floating and definitely problematic," Clarke said of the helicopter flights. "It did look like it had been there a while, and I think in one particular instance we went back to 2010 or 2011 and it was there then. So this isn't anything that was freshly stored." But Keith Sullivan, executive director of the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association, says this latest campaign by the ASF is a clear attempt to manipulate people in Newfoundland and Labrador. He says it's a thinly veiled attack on the people who are working in the business and the communities that depend on aquaculture, and an attack on the entire industry overall. "That's equipment that's actually sitting on licensed sites. This is not of an off-licence site or in an area that equipment shouldn't be. But certainly, you know, companies are very committed to making sure that there's no debris and if it leaves their sites or anything, it will be certainly dealt with as quickly as possible," Sullivan said. "I know sometimes in Newfoundland and Labrador we have storms and if something kind of comes loose, I mean, they do everything to prevent that. But good code of practice. But absolutely make sure that you know that doesn't go into the marine environment unnecessarily." Mel Jackman, 72, lives in Harbour Breton. I call Hermitage Bay a dump and it's about the dirtiest bay in Newfoundland. He sees things differently, spending months at his cabin at Hardy's Cove, far into Hermitage Bay. "Hermitage Bay was always a very clean bay. You get wood driving in there and a certain plastic bottle or something every now and then. But a few years ago, aquaculture came in there and, you know, almost immediately you start seeing things like rope, buoys, Styrofoam, that kind of stuff coming into the bay," Jackman said. "And it wasn't so bad at first, but then seems like every year, I guess as the equipment and stuff was getting older, there was more and more. And right now out there, I mean, as far as I'm concerned, I call Hermitage Bay a dump and it's about the dirtiest bay in Newfoundland." Clarke says he's happy the province took action on cleaning up the Locker, but wonders why it is left up to organizations like the ASF to point out environmental concerns. "We need to have stronger regulations around garbage. We have to have stronger regulations around how they are being stewards of the environment and they need to do a better job," he said. "We can't expect the Newfoundland government or the DFO to be able to regulate them because this is really simple stuff, right? This wasn't hard for us to find. We're an NGO that looks after wild salmon. Why we are the ones that had to call this out?" While the Province acts as the regulator in the aquaculture sector, Byrne says the federal government has been shirking its responsibilities in protecting the ocean. Sullivan says companies are taking action. A company called Eco Axis — formerly known as ASL Energy — is currently operating in Harbour Breton and is recycling old aquaculture material. It's being shredded and granulated to make industrial pipe in Quebec. "I will say there is certainly a big commitment by companies to make sure that keeping sites clean and going forward is a really good development," Sullivan said. Jackman says he isn't against aquaculture, but doesn't want to see expansion and the possibility to "ruin more coastline." "If they've got to stay, stay where they are and clean up after themselves. I mean, it's easy to carry a tub and put your garbage in and take ashore," he said.
CBC
28-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Changes to marine protection area cover less of N.L.'s south coast fjords
Parks Canada has changed the boundary of a new national protected marine area around the fjords on Newfoundland's south coast by nearly 30 per cent. The change covers fewer fjords and opens up areas for potential aquaculture. Originally proposed to cover more than 9,000 kilometres from the communities of McCallum to La Poile, the new boundary around the South Coast Fjords marine conservation area has been reduced to cover nearly 6,500 kilometres. Barbara Barter, the former mayor of Burgeo and head of the local steering committee for the project, told CBC News the memorandum of understanding between the federal and provincial governments along with the Miawpukek and Qalipu First Nations said that current and proposed aquaculture sites had to be respected. "Those sites were, you know, taken out of the boundary altogether. And really, we knew that that would happen," Barter told CBC Radio's The Broadcast Tuesday. "The map may again be adjusted, depending on if there are areas highlighted that need to be protected, or areas that really, you know, have concerns." The area has three remaining fjords that haven't been licensed as aquaculture sites, Barter said — Grey River, White Bear Bay and Bay de Loup. Both White Bear Bay and Bay de Loup are now not within the revised boundary, since they've been identified by the province as potential aquaculture sites. Grieg Seafood, who already operate on the south coast in Marystown, have eyed the region as part of their proposed Bays West expansion. Speaking with CBC News on Thursday, Grieg Seafood Canada COO Grant Cumming said initial environmental work has been completed on potential sites. Barter said she has heard opposition to the proposed boundary change, specifically from the Town of Ramea and members of Burgeo First Nation — who told her the area carries important cultural significance. "If [Grieg] go into those areas, then there will only be one Fjord left. And that's Grey River," Barter said. However, as an advocate for the protected area for over 20 years, Barter says aquaculture and conservation can co-exist. "That would be an important piece for us," she said. "There's always the hope that the part of the mitigation, if licences are provided, would be to work with the town," Barter said. Asked if she believes a development could hurt the region from a tourism perspective, Barter disagreed. "There's more to it than just the fjords," she said. Additionally, Barter said the resignation of Premier Andrew Furey shouldn't hamper the boundary being implemented given a strong relationship with the provincial Department of Environment and Climate Change.
CBC
28-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Grieg Seafood pausing construction on Marystown expansion project
Project has faced delays before, and Greig says it's still committed to completion Grieg Seafood Canada says it's putting a pause on completing a large-scale salmon farming facility in the Newfoundland and Labrador community of Marystown. That decision is largely driven by the inability to find a financing partner and the looming threat of economic tariffs from the United States. Construction of the 17,500-square-metre post-smolt facility has been delayed before — October 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Grieg Seafood COO Grant Cumming says the project is on hold altogether. "There's still quite a lot of work to complete the post-smolt facility. We're, I guess, around about halfway through the job. And we still plan on completing it," Cumming told CBC Radio's The Broadcast on Thursday. "But with the political uncertainty we're facing just now, and the fact that we haven't yet found a partner to help us with our investment plans in Canada, it means that we are postponing it." The facility would allow Grieg to expand operations in Placentia Bay, allowing more young salmon to be grown and kept on land for a longer period of time. Cumming said the company doesn't expect layoffs among the 111 local employees. Despite immense municipal and provincial support in Newfoundland and Labrador, Cumming said, a commitment to ban open-net pen aquaculture in British Columbia by 2029 and economic threats from U.S. President Donald Trump have shareholders making second guesses. "That certainly has an impact on our confidence, the confidence of our shareholders, to invest in Canada as a whole," he said. "We were still planning to move forward in Newfoundland, safe in the feeling that we had good local support here. But now the tariffs that are being suggested for the U.S., which is our main market for … Newfoundland, is a threat to us." Despite the project being on hold, Cumming stressed the decision is just a postponement. He said Grieg is happy with the success of farming in Marystown, and has recently completed initial environmental work to expand into Bay d'Espoir, Burgeo and Port-aux-Basques. 'We need them here': Marystown mayor Marystown Mayor Brian Keating told CBC News he was disheartened by Grieg's decision to pause construction, but says the town has to believe them when they say it's only a postponement. He hopes Grieg will stay committed to the region as a key economic driver. "It's a very viable part of the Burin Peninsula. We need them here, we want them here and we're trying to do [what we can] as a town and a peninsula to keep them here," Keating said. "If you don't have the people, you don't have the industry here on the peninsula, then everything else gets affected." He said the town is willing to work with any partner Greig brought into the post-smolt facility if it brought economic stability. But, Keating did take exception with Cumming's comment that layoffs shouldn't be expected. He said he knows of people outside of the contracting or construction of the facility who have lost their jobs.
