Governance

A genome-wide cancer study based in Newfoundland labeled participants “unrelated,” despite drawing from a founder-effect population known for deep ancestral ties. This editorial unpacks how Memorial University researchers bypassed consent, ignored relatedness, and turned a genetically unique population into academic capital—while denying locals access, feedback, or ethical oversight. Featuring the rarely discussed Alldrice syndrome, this article confronts data colonialism and the illusion of advocacy in modern genomic science. Read More...

In this opening editorial under the Governance category, we explore how Newfoundland’s municipal structures have been strategically weakened, allowing outside interests to dictate local outcomes without meaningful oversight. Drawing from The Local Paradox in Grand Policy Schemes, the Muskrat Falls debacle, and the author’s own experience with censorship, this piece distinguishes between governance and government—and shows how the rise of the former is not always a step forward. With Orwell’s warnings in mind and federal projects proceeding unchecked, we ask: who really governs Newfoundland now? Read More...