Blue ribbon day

Hockey Player Honours Stanley Cup Champion Danny Williams

Danny Cleary, the Newfoundland born NHL hockey player, was in Harbour Grace today at the Danny Williams Lookout on the Veterans Memorial Highway, to unveil an interpretative panel and commemorative print honouring Premier Danny Williams. Premier Williams was the first Newfoundlander and Labradorian to win hockey’s most coveted prize – the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Stanley Cup.

Mr. Cleary was joined at the unveiling by Premier Williams; the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation; the Honourable Jerome Kennedy, MHA for Carbonear-Harbour Grace; and Don Coombs, Mayor of Harbour Grace.

"Today we acknowledge and commemorate the tremendous efforts of one of our athletic heroes and role models, 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Danny Williams," said Mr. Cleary. "A little over two years ago, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians shared in the celebration as Premier Williams became the first Newfoundlander and Labradorian to have his name engraved on hockey’s most iconic trophy. It was a personal achievement for him, but also a milestone event in the sporting history of our province; a milestone which deserves to be remembered and appropriately commemorated."

"I am thrilled with the unveiling of the Danny Williams Lookout panel," said Premier Williams. "This is an honour for both me and my family. Sarasota and the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador will always be my home, and to be able to come back from Florida and see this will be very cool, especially for my little girls."

Minister French said Danny Williams is an inspiration to youth everywhere.

"An accomplishment of this magnitude is an example of how dedication, hard work and the pursuit of excellence can lead to major athletic achievement," said Minister French. "The lookout panel and print will serve as a reminder to all – particularly to our emerging young athletes – that anything is possible."

Mr. Cleary noted that the original piece of artwork, entitled Believe in Danny Williams, featuring three images of Premier Williams and his Stanley Cup win, was painted by artist James Long. Commissioned by the Provincial Government, 300 limited-edition reproductions have been produced and will be distributed to all schools throughout the province.

Designed by Sandy Newton, the interpretative panel features a picture of Premier Williams when he won the Stanley Cup, various shots – including some by local photographer Brian Tuck – of the parade and celebrations held in Harbour Grace, along with facts and figures about Premier Williams’s hockey career.

"Young athletes from this province have truly come into their own in recent years, from our Olympic champions, the Danny Williams rink, to Danny Williams winning the Stanley Cup," said the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Education. "It is people like these who show our students that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can compete and win on the international stage, and I am pleased Mr. Long’s painting will be in our schools as a reminder to all students that any dream can be realized."

The Honourable Jerome Kennedy, MHA for Carbonear-Harbour Grace, said he had the honour of being at the winning game with members of the Williams family and close friends.

"It was a very special moment," said Minister Kennedy. "Danny's accomplishments are something that the province, as a whole, and the Carbonear-Harbour Grace area in particular, are very proud of. Danny Williams is a hard-working Newfoundlander and Labradorian and one who is very proud to say he is from Sarasota, Newfoundland and Labrador and Florida."

"The Town of Harbour Grace is very proud of the accomplishments of Danny Williams as our province pays tribute to a man who has brought so much pride to Newfoundland and Labrador," said Don Coombs, Mayor of Harbour Grace. "The Provincial Government’s recognition of his incredible accomplishments is certainly evident here today as they honour our native son Danny Williams."

Following the historic June 2008 Stanley Cup win, a major July 1 celebration – complete with a parade, live entertainment and attended by more than 20,000 people – was held in Harbour Grace in honour of Danny Williams and the arrival of the Stanley Cup to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Danny versus Quebec!

An important message from Kathy Dunderdale

The Telegram and the Opposition parties have missed the real purpose of the Lower Churchill benefits strategy which the provincial government released July 14, 2010.

The benefits strategy is a guide for the whole Lower Churchill project and is part of an unfolding plan.

The steady progress towards the start of the project is evident in the substantial progress on preliminary engineering, aboriginal agreements, environmental assessment and, in the last week, the request for proposals for engineering consultants as well as the benefits strategy.

I would have expected both the opposition and The Telegram to applaud the release of information on this important project for the people of the province.

I would have expected singing and cheering, and dancing in the streets.

I wouldn't have been dancing, myself personally, but I would have expected dancing girls and dancing boys.

I would have expected ticker-tape and confetti. And bunting.

I would have expected a parade, with floats and clowns and marching bands.

I would have expected rose petals strewn about my feet as I led that parade. On a float.

I would have expected tissue-paper flowers.

I would have expected servants in togas to hand-feed me grapes while minstrels serenaded me with their lutes.

I would have expected petit-fours. Trays and trays of petit-fours. And those little puff-pastries stuffed with white cheese and fines herbs.

And chicken fingers.

And a pig-roast.

I would have expected a disco ball and laser show and fireworks.

I would have expected thundersticks, tambourine, and vuvuzuelas.

I would have expected goat sacrifices. Come on, you bloody ingrates, momma wants you to slit a goat!

I trust this clarifies matters.

Kathy Dunderdale
Minister of Natural Resources
St. John's

Summer of love

Minister of Information

Lower Churchill is progressing along very nicely, thank you very much!

We are currently undergoing EAs on generation project, on Newfoundland and Labrador link! We are talking with customers in Atlantic Canada, Mr. Speaker, and in Northeastern United States, as well as New York and Ontario, Mr. Speaker! There is very healthy interest in this project which, as Premier said yesterday, is cheapest hydroelectric project in North America!

Mr. Speaker, in terms of our relationship in acquiring transmission, either through Quebec or through Labrador or through New Brunswick, our issue has only been give us level playing field! We are prepared to compete, and, Mr. Speaker, we will bring green energy solutions to rest of country and Eastern United States!

Mr. Speaker, we will know run of this river! We understand whole project, Mr. Speaker! So we are in strongest possible position to negotiate the best benefits on behalf of people of Newfoundland and Labrador! Mr. Speaker, everybody in country and everybody in Eastern United States knows that we hold answer to many climate change issues in Lower Churchill, Mr. Speaker! Project is online, it is on time, and it will get developed!

Lower Churchill will be developed and it will be developed in best interest of people of Newfoundland and Labrador!

Mr. Speaker, it will be done in timely and comprehensive fashion!

The Battle of the Ads Part Two

The Battle of the Ads

EXCLUSIVE! Williams to step down!!!

He already hinted at it during the Juno Awards, but today IP Freely is the first with the official news.

Yes, Danny Williams will soon step down as Premier of NewfoundlandLabrador to take on a new, high-profile job on the international stage!

The selection team is said to be very impressed with the Premier's qualifications. Rhodes Scholar, faithful Roman Catholic, and infallible.

Premier Announces JUNO 2010 Legacy Project: JUNO Fever Forever!

The Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, today announced a permanent legacy project to mark the 2010 JUNO awards being held this weekend in St. John's.

"I am a wild party," said Premier Williams, who is nominated in the Songwriter category for his hit single Yes We Have!. "We are pulling out all the stops to make this the wildest JUNO awards ever. We have the screechiest Screech, the druggiest dealers, the bustiest hookers. Guy hookers too, if that's your thing."

"However, given the amount of alcohol and other intoxicants to be consumed this weekend, we anticipate that some people will have trouble remembering that the JUNO awards were ever here, or that I was ever at them" said Premier Williams. "That is why my government is pleased to announce today that we are committing $1.3 million towards retrofitting Kimberly Row in downtown St. John's to look exactly like it does in the JUNO logo. We anticipate that by the time we announce this project another eight times, and are finished dragging our feet on actually doing the work, the final cost will be closer to $2.9 million, thereby stimulating the economy on a go-forward basis."

"Can I get a word in edgewise?" asked the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. "For chrissake, I'm the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation!"

"Pfffffttt! You gotta be kidding me! No, you cannot," said the Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, "Besides which, you wouldn't fit edgewise into a hangar for the goddamn Hindenburg."

"OK, sir, sorry, sir" added the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has invested $1.025 million in the 2010 JUNO Awards, including $750,000 to host, $200,000 to establish and support the JUNO Host Committee, and $75,000 to assist with JUNOs on George, an unprecedented street party that will be featured during the Sunday, April 18, television broadcast of the 2010 JUNO Awards.　In exchange, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has received a 4.9% equity stake in future JUNO awards and a seat at the Big Boys table.

For more information about Premier Danny Williams, visit: http://www.gov.nl.ca/premier

Conceptual drawing of JUNO 2010 Legacy Project: JUNO Fever Forever!