Croft calls it the end of an adventure

Witless Bay Mayor Trevor Croft will not be seeking re-election in the upcoming municipal election.

By Mark Squibb

Members of Witless Bay council took a few minutes at the end of last week’s public meeting to acknowledge the contributions of outgoing Mayor Trevor Croft.

Croft was elected in 2021, and, having received more votes than any other candidate, was named mayor. He has not put his name forward for re-election next month.

“I would like to express a sincere thank you to Mayor Croft for all the time and dedication he has spent over the last four years for the Town of Witless Bay,” said councillor Jacob Hayden. “He’s done a lot of work in the background that people don’t see. It’s kind of a thankless job on some occasions. But I want you to know Trevor that we did notice, and we really appreciate everything you have done for us over the last four years.”

Mayor Croft replied in turn.

“Thank you so much guys, I really appreciate all your hard work over the last four years,” said Croft. “It’s been an adventure, for sure.”

Town chief administrative officer Jennifer Aspell, on behalf of staff, extended her thanks to all of council in general, and Croft in particular.

“You have been extremely supportive of all staff and all of your colleagues, and we just want to say thank you,” said Aspell. “There was a tremendous amount of time that you gave that nobody actually got to see. And so good luck with everything you have planned for your future.”

Incumbents Ralph Carey, Gerard Dunne, Jacob Hayden, Justina Nawaz, and Margaret Swain have put their names forward for re-election. Susan Byrne, Jessica Holmes, and Robert Thor are also running for a seat.

Croft’s one term on council as mayor was marked by a return to stability in some ways after the terms of the previous councils were marked by rancour and division, particularly over the stance of some councillors regarding the rights of private property owners near Ragged Beach. There were some imbroglios during Croft’s term, including an effort by councillors Dunne, Carey, Lorna Yard and Alan Richards to vacate the seat of councillor Swain over the Ragged Beach issue. Croft and Deputy Mayor Hayden opposed that decision and council was eventually found to have been in the wrong when it fired Swain, leading to her reinstatement. Yard and Richards eventually quit council.

Bring on the cod

By Mark Squibb

Bay Bulls council last week voted to support the second annual Cod Fest to the tune of $3,000.

Councillor Corey Ronanye explained the funding, made payable to the Regional Lifestyle Centre, which will be hosting the event, will help cover the costs of entertainment and food.

Cod Fest was launched in 2024 as a means of celebrating the cod fishery, once so vital to the community.

As part of last year’s Cod Fest, local restaurants were invited to duke it out for the title of Best Fish n’ Chips restaurant, with the Jigger bringing home the bragging rights.

Witless Bay holds the line on snow clearing contract

By Mark Squibb

Members of Witless Bay council have voted to extend the Town’s current snow clearing contract with O’Brien's Trucking for an additional year with the option to renew for a third year.

“This will cover the 2025-26 season,” said Deputy Mayor Jacob Hayden. “With the cost of things, we’re moving forward with our current contractor, and hopefully we get a better deal in the future, but things are what they are right now price wise.”

Council awarded the initial 2024-25 snow clearing contract to O’Brien’s Trucking at a cost of $227,650, plus HST.

Mayor Trevor Croft, when bringing the matter forward during the August meeting, quipped that it was hard to think about snow clearing this time of year.

As previously reported in the Irish Loop Post, the neighbouring community of Bay Bulls also recently renewed its snow clearing contract with O’Brien's. Bay Bulls Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien was not in favour of the motion, citing the limited number of bidders.

Water is a scarce commodity for Goulds senior and her family

Marjorie Snelgrove checking the water level in her well in the Goulds. Snelgrove and her family have been rationing their use of water because of low water levels. Mark Squibb photo

By Mark Squibb

When bath time comes round at Marjorie Snelgrove’s house, two of her oldest grandchildren flip a coin to see who gets to jump in the tub first.

It’s not that the boys are excited to get a bath, it’s just that it has become a bit of a luxury now that the family’s well has run nearly dry because of this past hot summer and mild winter.

Snelgrove said her well would have run dry, except that a local Goulds resident, Scott Williams of First Choice Mobile Wash, has been topping it up since June, free of charge.

“He comes at least twice a week… he just arrives, and I’ll go out and have a little chat with him, and so forth and so on,” said Snelgrove. “And that’s how I have lived since the end of June — on the courtesy of Mr. Scott Williams.”

Without the kindness of that resident, Snelgrove said, she would have no water, simple as that, and she would be only one of many.

Snelgrove has lived on the Back Line for 50 years and said she has never seen a summer as bad as this.

“It seems like every summer gets worse,” said Snelgrove. “It could be the climate changing, l don’t know. I don’t know what the answer is. I think if it had been compulsory 50-odd years ago when I built this house to put in artesian wells, I would have had one… The well that we’re using is the family well.”

Snelgrove shares her home with her daughter and her partner, along with four grandchildren. She said they have to stretch water as much as they can. That means buying bottled water, sharing bath water, and washing the dishes only once a day, often with donations of litre bottles of water.

The well water is strictly reserved for bathing and flushing toilets.

“There’s no luxuries here,” said Snelgrove. “I washed the floor this morning for the first time since I don’t know when, because I saved the water that rained yesterday. And I was able to give it a lick. Not like I’d like to, but it’s presentable.”

Snelgrove said she has reached out to the City of St. John's, but to no avail.

The Irish Loop Post also contacted the City asking how it is assisting residents, particularly of the Goulds, who are not connected to the municipal water supply and in fear their wells will run dry.

The City sent a statement.

“We understand the challenges residents face due to dry conditions and the stress this can create,” read the statement. “Private wells are the responsibility of the property owner, and the City does not monitor or maintain them. We encourage residents to seek the guidance of qualified professionals for advice, testing, or support to help ensure their water supply is maintained and safe.”

Snelgrove quipped the problem would be easy to solve herself — if she were rich.

“I don’t know what to do,” said Snelgrove. “Why don’t they treat me like (the rest) in the City of St. John’s? I pay the same taxes. I pay my taxes to the City. Not to the Goulds. But nobody cares. I don’t know what they could do to help me. I’m a senior living on a senior’s pension. People say it’s $30,000 to put in an artesian well. I don’t know if the City could put the hole in the ground with the pipe and I would pay the plumber in dribs and drabs. I’m not fighting the council. I’m asking if there’s anything they can do to help me get water.”

St. Shotts mayor hoping town’s wish comes true with new wells

By Mark Squibb

St. Shotts mayor Loretta Molloy is hopeful that three wells dug using recently announced government funding to the tune of $239,190 will help the community address its water woes.

Molloy, who noted she is extremely pleased the town received the funding, explained St. Shotts has a groundwater water supply, and that in the springtime, it becomes murky.

“We have been on a boil order here for 10 or 12 years and we have not come off that boil order,” said Molloy. “In the wintertime, when the dam is skimmed over with ice, you get good, clear quality drinking water. But, by the time the testing would be done, and we get our clearance to come off the boil order, we would be back into the spring, there would be no ice on the water, and the water would be discoloured, and the bacteria count would be high. The main problem we have with our water is that where it’s a ground water source, any time we have any amount of rain the mud will be stirred up in the bottom of the dam and our water will be brown. It’s not fit even to take a shower in, let alone anything else…. You have to see the colour of the water, it’s not just a little muddy — it’s mud, in the summertime, when we have rain. There’s no way you can use it. It stains your tubs, your toilets. It’s unbelievable.”

Back in 2019, Molloy said, council began to get serious about getting the water problem addressed.

“What we did was we ungraded the water mains and the water filtration system,” said Molloy. “We upgraded all the lines going to individual houses to make sure there were no leaks. So, we updated all the infrastructure at the time. And then two years ago, once we got all that done, we held a public meeting and we said to people in the community, ‘Okay, do you want us to proceed to see if we can get some type of well dug to see if we can get good, clear water running from our taps, water that will be suitable for bathing , washing clothes, and, above all, drinking?’ And the town said, ‘Yes, 100 percent, go for it.’”

Following that meeting, the Town hired Stantec to do an assessment as a cost of about $9,000.

“Stantec suggested that, looking at the topography of the land, it would be suitable and advisable for us to go ahead with trying to get wells dug,” said Molloy.

To that end, the town successfully applied for funding to drill three wells.

“We dotted our I’s and crossed our T’s by having Stantec do the initial assessment, at the town’s cost, and then we put in a fairly good proposal, and were lucky enough to be accepted, and so now this is were we are,” said Molloy, adding the plan is to have the wells drilled by the fall.

Once the wells are dug, flow tests and water quality tests will be conducted. Should the results prove favorable, Molloy said, council will apply for an engineering assessment and, finally, hook the well system into the town’s water supply.

Molloy said that the funding will cover the cost of drilling the wells, but not the cost of hooking the wells up to the town’s infrastructure at a later time, which will require additional government funding.

“I don’t think government would abandon us now, once they’ve given us this much money to get the testing done,” said Molloy. “At least I hope they wouldn’t.”

Molloy has served one term as mayor and two terms as councillor and said that as long as she has been on council water quality has been a concern.

“This has been a long time in the making, but this community has never given up,” said Molloy. “It’s been a long road, and previous councils have worked so hard to get the infrastructure upgraded and repaired. We’re only a small community, but everybody works together very, very well.”

CEEP keeps on keeping on

By Mark Squibb

A number of communities along the Irish Loop will see money from the most recent round of Community Enhancement Employment Program (CEEP) funding.

The funding allows towns and local service districts to hire residents to complete community projects on the Province’s dime and is often used to top up people short on work weeks to qualify for employment insurance benefits.

The Town of Bay Bulls will receive $5,540 to renovate an existing space at Town Hall into a dual-purpose tourist information center and small museum, which will include a section dedicated to the history of military service within the community. The Town hopes to finish the renovations before the opening of the next tourism season.

The Town of Cape Broyle is getting $24,624 for renovations to the town office and community centre, upgrades to the cemetery, and winterization of the playground and ballfield.

Renews-Cappahayden is getting $66,759 for a number of projects, including the creation of a lookout point at “The Mount,” establishment of an outdoor food pantry, enhancement of community spaces, decoration of the community walking trail for the Christmas season, and a new touch of paint at the town hall.

The Town of Trepassey will receive $50,852, which will be used to upgrade the tennis and basketball court, upgrade Northwest Park, build picnic tables and garage boxes to be placed around town, and paint the Trepassey Management Corporation Building.

Riverhead is getting $20,000 for work on its community walking trail, while St. Vincents-St. Stephens-Peter’s River will get $20,971 for a Whale Watching Boardwalk.

Gaskiers-Point La Haye was approved for $28,085 for projects to improve tourism and development but will be submitting an amended application.

All told, the provincial government is spending $4.7 million on 151 projects throughout the island and Labrador, with more funding expected later this year. 

Witless Bay Knights’ latest fundraiser hits the bullseye

The Dean Patrick Cleary Council 6672 of the Knights of Columbus presented the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department with a cheque for $3,200 last month. From left are Grand Knight Jim Boland, Ken White, and Treasurer Barry Dillion. Photo courtesy of the Witless Bay K of C.

By Mark Squibb

The Witless Bay Knights of Columbus (Dean Patrick Cleary Council 6672) presented the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department with a cheque for $3,200 last month. The club raised the monies through a dart tournament held during Witless Bay Days this past summer.

Member Ken White said the Witless Bay Days committee had approached him about organizing the tournament as the club has organized several fundraiser dart tournaments over the years for different organizations.

“I decided the volunteer fire department would be a good organization to give it to, and I don’t think the timing could have been better, due to the wildfires and all that,” said White. “We were only too happy to do it, and we will probably do it again next year, because I’m sure they’ll need some new equipment. I guess that’s the purpose of the Knights — to help out in the community anyway we can.”

This year marks the club’s fiftieth anniversary. Over the years, they have raised funds for organizations such as Ronald McDonald House, the Janeway telethon, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Red Cross, and school breakfast programs at St. Bernard’s Elementary, Mobile Central High and Baltimore schools. The club boasts some 70 members.

Bay Bulls unveils new veterans’ crosswalk

The Town of Bay Bulls unveiled a new veterans crosswalk on August 14, just a few days after approving the crosswalk in a public meeting of council. Retired service members Lee Dunne and Bill Gushue joined mayor Keith O’Driscoll for the unveiling. From left are Gushue, O’Driscoll and Dunne. Town of Bay Bulls photo

By Mark Squibb

Bay Bulls council has honoured veterans with a special crosswalk near the war memorial at the Town Hall.

The crosswalk boasts red-and-white stripes, a silhouette of a soldier, and the phrase, ‘Lest We Forget.’

Council approved the work, at a cost of $1,200 plus HST, during the August 11 public meeting, and the crosswalk was laid shortly thereafter.

Town Manager Ashley Wakeham credited councillor Corey Ronayne with bringing the idea to staff.

“This is really going to enhance the area and recognise our veterans,” said Wakeham.

The Town also offers letters of retirement as a means of recognizing and congratulating current and former residents who have completed military service. Letters can be requested at info@townofbaybulls.com or (709)-334-3454.

The Town of Conception Bay South and City of Mount Pearl have also installed veterans’ crosswalks.

Bay Bulls greenlights back to school bash and trunk-or-treat

By Mark Squibb

There are still a couple of weeks of summer left, but as of the most recent public meeting, the Town of Bay Bulls has already approved two fun fall events.

Council approved the release of $550 to support the Lifestyle Centre’s back-to-school bash scheduled for Friday, September 5 at the Memorial Park across from the Town Hall. Staff will provide further assistance if needed.

Town Manager Ashley Wakeham said the centre held the inaugural event last year as a means to celebrate the end of summer and the start of a new school year. Last year’s event came complete with a bonfire and fireworks. Given the current risk of wildfires, there will be no bonfire or fireworks this year, but there will still be live music, a BBQ, face painting, popcorn and cotton candy.

Council also greenlit the annual Trunk-Or-Treat event, which will be held October 25 at the Lifestyle Centre.

The Town has budgeted $1,000 for the event, during which businesses, organizations, and individuals serve candy to trick-or-treaters from their car trunks.

Mayor Keith O’Driscoll and Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien both said the event is well-attended year-over-year.

Wakeham added that in recent years, local businesses that haven’t been a part of the fun have been reaching out about getting involved.

Witless Bay Fire Department busy helping fellow brigades

By Mark Squibb

Witless Bay council has appointed firefighter Kyle Nash administrative duties as Fire Chief Jack Gatherall battled provincial wildfires with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department last month.

Council appointed Nash to the position by an e-mail vote on July 20, and Nash assumed responsibility effective July 28. Council ratified the e-mail vote during its August 12 public meeting.

The Witless Bay Fire Department, meanwhile, ferried water to other departments in an effort to battle blazes that sprung up across the Avalon. Members also worked alongside Holyrood firefighters to battle the blaze that forced the evacuation of part of Holyrood and CBS earlier this month.

As of August 1, the department had responded to some 241 calls.