Bay Bulls to redesign town flag - but not right now

By mark Squibb | May 20, 2021

The Town of Bay Bulls has held off on a motion to ask residents to help redesign the town’s flag for the time being.

During the May 10 council meeting, Deputy Mayor Wendy O’Driscoll made the motion that council initiate a flag design contest. Folks would be asked to submit designs for a new town flag that include the current town logo.

Councilor Joan Luby, however, suggested that council postpone it for now.

“Why don’t we wait until we get our strategic plan done?” asked Luby. “They’re doing up all the signs and everything else.”

O’Driscoll said the flag is different than the town logo, or branding.

Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Aspell explained the strategic plan will likely include a section on branding, especially as it relates to tourism initiatives.

‘So, you could certainly postpone this for a couple of months,” said Aspell. “We had talked about the town flag we have now, which has some damage on the ends, it’s a bit tattered, so we were suggesting moving ahead with it now. But, if you think that there’s a possibility that we might be doing a rebranding, it might be worth waiting.”

Mayor Harold Mullowney said the timing of the redesign isn’t a big issue, and that it can certainly wait.

After the discussion, council decided to vote down the motion to move ahead with the contest.

St. Kevin's student lauded for public speaking skills

By Mark Squibb | May 20, 2021

Olivia Taylor, 16, has been busy this month, having earned not one, but two, speaking awards.

The Grade 10 St. Kevin’s High student was awarded the Miss Achievement NL Leadership Program Communications Scholarship earlier in the month, and last week earned gold in the Public Speaking category of the 2021 Skills Canada Virtual Provincial Competition.

For the Communications Scholarship, participants had to submit a recorded two-minute speech about something they were passionate about.

Taylor did her speech about her passion for nature.

That award comes with a $2,000 Dale Carnegie Program and a $500 Cash scholarship.

For the Skills Canada competition, participants, via Zoom, competed in three speaking categories.

The first was a prepared speech. Students were asked to write a speech in response to the question ‘How can you ensure more people from underrepresented groups can participate in skills trades and technology?’

“My speech focused a little bit more on women getting in careers in skilled trades and technology, because I want to see more women in these careers, but it also touched on lots of different ethnicities and different genders,” said Taylor.

Students then had to be prepared to answer a question about their speeches, and then, for the final competition, in an impromptu session, students were given a prompt which they then had to address.

“The prompt was, ‘If you were to make a social media post about Skills Canada, what would you say and why?’” said Taylor. “So, you had two minutes to write about that, and then speak to it for at least a minute to three minutes.”

Students were evaluated not just on their written speeches and vocal delivery, but also their stance, eye contact, and body language.

Some institutes believe that a fear of public speaking (or glossophobia) may be the most common phobia. Most people will admit to becoming a little nervous (or really nervous) if asked to speak in front of others.

Taylor said she’s no different.

“You’re always a little bit nervous in the back of your mind,” said Taylor, who began public speaking some years back in her local 4H Club.

 “I’m usually a little bit nervous to speak, but once I start speaking, I just get in a mode, and nothing can stop me,” she laughed. “There’s only so much you can do, just practice, and do your best, and hope for the best.”

Taylor said that doing the speeches through Zoom, rather than in a roomful of people, for the Skills Canada competition was actually more intimidating, because it added a layer of potential technical problems.

“I didn’t know if my internet was going to lag or if I would freeze up or anything, so I was nervous about that aspect as well,” she said.

When she was younger, Taylor won gold for public speaking in the Intermediate category (open to students in grades seven through nine), but winning in the provincial category means she’ll be eligible to compete in the national competition.

“I’m not sure what to expect just yet, because this is my first one,” said Taylor. “So, I think it’ll be a little bit different and more competitive than the provincial one.”

That competition will be held on May 26.

Regardless of the outcome, Taylor said developing skills through programs like Skills Canada, helps prepare youth for their futures.

“It prepares you for so many different things in life,” she said. “Whether I work as a veterinarian or whether I’m working in an office, all these are skills you’ll use in your career and you’ll use in your life. And it’s such a great experience to practice these skills and it’s really beneficial in my opinion.”

Goulds staple Keith's Diner set for summer reopening

By Mark Squibb | May 6, 2021

If you’re dying for a feed of Keith’s, you hopefully won’t have to wait much longer.

Owner-Operator Mallory Ward says they are scheduled to reopen the doors of the Goulds institution in  mid-August, sooner if possible.

The eatery closed back in January following an overnight kitchen fire, but in addition to the repairs, Ward said the building is being refitted to better serve its customers.

Perhaps the biggest change will be the addition of a second kitchen.

“Our biggest challenge in the last couple of years has been trying to meet the demand of our customers,” said Ward. “We’ve been closing earlier, we’ve been selling out on a daily basis, and we felt that we could provide a better service to our customers. So, the biggest goal of this extension is a brand-new prep kitchen. So, this kitchen is solely used for prep purposes. This is going to allow us to be open later, and increase our hours, and keep up with the demand, and give our customers what they love… We’re going to have the capacity to take on catering, weddings, special events, corporate functions. This kitchen is opening a lot of doors for us to expand into other avenues as well.”

Those who have made Keith’s Diner a staple in their lives will be glad to hear that, amongst the changes, there are no plans to change the menu or the recipes that make the joint a regional staple.

“These are the traditional, family recipes that we’ve been using literally since the 60’s,” said Ward. “The same recipes have been used in the kitchen since my grandparents, Betty and Reg Ward, opened the doors in 1963, and they’re the exact same recipes that we’re going to be using when we reopen this summer.”

Those recipes have been passed down through three generations of Wards, from Betty and Reg to Keith and now to Mallory, which means that the Ward family has been feeding the Goulds for as many generations.

“Residents from the Goulds and the surrounding communities grew up eating here, and that’s something we’re really proud of,” said Ward. “We’ve served generations of families, because we ourselves are in our third generation. And they’ve seen the hard work that our family and staff have put in over the years, and I know they appreciate that too.”

That community closeness has been evident in recent months,

“We had customers reach out and offer to volunteer and assist in any way shape or form since the day we announced the fire,” said Ward. “I can’t even explain how good that made us feel.”

She said the community support has been humbling and overwhelming.

“I never anticipated the amount of support, and how much people would miss us,” said Ward. “You don’t realize how involved we have been in people’s lives. We’ve got customers who eat here regularly. We didn’t anticipate that people would be feeling the loss without us … A big day for us, and a big day for many people in this industry, is of course Good Friday. For us, obviously we were down and out this year. But we had people say, “I’m not going anywhere else this year. I’m not ordering fish and chips anywhere else. I’m going to wait until next year. Those types of things really, really pull at our heartstrings. Because that’s the loyalty we have from our customers, and that’s incredible.”

In addition to extra kitchen space, Ward said a new take-out entrance will help ease congestion.

“What we’ve done to alleviate some of the congestion on the lot is we’ve built a separate take-out entrance,” she said. “So, now we have two separate entrances for our dine-in and take-out customers, which is going to help us tremendously improve our takeout and delivery services, along with our dine-in service, because it keeps those areas separate, which is something that we felt is important.

“We just really wanted to bring Keith’s Diner to where it should be. It’s more than just a makeover. Everything makes more sense, we’re more accessible, we’re better equipped to handle orders and to serve our customers. So, we’re really excited about what’s going on and show everybody what we’re up too.”

Witless Bay swamped with appeals

By Mark Squibb | May 6, 2021

Witless Bay town staff have been busy this year defending council’s actions before the Eastern Regional Appeal Board.

Not even five months into 2021, the town has had to appear before the Appeal Board eight times, with two more appeals pending this month. A number of the appeals have involved two residents who have been taking the Town to the Appeal Board, and sometimes court, for years.

For reference’s sake, staff members of the Town of Conception Bay South, which boasts about 26,000 residents, roughly 26 times the population of Witless Bay, faced only three appeal board hearings, with one pending for May.

It’s a steep increase for Witless Bay over last year when it faced only one appeal.

Of the eight appeals scheduled thus far for 2021, decisions have been returned on four, three have been postponed, and one remains pending.

Last week, The Shoreline reported on one of the appeals, in which a couple sought to overturn the decision of council to issue their neighbour a permit to build an accessory building. The couple felt the accessory building would hinder their ocean view, and harm their property value. The Appeal Board upheld the Town’s decision.

In another appeal heard by the Board on March 23, the appellant, Melanie LaFosse, whose parents live on Mullowney’s Lane, tried to overthrow the Town’s decision to issue a tender to extend a portion of Mullowney’s Lane and upgrade a right of way. LaFosse was represented by Gallows Cove resident Noel O’Dea, who has been fighting with council for years against any development in the area. O’Dea presented the board with “ten categories of arguments with sub-bullets.”

However, he failed to sway the three members of the Appeal Board. Instead, the Board accepted the advice of a municipal planner, who advised that infrastructure work on town roads is not considered “development” and that towns have the authority for the construction and maintenance of public roadways within their jurisdiction.

The Town’s chief administrative officer, Pat Curran, informed the board the purpose of the proposed extension is to allow access to multiple property owners in the area “and to improve the general public access to the beach and hiking trails.”

In their joint decision, the Appeal Board members ruled that under the Urban and Rural Planning Act it had no jurisdiction to hear LaFosse’s appeal. “Council has the authority for the construction and maintenance of public roadways, and for taking over privately developed roads to be used by the public and vested in the Town Council, as provided by Sections 163, 164, and 165 of the Municipalities Act,” the board ruled.

LaFosse and O’Dea and have since signified they intend to appeal the Appeal Board’s decision at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland. Their application for a court-ordered injunction to stop any work on Mullowney’s Lane is scheduled to be heard today, May 6.

Another appeal, also heard on March 23, sought to overturn the decisions of the Town to allow the reconstruction of a home at 215-217 Gallows Cove Road, which had been damaged by weather and then fully removed. The house is located next to property owned by O’Dea. However, the appellant was Ed Vickers, a Witless Bay property owner who has been part of a small circle including O’Dea, who have opposed development in the area for years. Vickers appeared as an interested party in the LaFosse appeal.

Vickers told the Appeal Board the Town had acted beyond its authority when it approved a permit for the reconstruction of the house. Vickers contended the proposed re-construction does not meet the Town’s development regulations. He further argued that the background history of the property should not have any bearing on the decision of the council, or Appeal Board, to approve the application.

In looking at council’s decision, the Appeal Board members noted the area in question is zoned Residential, which allows a single detached dwelling as an approved use. They agreed the Town does have the authority to approve the building application on the existing lot as long as it meets all the regulations pertaining to substandard lots. The Town was ordered to review the application again to make sure it meets those rules.

In still another appeal, former town councilor Ralph Carey fought the Town— and won, at least temporarily.

Carey fought a decision of council to grant approval in principle of an application from Stephen Dunne to build a family home on Dunne’s Lane. Carey argued that council had not responded to his concern that the well for the proposed house would be too close to his well. Carey also contended the development required a bigger variance from development standards than the Town is allowed to give.

The Board ruled the Town had not correctly followed procedures in its development regulations and ordered the approval be reversed. The Board further ordered that the application be referred back to council, and furthermore, that council pay Carey $230 to cover the cost of the appeal fee.

Dunne has since launched an appeal of his own and is scheduled to appear before the Appeal Board on May 21.

The Easter Bunch

Members of Alderwood Estates poultry club were busy over the Easter Weekend hatching a brood of chicks. Pictured from left in the back row are John Dunphy, Terry Pennell, Garry Malloy, and Ingo Kuehr. In front, from left, are, Michael Kieley, John Walsh, Kevin Bennett, and Sam Skinner. The chicks hatched over the Easter weekend, to the eggcitement of all.

Ferryland garbage concern quickly addressed

By Mark Squibb | April 8, 2021

Deputy Mayor of Ferryland Harry Bryan said a concern over garbage collection in the town was addressed almost as soon as it was raised.

During the March council meeting, councilor Otto Clowe reported that garbage had not been picked up at the RCMP detachment for some weeks and that several residents had complained of issues with garbage collection.

Staff were instructed to forward those complaints to the Eastern Regional Service Board.

“That was a bit of a misunderstanding I think,” said Bryan. “Every once in a while, a driver will change or something like that, and they won’t realize they need to stop at a certain place. There was one phone call, and they were down the next day and picked up the garbage and it’s been back online ever since.”

Bryan noted that the no residents had officially logged complaints with the Town office in regards to issues with garbage, and that the Town receives very few complaints about garbage collection overall.

BBBAA's challenge gets lots of takers

By Mark Squibb | April 8, 2021

Folks from Bay Bulls to Bauline were on the move this past week.

The Bay Bulls-Bauline Athletic Association (BBBAA) challenged folks to walk, run, bike, or wheel 25 kilometers (the distance from Bauline to Bay Bulls) in the week of March 20-28.

“I wanted to promote the benefits of just getting out and going for a walk,” said Regional Recreation Director Carla Sullivan. “Lockdown is hard for everyone.”

She got the idea from group talks within Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador, as recreation practitioners often share ideas with one another.

“It’s something you can do safely. And you’re getting outdoors, and out of the house,” she said.

Twenty-eight people submitted their distances, clocking a total of 1,420 kilometers.

Sullivan said she was pleasantly surprised to hear folks encouraging and challenging one another to get out and get active, and pleased with the turnout.

Bev Barbour won the participation draw, and Pam Power earned a prize for most kilometers, logging an impressive 105 kilometres.

Sullivan said another participant came in a close second with 101 kilometers.

For Easter, the BBBAA launched it’s 12 day long virtual Easter Egg Hunt, which runs until April 12.

Locals top up funds for new Trepassey war memorial

By Mark Squibb | April 1, 2021

Despite a monkey wrench hurled by COVID-19, a volunteer committee in Trepassey is continuing to push on with its efforts to erect a veterans’ monument.

“We thought that these veterans who have fought for our freedom deserve a bit of recognition,” said committee chairperson Marina Halleran, a veteran herself. “You go all over Canada and see these monuments in the bigger cities, and we figured, why shouldn’t we have one here?”

This past summer, the Trepassey Veterans Memorial Committee, a volunteer group of five,  secured a $25,000 Community War Memorial grant from the federal Department of Veteran’s Affairs, and while that grant covered the cost of purchasing the monument, the group needed extra funds for the site preparations, installation of the monument, flag poles, benches, concrete finishing, ornamental fencing, and artwork.

The committee had budgeted a total cost of about $60,000 for the entirety of the project.

“Due to the COVID, we are not allowed to fundraise much, so we’ve had to depend on personal donations, and we’ve been doing wonderful,” said Halleran, noting the committee has brought in just over $12,000 in personal donations.

She said that, given the generous nature of people in the area, she’s not all that surprised, though very grateful, for the support.

“Nope. Not a bit. I personally, thought myself that it would fly once we got the word out,” she said, when asked if she was surprised about the number of donations that have come in.

“Every donation, however big or small, means a lot right now to us,” said Halleran, adding they’ve received donations from all over Canada and even from outside the country.

Halleran said Trepassey boasts about 71 WWII veterans, 14 WWI veterans, and nine veterans of the forces since the second world war, as well as members who are currently serving.

Donations to the project can be made to the town hall, or at townoftrepassey2@hotmail.com.

Student voters evenly split on O'Driscoll versus O'Brien

By Mark Squibb | April 1, 2021

PC candidate Loyola O’Driscoll and Liberal candidate Cheryl O'Brien were deadlocked at the ballot box, each with 101 votes to their names, while NDP candidate Paul Murphy trailed close behind with 77 votes. That’s according to how students in Ferryland district voted in a mock election anyway.

In the actual election, the results of which were announced Saturday, PC incumbent O’Driscoll earned 3,197 votes to O’ Brien’s 2,696 votes, leaving O’Driscoll to carry on the district’s 50-year blue streak, while NDP candidate Paul Murphy received 216 votes.

Students at Goulds Elementary, however, favoured Murphy (48 votes) and O’Brien (50 votes) to O’Driscoll (26 votes), while students at Mobile Central High School gave O’Driscoll an overwhelming majority vote – 38 votes for O’ Driscoll to Murphy’s and O’Brien’s 4 and 13 votes respectively.

At St. Kevin’s Junior High, O’Brien beat O’ Driscoll by just one vote – 34 to 33, while Murphy trailed behind at 25.

And, in an astonishing coincidence, the district tie between O’Brien and O’Driscoll was not the only tie. At Stella Maris Academy in Trepassey, the vote was split straight down the middle: both O’Brien and O’Driscoll received four votes each.

“We looked at all the parties’ election platforms and election promises,” said teacher Ashley Abbott. “Some of our students made up their minds based on what each candidates in our area said what they’re going to do, and we also have students who came to school, and heard from their parents, who are talking politics at home, who they think is the most suitable candidate.”

Students in grades 4 to 12 at Stella Maris, along with other schools participating in the mock election, were among some of the few across the province who cast an actual ballot. The students voted just prior to Elections Officer Bruce Chaulk’s decision to cancel all in-person voting due to an outbreak of COVID-19, ballot box and all.

“They’re really engaged, and involved in something, similar to what the adults are doing,” said Abbott. “We show students from a young age how to vote, and why it’s important. And that’s good because voter turnout sometimes can be really low, as we’ve seen in this election. So, if we get students engaged and interested when they’re young, the chance of turn out being higher (in the future) is greater, in my opinion.”

The mock election is hosted by national organization Civix, which provides participating schools with materials for the election, along with curriculum that touches on politics, the democratic process and Canadian rights and freedoms.

“There are lessons that talk about fake news, and where to go for reputable facts and information, and how to check for those things online,” said Abbott, who also helped coordinate the school’s mock election in the 2019 provincial election. “So, it teaches students critical thinking skills and how to analyze what they read online.”

She said the students were concerned both about local issues, such as road conditions and water quality, as well as big picture ideas like climate change.

Unlike the actual provincial election, which was beset by controversary at every turn and amassed a historic low voter turnout of only 48 percent, there have been no talks yet of challenging the student election in the courts.

Bay Bulls harvester not on board with DFO's 'who's on board' policy

By Mark Squibb | Mar. 25, 2021

Confusion over who can and cannot be aboard a fishing boat according to new regulations from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) coming into effect next month has caused considerable confusion across the province.

“On Wednesday, an e-mail came out from DFO saying that as of April 1, this new crew list requirement would come into place, and they outlined what you needed to record,” said harvester Jason Sullivan of Bay Bulls.

As per those new requirements, records of who is aboard the boat for each trip would need to be kept on file for five years. As part of the bookkeeping, a Fisher Identification Number (FIN) or Provincial Fisher’s Certificate would need to be recorded for everyone on board.

But, according to Sullivan, not everyone may be able to obtain one of those numbers.

“You can’t get a FIN number, which is DFO issued, unless you have a professional fish harvester number,” he said. “So, for example, if I wanted to bring you out with me fishing to fill in for a day, and you have a job at the newspaper full time, they won’t give you a professional fish harvester number, even for an apprentice, because you have a job outside the fishery. This was going to make it tough on thousands of small enterprises that can’t afford to hire someone full time. They’re just looking for a fellow to fill in for a day here or a day there, and pay him a day-rate. So, this was the big issue for me. By bringing this into the law, it means I could be fined for bringing you out on the boat, if you didn’t have that number.”

There is another side of that coin; folks under age 16 cannot get a professional number.

“People got their backs up pretty good once they didn’t think they could bring their kids out anymore, or their buddies, or family members,” allowed Sullivan.

Social media was flooded Friday morning with photos of smiling grandkids and teenage apprentices who may not be allowed out on the water according to the new regulation.

“Everyone always brought their families and their kids and grandkids out fishing with them,” said Sullivan. “It’s just a part of rural Newfoundland culture. You want to try and encourage more young people to get out, rather than have rules that deter that.”

However, the FFAW has since clarified that that those 16 and under do not require the number, however, registration is necessary if the person is over the age of 16 and earning pay.

Furthermore, as of Friday, according to Sullivan, the Professional Fish Harvesters Certification Board will allow those who work outside the fishery to apply for an Apprentice license.

Sullivan said the confusion was largely caused by poor communication, and while he’s glad for the clarifications, he still questions the regulation as presented.

He argued that knowing everyone who is on board a vessel doesn’t necessarily determine who is in the control agreement, nor how the money is divided.

“You don’t have to tell them what percentage of the catch you’re getting,” said Sullivan. “So, they know you’re on the boat with me, but they don’t know how much money you’re getting.”

Sullivan said that while he has a full-time crew, he occasionally takes a friend or politician out in the boat for the day, and that he wouldn’t let the new regulations bar him from that.

But now, professional fish harvesters offer apprentice cards to those who work full-time in other jobs.

“We would go to court and fight it out there,” Sullivan said.