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BACKGROUNDER
Northern Strategic Plan for Labrador
New Initiatives
As a result of the Northern Strategic Plan, the
Provincial Government has approved approximately $55 million in new
initiatives and increased programming funds above and beyond existing
programs and services for Labrador for the next five years.
The total investment for the Northern Strategic Plan
is over $250 million over the five year period of the plan.
The plan is a living document and will be adjusted
accordingly to government priorities through the annual budgeting
process over the next five years.
There are eight key themes identified in the Northern
Strategic Plan for Labrador.
Transportation
- $100,000 for increased signage along the Trans
Labrador Highway
- $150,000 to increase the grooming subsidy for
isolated communities that are not connected to a road network. This
will bring the total annual subsidy provided by Provincial
Government to $390,000.
- $275,000 to purchase a groomer and storage
facility to service from North West River to the Mulligan Trail
- $75,000 annually to extend the 2007 summer
schedule of the M/V Sir Robert Bond by three weeks
- $623,900 annually to increase funding levels for
current and projected summer and winter road maintenance contracts
- $217,300 annually for increased engineering
positions and funding to help with building maintenance in Labrador
The Provincial Government will continue to:
- Decrease the average number of days that the road
between Red Bay and Lodge Bay is closed due to inclement weather
- Provide flexibility with the ferry service in the
Labrador Straits and consider extending the season as ice conditions
permit
- Evaluate options for the provision of two new
ferries for the Labrador Straits ferry route that would provide year
round service pending ice conditions
- Complete Phase III of the Trans Labrador Highway
- Complete hard surfacing of Phase I of the
Trans-Labrador Highway
- Secure funding to hard surface the remainder of
the Trans-Labrador Highway upon completion of hard surfacing of
Phase I
- Finalize the decision on central airport for
Southern Labrador
- Consider options for the Nain Airstrip
- Continue dust reduction strategies on the
Trans-Labrador Highway with specific emphasis where the highway
passes directly through communities
- Consult with the Nunatsiavut Government on the
condition of the north coast winter trail system
Natural Resources and Environment
- $320,000 annually to formulate integrated long
term management plans for the significant wildlife populations (big
game) of Labrador that incorporates social, cultural and economic
objectives
- $300,000 annually to assess the status of inland
fish species in Labrador regarding the effects of climate change on
the populations specific to species which have an opportunity for
development such as lake trout, northern pike, brook trout and char
- Increase the commercial forest land base in
Labrador by undertaking an expanded forest inventory.
- $100,000 annually to complete conservation
projects for Labrador in support of the natural areas system plan
for Newfoundland and Labrador
- $162,200 annually to increase the number of
Conservation Officers for the Inland Fisheries Enforcement Program
- $65,000 to assess impacts on inland fish species
along the Trans-Labrador Highway
- Complete the dairy feasibility study for central
Labrador and follow up on recommendations from the study
- $15,000 to participate in a stewardship project
with contributing partners regarding Labrador Species at Risk
- $30,000 to contribute to a reassessment/inventory
of Labrador populations of peregrine falcons
- $10,000 to conduct a rare plant survey in
Labrador
- $69,300 annually to increase patrols of
threatened caribou herds in Labrador on the Quebec-Labrador border
Tourism and Culture
- Increase interpretative services on ferry routes
- $40,000 for enhancements to the Pinware River
Park
- $100,000 annually to increase funding and promote
the Cultural Travel Subsidy component of the Labrador Travel Subsidy
for amateur and professional artists of Labrador and for youth
cultural exchanges
- Provide cultural awareness training for
prosecutors, educators and professionals who will work in Labrador
to ensure they understand and appreciate the cultural uniqueness of
the Innu and Inuit peoples
- Increased support to the Labrador Craft Marketing
Agency to develop training activities designed to preserve
traditional arts and crafts skills and encourage new producers.
- $160,000 annual operational grant to the Mealy
Mountain Auditorium.
- $100,000 annually to support the Newfoundland and
Labrador Arts Council Outreach Program for Labrador
- $200,000 to support the development of a
Labrador-based archive for Them Days Inc.
Education and Employment
- $4 million over two years contribution to the
construction of a new school in Sheshatshiu
- $4.8 million over three years to construct a new
purpose built K-12 School in Port Hope Simpson
- $1.3 million over two years to construct a new
facility for the francophone school in Happy Valley-Goose Bay
- Establish two resource facilitators at College of
the North Atlantic in Labrador to assist persons with disabilities
- Build on recommendations of the Philpott Report
by working with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Labrador
Innu on an implementation plan
- Develop programs for the recruitment and
retention of qualified candidates for environmental health positions
in Labrador.
- $50,000 over two years to continue the
Labrador: Come Work and Play awareness campaign for recruiting
purposes
- $750,000 to work with partners, Aboriginal
governments and organizations to enhance K-12 initiatives to prepare
Aboriginal young people in Labrador for post-secondary education
Health
- $1.24 million increase to the medical
transportation program over five years, to assist with reimbursement
of claimable expenses under the Medical Transportation Assistance
Program for residents that incur significant travel costs in order
to receive medical treatment. This initiative involves an increase
of $540,500 in the Medical Transportation Program Budget. The
remaining $700,500 is a reallocation within the program budget based
on revised criteria/guidelines which will result in greater
assistance for Labrador residents.
- $95,000 to provide financial support for an
emergency response initiative under fire and emergency services for
pandemic planning and regional emergency situation response
- Establish a family resource coordinator position
through the Labrador Grenfell Regional Health Authority to enhance
family resource programming in the region
- $2.6 million to construct an administration
building for Labrador Grenfell Regional Health Authority in Happy
Valley � Goose Bay
- $67,000 annually to provide picture archiving and
communications systems for the Labrador Health Centre and Captain
William Jackman Memorial Hospital.
- $1.6 million over five years to strengthen the
Tele-Health network and video conferencing capacity in Labrador, to
improve access to address chronic disease management in Labrador
- $8.3 million over five years to enhance social
work staffing to address the needs of children and families, and
persons with mental health and addictions issues.
- $137,000 annually to fund two new positions to
support services for persons with developmental disabilities in
Labrador.
- $91,000 annually to increase administrative and
technology support to reduce wait times for laboratory test results
and to enhance care for surgery patients in western Labrador
Access to Programming and Services
- $123,000 annual increase for funding to the
Labrador Travel Subsidy program, including School Sports
Newfoundland and Labrador funding
- $70,000 annually to create a coordinator position
for the RCMP�s community justice forums program to benefit coastal
communities
- $1.6 million annually for an energy rebate to
address one of the most pressing issues for rural isolated
communities in Labrador. The rebate will reduce the cost of basic
electricity consumption needs of Labrador rural isolated residential
customers to a level on par with the Labrador Interconnected Rates.
Customers in the Labrador Straits area will receive a similar rebate
to achieve the same goal.
- Review Labrador isolated commercial customer
electricity rates, with a view to introducing a comparable rebate
when the Lower Churchill project is sanctioned for development.
- Provide funding to follow-up on the
recommendations from the Business Retention and Expansion Program
- Continue preliminary discussions on the concept
and feasibility, including engineering and environmental-related
work, of a fiber optic link throughout Labrador
- Transfer administration of Combined Councils of
Labrador funding to Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs
- $35,000 annually to offer gender based analysis
training to government employees in Labrador, semi-annually, to
support departments in delivering programs and services as intended
for women
- Increase career, employment and labour market
services staffing in Labrador
- $50,000 to continue support for the fetal alcohol
spectrum disorder research project at the Labrador Correctional
Centre
- Contribute to the development of a sewage
treatment plant for Happy Valley-Goose Bay
- $100,000 to provide funding for a feasibility
study and needs assessment for a regional recreational sportsplex in
central Labrador
- Undertake a review of the service delivery model
for the Motor Registration Division and Government Services Centres
in the Labrador region
- $210,000 annually to increase the number of
prosecutors to effectively deal with the existing caseload in
Labrador
Continue
to work toward the conclusion of community tripartite agreements
under the first nations policing policy with the federal government
as successful conclusion of these agreements will provide additional
funding to be invested in Labrador communities
$211,000 annually to expand family justice services
in Labrador and to provide family court services in coastal
communities to address needs in the region, particularly coastal and
remote communities
$424,000 annually to improve access to
interpretation services in the justice system through the
establishment of an Aboriginal interpretation project including the
creation of a justice liaison position
Undertake a feasibility study to consider the
challenges and barriers to providing 911 services in Labrador
$233,000 over five years to provide additional
support for the delivery of government service centre programs to
the public through the provision of a dedicated manager of
operations position in Labrador
$382,000 over five years to increase highway
enforcement in Labrador with an additional highway enforcement
officer position.
$392,700 annually to ensure monitoring and
assessment of water quality in Labrador
$600,000 over three years for new housing units
for RNC officers in Churchill Falls
$120,000 annually for an additional solicitor for
Child, Youth and Family Services in Labrador
$43,000 to support travel costs for Labrador youth
to attend the 2007 YC Newfoundland and Labrador convention
Increase existing staff positions to support
justice initiatives in Labrador
$67,200 over five years to provide
videoconferencing capabilities for the Wabush Provincial Court and
the Happy Valley-Goose Bay Supreme Court
Aboriginal Partnerships
- $40,000 to organize an Aboriginal justice
symposium to promote dialogue between Aboriginal people and the
justice system
- $240,000 over three years toward the development
of a federal-provincial Aboriginal sport participation agreement
Working Together
- Meet with Combined Councils of Labrador Executive
once a year (six months following the Annual General Meeting) to
review resolutions that pertain to the provincial government
- Pursue potential economic opportunities and
partnerships with Nunavut, in conjunction with the Nunatsiavut
Government
- Continue to ensure that the federal government
adheres to its commitment to 5 Wing Goose Bay and identification of
new opportunities for military and non-military use of the base
- Advance long term development priorities for
Labrador with ongoing collaboration between Department of Labrador
and Aboriginal Affairs and Rural Secretariat
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador looks
forward to Labrador�s future and to working with Labradorians in the
implementation of the Northern Strategic Plan.
This plan should be viewed as a living document and it
will be updated regularly to adjust to changes in demography,
technology, society and the economy. Working together, citizens,
government and the community can achieve positive change.
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