The new year started off with a bright spot—literally.
Complaints and petitions surrounding what residents of the Outer Battery described as an “excessively” bright light, set up by a neighbour, flooded into St. John’s City Council.
A campaign titled “Turn Off the Lights” was launched, calling for a nuisance lighting bylaw, however, council would not implement such a rule, with Mayor Danny Breen saying at the time they did not believe it was in the best interest of the city as a whole.
On January 16, Outer Battery residents then took to rallying on the steps of City Hall. Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O’Leary put forward a motion to implement a bylaw similar to other jurisdictions, banning nuisance lighting, but it was shot down by a vote of 8 to 1.
Following the rally, a second light was erected and frustrations continued to mount, with police arresting a 32-year-old man for trespassing and damage to property after allegedly attempting to interfere with the lights. The charges were later dropped in March.
After weeks of acrimony, the lights were eventually turned off on January 27.
Emergency Debates on Emergency Services
Another set of lights dominated conversation in the first month of 2023; these ones flashing red.
On January 11, 120 paramedics, EMRs and dispatchers with Teamsters Local 855 employed by private ambulance services took job action over insufficient wages and lack of a pension.
The employees of Fewer’s Ambulance began with a phased-in approach, at first retaining enough staff to keep services running, however members went on full strike on January 20.
On January 23, the House of Assembly reconvened and after multiple attempts of an emergency debate being stymied by NDP Leader Jim Dinn to give members more time to review the legislation and government more time to consult rallying workers outside, leave was finally granted.
The Essential Services Act finally passed in the House of Assembly late that night, before a packed public gallery of ambulance workers.
Schools Out
(MUNFA members on strike at Memorial University.)
Ambulance operators weren’t the only ones eyeing a strike to start 2024.
Rumblings of a potential faculty strike at Memorial University had been simmering for a year, but boiled over in late January, with 90 per cent of MUNFA members voting in favour of strike action if a deal could not be reached by January 30.
Negotiations continued, but seemed to gain little traction. Tensions were exacerbated with news of a forum hosted by MUN at the lavish Fogo Island Inn, costing over $100,000.
On January 30, MUNFA took to the picket line, ushering in continued turmoil in February that would not ease for some time.
