Riverhead and Tors Cove projects undergo environmental review

By Mark Squibb/August 12 2021

Two projects along the Southern Shore are currently undergoing a provincial government-ordered environmental review.

In St. Mary’s Bay, Pennecon has proposed to develop a 9-hectare laydown area, quarry, and commercial wharf near Graven Bank in the Town of Riverhead. That development would also include the upgrading of an existing trail into a 500-metre access road to the quarry, and the construction of a 700-metre access road from the quarry to the wharf to allow the load out of aggregate stones onto vessels.

Meanwhile, in Tors Cove, Ár n-oileán Resources Ltd. is proposing to renovate the former fish plant into a seal oil processing plant. The plant will make omega-3 oil and produce nutraceuticals, medicines containing high concentrates of a particular substance, such as omega-3 oil, thought to be beneficial.

Both undertakings were registered on July 14, and the deadline for public comment is August 20. The Minster of Environment and Climate Change Bernard Davis will make a decision on whether to release the projects from further environmental assessment by August 28.

Mirror, mirror on the pole...

By Craig Westcott/August 12 2021

Pennecon Limited has been given approval to install a convex mirror at the lower exit of its industrial site on the North Side of Bay Bulls harbour.

In introducing the motion to approve the application at Monday's public council meeting, councillor Eric Maloney noted the town will not be held liable for any damages, costs, or legal actions resulting from the installation.

Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Aspell explained the purpose of the mirror is to provide an additional safety measure for traffic exiting the area. 

"This will be our first installation of a convex mirror within the town," said Mayor Harold Mullowney. "They are quite commonly in use in many other areas, especially in Ireland. They are very useful where you have blind turns and entrances. They can easily enhance the visibility and safety. I found myself in areas where I have encountered them in the past that they are excellent at night because they catch the light of oncoming vehicles that you wouldn't (otherwise) see until they come around sharp corners. So, I think it is a great idea."

Mayor encourages municipal newcomers

By Craig Westcott/August 12 2021

Bay Bulls Mayor Harold Mullowney used the closing minutes of the second last public council meeting of this term to encourage anyone listening to consider offering themselves for public office this fall.

"We're into that season again when elections are upon us," said Mullowney, who is one of the longest serving municipal leaders in Canada. "If there is anyone out there in the public who is giving this some thought, it would be a good time to think of stepping up. I know we've tried a number of times to fill some vacant seats without success. But again, if there is anyone interested, Nomination Day is fast approaching."

Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Aspell noted the call for nominations will be well publicized and that Nomination Day itself extends from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31.

"So hopefully a lot of people will mark that date," said the mayor, "and will give it some thought."

Feds fund repairs to Petty Harbour, Witless Bay, Bay Bulls docks

By Staff/August 12 2021

Petty Harbour, Bay Bulls and Witless Bay were among five towns on the Avalon Peninsula awarded money for wharf repairs last week as the federal government rolls out a battery of funding announcements ahead of an expected election call this month.

St. John’s South MP Seamus O’Regan, who represents the three Southern Shore towns noted above as part of his riding of St. John’s South – Mount Pearl, made the funding announcement.

The Petty Harbour work involves the removal of a deteriorated slipway and construction of new retaining cribs. Bay Bulls will see construction of floating docks. Witless Bay will get funding for “advanced planning” for the construction of a breakwater.

The other projects include construction of a finger pier to expand the St. John’s Prosser Rock small boat basin, and reconstruction of wharves in St. Philips that experienced storm damage last year.

“Canada’s oceans, the bounty in our waters, and the riches underneath them have created prosperity for our province,” said O’Regan. “We’re investing in local fish harvesters by improving local harbour infrastructure across Canada, including right here on the Avalon Peninsula. This will create jobs and provide continued prosperity for our community.”

Bids too high, Bay Bulls calls new trail tender

By Craig Westcott/August 12 2021

Bay Bulls council has decided to retender a call for bids to build the Long Pond walking trail.

Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Aspell explained that an e-mail vote to do that was actually conducted on July 27, because it was a very time sensitive issue. Monday's vote at council’s public meeting was to ratify the results of the e-mail vote.

Deputy Mayor Wendy O'Driscoll further explained the original tender was called in June and two bids were received, both of which significantly exceeded the Town's estimate for the cost of the work and the funds it had available to pay for it. So, the company the Town is using to design the trail, Tract Consulting, revised the specifications for the project and submitted them again to the province for approval.

"On July 27, the Town received the approval from the department to re-issue the tender," said O'Driscoll. 

The motion to approve the calling of a new tender passed unanimously with O'Driscoll and councillors Paddy Coady and Eric Maloney voting in favour. Mayor Harold Mullowney didn't participate in the discussion and vote, citing a conflict of interest. Councillor Joan Luby was absent from Monday's meeting.

The Southern Shore United Under 11 Girls soccer team enjoyed a weekend of victories and fun during a tournament played in Paradise July 31 – August 1. Not only did the squad go undefeated during the annual SunSplash tourney, they kept every team they played scoreless. They beat the Fieldians 1-0 in the championship game. The members of the team include, starting in the front row, from left: Anna Tuff, Olivia O'Driscoll, Ali Curtis, Paityn Williams, Caroline Bragg, and Khloe Johnson; and in the back row from left: Assistant Coach Wendy Pittman, Jorja Vokey, Coach Keith O'Driscoll, Jane Keough, Hayden Guiney, Gianna Pittman, Georgia Hewitt, Sophie O’Driscoll, Coach Dale O'Driscoll, and Assistant Coach Charlotte Curtis.

Hayden Guiney was named team MVP while Gianna Pittman won most Sportsmanlike for SSU.

Cape Race area gets cash for tourism strategy

Ottawa and the province have ponied up some of $183,811 to help Mistaken Point Cape Race Heritage Inc. develop a marketing strategy to promote the entire Edge of Avalon Heritage Coast from Portugal Cove South to Cape Race, including the Mistaken Point UNESCO Site.

Avalon MP Ken McDonald mad ethe announcement last week.

The money will be used to support a number of activities to promote the area’s tourism offerings, such as adding high quality photos and promotional videos to the website, upgrading signage to tourist attractions, and creating a virtual tour of Mistaken Point at the Interpretive Centre so that visitors unable to hike out to the rocks can still see the site.  

“Our province’s Avalon region holds so much beauty, history and culture,” said McDonald. “I’m proud to see the Government of Canada helping organizations like Mistaken Point Cape Race Heritage Inc. develop a strategy and activities to highlight the many sites from Portugal Cove South to Cape Race, like the Mistaken Point World UNESCO Site. It’s important that we promote our tourism assets so they can be seen far and wide, and attract visitors to our communities.”

The chairperson of the group thanked both levels of government for their financial support, which she added, will increase awareness, visitation, and the offerings available in the area.

“There are up to 25 people working at the Edge of Avalon Interpretive Centre located in Portugal Cove South, the Myrick Wireless Interpretive Centre at Cape Race, and field staff for Mistaken Point employed by the province, who deliver unique tourism experiences to visitors,” noted Gertie Molloy. “This project will help improve these offerings and increase visitation to the area and the province, which in turn will sustain our operations, maintain jobs, and contribute to small business growth in the area.”  

Cape Broyle navy diver tackling WWII ordinance

Cape Broyle native Andy O’Brien has been engaging in some interesting work this summer related to the German attack on Bell Island during World War II.

The Sailor 1st Class with the Canadian Navy has been operating a rigid hull inflatable boat as part of the project to recover and remove ordinance from the bottom of Conception Bay near the island.

From September to November 1942 four defensively armed merchant ships –  the SS Lord Strathcona, SS Saganaga, SS Rose Castle, and PLM 27, were sunk while anchored south of Bell Island, Newfoundland. This was during the height of the Battle of the Atlantic when German submarines were laying waste to Allied convoys ferrying troops, armaments and other supplies being shipped from North America to England. The ships that were torpedoed off Bell Island have since remained on the bottom with their ordinance in their respective magazines, and are a popular dive site for recreational divers.  

O’Brien is a clearance diver and member of the Fleet Diving Unit Pacific based at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt B.C. O’Brien graduated from Baltimore High School where he ran cross-country. He has been a member of the Canadian Armed Forces since 2000, and has deployed overseas and has travelled to over 40 countries. He currently lives in Sooke, BC where he lives with his wife and daughter. According to Lieutenant Richard, McKenty, a Public Affairs Officer with the Canadian Forces, O’Brien is very happy to be part of this historic operation and very much appreciates the opportunity to visit with family and friends.

Cape Broyle Green Team shinin' up stones

By Mark Squibb | July 29, 2021

A Conservation Corps Green Team is busy this summer cleaning up and beautifying the Cape Broyle Immaculate Conception Cemetery.

Last year, a Green Team cleared brush, trees, and overgrowth in the cemetery. This summer, the team, consisting of Kelly Aylward, Dylan Francis, Nicholas Dalton, and Christina Aylward, is working to make the cemetery more accessible by filling dips and clearing pathways, while adding some new features to the cemetery.

“We’re beautifying the cemetery,” explained Kelly. “We’ve made two flower beds and are in the process of making a seating area.”

The team has also helped clean several gravestones.

Because of the delicacy of the stones, some of which may date to the mid-nineteenth century, earlier this summer the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador hosted a headstone cleaning session, conducted by Robyn Lacey and Ian Petty of Black Cat Cemetery Preservation.

“We ended up cleaning nine or 10 headstones,” said Dalton. “You use a brush and a chemical which sticks into the stone and cleans it over a couple of weeks, so over time it get brighter and brighter. It was a success overall. The headstones there now are looking a lot better than the way we found d them.”

Several residents from the community have also come out to lend a hand, or just to visit.

“People from the community have been really involved,” said Christina Aylward. “We’ve had a lot of people drop in and out for a visit, and they were really impressed with the headstone cleaning. They’re happy that we’re making the cemetery more accessible, because it is a really rough spot to try and get into to. It is a heritage site, so it’s nice to see it being taken care of and restored.”

In addition to the manual work, the team has to put together five community environmental awareness presentations. The program runs for about eight weeks.

“We are really having a lot of fun, it’s a great outdoor job, we get to be out in the open, as well as helping people in our community,” summarised Kelly Aylward.

Admirals Cove crowd pitching in for five sisters in India

By Chris Lewis | July 29, 2021

For the last three years, residents in Admiral’s Cove on the Southern Shore have been gathering together as a community in the name of kindness.

On Saturday, Aug. 7, Nicola Hawkins and Andy Perlis’ garden will be filled with approximately 50 people enjoying some fresh desserts and camaraderie. “Desserts in the Garden” is a fundraiser that Hawkins and Perlis have been hosting annually now to raise money for a family they met in India many years ago.

The Rajasthanian family consists of six children, including five daughters who all work hard to maintain a living in one of India’s poorest states, where the female literacy rate sits at only 58 per cent.

“Girls there are less inclined to be educated than the boys for various reasons, but these five girls are settlers and we’ve been supporting them for about six years now,” Hawkins said.

She and Perlis have spent a lot of time in India, often travelling there in the winter. It was actually where the two initially crossed paths some 35-years ago.

Since meeting the family, Hawkins and Perlis have wanted to help them obtain a better life as best they could.

“The parents were really progressive thinkers as far as equality goes, and the empowerment of girls,” Hawkins went on.

The efforts started off as Hawkins and Perlis maintaining contact with the family, but over the last three years Hawkins said it has become more of a community effort.

“People started hearing about them through us, and they wanted to come on board and help,” Hawkins said. “It’s organized by a community of people, for a community of people.”

This year the event will also see live music being played; a first for the fundraiser, but Hawkins and Perlis hope it will not be the last.

While the fundraiser’s main purpose is to support these girls in getting a post-secondary education, the pair say it has undertaken something of a second purpose in bringing the people of Admiral’s Cove together.

Although they have no monetary goal in mind, attendees give what they can and both Hawkins and Perlis describe past years as having been great successes.

Of the girls at the receiving end of this kindness are Seema and Neeraj, who are both one year away from post-secondary graduation in the field of computer science and veterinary nursing respectively. Their younger sisters, they say, are well on their way to following a similar path.

“Going back to the same part of India year after year, it became kind of like a second home to us,” Perlis said. “We met this family, and over time we got to know them very well. In India, the education system is quite different than what we are used to here. It’s a very competitive system, so it’s normal for people who hope to go to university to have what they call tutors. That’s because there are so many different tests you have to pass in order to get in, so these funds all go toward things like that. It all costs money, so we as a community have been doing what we can to support them in that.”