St. John’s, NL (April 25, 2012) – In recognition of the Newfoundlanders and Labradorians whose lives will be put in jeopardy by the action of the federal Government to close the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) in St. John’s, Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL) has endorsed the lowering of all flags on municipal buildings throughout the province to half-mast on Wednesday April 25, 2012.

The MRSC will stop taking emergency calls as of midnight on April 24, 2012, after that all communications will be re-routed to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Halifax.  

MNL supports the work of the MRSC and will continue to lobby the federal government to reverse the decision to close the MRSC that was made in June 2011.  MNL forwarded a resolution addressing the closure at the Atlantic Mayor’s Congress in 2011, which was unanimously passed.  Further action on this issue with the federal minister is ongoing.

The MNL Board looks forward to working collaboratively with all orders of government to identify municipal priorities and working together to improve the lives of citizens in communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Municipalities Newfoundland & Labrador was formed in 1951 as an umbrella organization mandated to represent municipal government interests, and as a vehicle for municipal leaders to share information and resources. MNL represents the 276 cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador that service 89 per cent of the population and their more than 2,000 leaders.

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