In addition to meeting a critical humanitarian need, Newfoundland and Labrador has made no bones about looking to Ukrainian refugees to fill job vacancies that have gone unfilled. As John Gushue writes, the province's employment situation is more complex than it may first appear.

There's a grim reason why polar bears have been showing up in droves in coastal communities far away from their Arctic feeding grounds, writes John Gushue. Climate change is not only shrinking their territory but is putting the species under intense pressure for survival.

Mark Critch was not sure people could relate to his stories of growing up in 1980s St. John's. To the contrary, Son of a Critch found audiences across Canada. "I think the more singular and personal the stories are," Critch says, "the more people will relate to them." 

Some candidates in the St. John's municipal campaign aren't waiting for a ban that will take effect in four years' time: they are already refusing donations from companies and unions. As John Gushue writes, there are also calls to look at more reforms, including who gets to vote, and when and how.

Almost 90,000 people in N.L. are now estimated to be without a family doctor, and there are complex problems standing in the way of fast solutions. As John Gushue writes, many of the issues on the table were also problems decades ago, when solutions obviously were not found.

Municipal election signs are already peppering the streets of St. John's and other communities. But with a Canadian election now looming, John Gushue writes, the concerns of local candidates may be drowned out by the federal race.

When Newfoundland and Labrador's mask mandate comes off on Tuesday, will all the masks come off, too? As John Gushue writes, there's certainly no public consensus on what to do in public spaces.

Newfoundland and Labrador has reopened its doors to visitors, and travel activity is gradually picking up. But as John Gushue writes, prices are higher than normal, and no one is expecting travel volumes to return quickly to pre-COVID levels.

With the smallest number of farms among the provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador has significant agriculture problems, John Gushue writes, including an aging workforce and the relentless pull of development. 

A long-awaited inquiry into Innu children and the child custody system is finally moving forward. As John Gushue writes, the spectre of residential schools that closed years ago still hangs in the air.

A new tax on sugary drinks sparked public outrage. The latest tax hike on tobacco, though, did not cause much reaction at all. John Gushue writes that changing public health can be tricky, especially when government looks for revenues that are inherently regressive.

It was a project that went way over budget and lasted years longer than expected. If that sounds familiar, writes John Gushue, it's an indication of how repairs to the seat of government itself are a sore reminder of projects gone awry.

When oceanographer Mirella Leis moved from Brazil to Newfoundland and Labrador eight years ago, she looked forward to buying super-fresh seafood, right from the wharf. As John Gushue writes, her solution is just one of many local ideas aimed at improving local access to good, nutritious food.

Andrew Furey released a nine-minute video at the instant the two supper-hour newscasts went to air. Neither ran it in full. As John Gushue writes, Furey's handling is typical of how prior politicians have been managing the media — and the public's right to know.

The Greene report is big on a green future for Newfoundland and Labrador. But as John Gushue writes, it also assumes that the oil industry will stay lucrative enough to help the province shift to a future that doesn't need it.

A new report on post-secondary education in Newfoundland and Labrador pushes for autonomy for Memorial University — something that other Canadian universities have long had. John Gushue revisits a political scandal from 2008, when a cabinet minister interfered in the hiring of MUN's president.

Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland used the word "green" repeatedly in her first budget speech. But as John Gushue writes, the oil industry is not being phased out but is instead being asked to change how it does business.

Pre-election polls suggested the Liberals might win by a landslide. That didn't happen. As John Gushue writes, the party now is in a position to reinvent itself with a new leader.

A vacation to Newfoundland and Labrador is not a quick and easy decision for many people to make. As John Gushue writes, the third wave of COVID-19 now washing over Ontario will likely mean many possible vacationers won't be making travel plans, which has implications for a tourism industry that depends on central Canadian trade.

For almost a year, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald has used a powerful two-word phrase to rally residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. John Gushue explores why an age-old phrase — which has inspired everything from embroidery to cookies — is more resonant now than ever.

The City of St. John's may call its plan for Churchill Square a "reimagining" of the neighbourhood hub, although it's more of a list of small design tweaks. But as John Gushue writes, small changes can still be important to the quality of life in the city.