The province was rocked in March by a shocking incident at Prince of Wales Collegiate.
On the morning of March 9, a 16-year-old boy was violently attacked and seriously injured by a group of young people brandishing weapons.
The school community was sent reeling as police investigated, with attendance dropping below 70 per cent the following day. Shocked parents began to speak out in support of the victim and local school community. Both the Minister of Education and the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District committed to reviewing policies once the investigation wrapped up.
On March 10, the first charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault were laid against a teen for the targeted attack. In total, five people were arrested, ranging in age from 14 to 18.
Two weeks later, PWC hosted an energetic rally thanking the school community. The victim and his family were in attendance. With emotion in her voice, Principal Carla Roberts addressed the student, saying nothing made her happier than the fact that the student was able to be with them.
The case is still before the courts.
Financial Sparring
(Finance Minister Siobhan Coady)
As is typical of the spring, the 2023 provincial budget came down in March with a clear focus—health care.
$3.9 billion was allocated for the health care sector, $300 million more than in 2022.
Despite accusations of being an “election budget“, the Finance Minister assured that it was no such thing, and instead was a balanced approach, especially in addressing health care.
The opposition parties, however, disagreed. PC Leader David Brazil announced that the PCs would not be supporting the budget, with NDP Leader Jim Dinn saying his party also opposed the budget. Both parties cited a lack of a plan for health care and the implementation of Health Accord recommendations.
The budget would pass in May, with all Liberal members and both Independent MHAs supporting the document.
Racing the Weather
As March began, excitement mounted in the Big Land for Cain’s Quest—the biennial snowmobile endurance race.
Unfortunately, the race kicked off during what would be a period of unseasonably warm weather, causing dangerous sledding conditions.
(66 Wild Nordic Finland Facebook.)
High winds and rain initially shut the course down on March 5, but it was able to reopen the following morning. The second pause was initiated on March 6, after a member of the Scandinavian Team 66 Wild Nordic Finland, crashed though open sea ice between Cartwright and Port Hope Simpson.
On March 7, the race was called off due to dangerous conditions. Organizers would later announce their intention to run a 2024 race.
Crabby Negotiations
What we now know to be the beginning of a bigger conflict in the crab fishery kicked off in March.
On March 20, fish price setting negotiations for the crab fishery were set to get underway, however a large group of protestors would derail talks for the day, storming into the Sheraton Hotel lobby to oppose DFO’s decision to create two biomasses in 3L.
Two days later, demonstrators blocked the entrance to DFO offices, before moving back to the Sheraton where negotiations were supposed to be taking place, however the hotel was found empty. They then proceeded to the legislature, disrupting Question Period from the public gallery, which had to be cleared.
In the end, the FFAW and ASP were unable to reach an agreement on the price of snow crab, setting the stage for a wider conflict in the months to come.
Beginning of the End
(Photo courtesy Memorial University.)
Another month, another controversary at Memorial University.
March provided no break for the institution, with new questions being raised about President Vianne Timmons’ Indigenous ancestry. Timmons would address the issue in a statement, clarifying that she is not Indigenous and did not grow up in an Indigenous community, before taking a six-week paid leave of absence. The Board of Regents would begin an investigation into the claims through an Indigenous-led roundtable, the results of which would come in April with major ramifications.
