Labrador’s COVID-19 Recovery with Yvonne Jones, MP
Welcome to Uncharted, an Arctic360 series about the impact of COVID-19 on the North American Arctic. All summer long we’re talking to the people who live, work and govern the Arctic, to understand how we move forward from this moment in history.
Today’s theme is COVID-19 in the Canadian region of Labrador. It’s a vast, beautiful part of the country that accounts for 70% of the Newfoundland and Labrador provincial landmass, but just 6% of the population, many of whom are Indigenous.
My guest today is Yvonne Jones, the Liberal Member of Parliament for Labrador, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Northern Affairs. She has been a public servant in Labrador for decades, as mayor of her hometown, as leader of the provincial Liberal party, and eventually making her way to the House of Commons.
In 2020, Yvonne has been responsible for guiding her constituents through the pandemic, and helping build the Liberal Government’s response at the Federal level. We talk about how a lack of infrastructure made the North particularly vulnerable in adapting to COVID-19, but how with support, the Canadian North can come out of this crisis stronger.
