O'Driscoll acclaimed as mayor of Bay Bulls

Bay Bulls council has acclaimed councillor Keith O’Driscoll as its new mayor.

The election of mayor was the first item of business to be dealt with at this week’s meeting, following former mayor Neil O’Brien’s resignation from the position back in July. O’Brien left because his job has necessitated his relocation to the United States.

Councillor Jason Sullivan nominated O’Driscoll to serve as the new mayor. Councillor Shannon O’Driscoll, Keith’s wife, seconded it. No other names were put forward, and O’Driscoll was acclaimed mayor effective immediately.

“As the new mayor of Bay Bulls, I would first like to thank our deputy mayor, Jason O’Brien, for taking the reins for the last month,” said O’Driscoll. “I’d also like to thank our previous mayor, Neil O’Brien, for his time as mayor. I would like to wish him and his family the best.”

Had there been another candidate, council would have conducted a secret ballot.

O’Driscoll received the highest vote count in the 2021 fall election, and had been nominated for the position of mayor by Shannon O’Driscoll back in September, but lost out to O’Brien.

A nomination date to fill the vacant seat on council was set for August 24, with an election, if need be, on September 14.

Plan tabled to develop former Holyrood Pond Park near the Gaskiers

Plans to redevelop the long-shuttered former Provincial Park at Holyrood Pond into a park for RVs appears to be afoot again.

This week, the Department of Environment reported the registration of a proposal to construct a recreational vehicle park with a day park at Holyrood Pond in Gaskiers, which is located on Route 90, in St. Mary’s Bay. The proposed site is 23.5 hectares in size.

The deadline for public comments is August 26, 2022. Minister Bernard Davis’ decision on the application is due by September 4, 2022.

There have been a number of attempts since the closure of the park to reactivate the former campground or convert it to an RV park. Holyrood Pond is the largest inland body of water on the Avalon Peninsula. Holyrood Pond was among a number of provincial parks closed by the Liberal government in the 1990s as it dealt with a huge financial crunch in the wake of the cod moratorium and the fallout of heavy borrowing having been done by the government it replaced.

The people behind the latest proposal, Frank and Rennie Tobin, plan to rename the park, Serenity Shores at Holyrood Pond. It would contain more than 32 sites for RVs, motorhomes, trailers and caravans, as well as seven small cabins and 22 “glamping” tents. There will also be five outdoor portable bathrooms and a boat dock for canoes.

The development will be conducted over five phases in as many years, according to the document filed with the Environment Department. The proponents estimate the construction will employ two to 10 workers , and once open, employ anywhere from one to six workers depending on the amount of business during the tourist season.

Witless Bay awards tender for softball field

By Mark Squibb/July 29, 2022

It’s good news for softball players in Witless Bay.

Council has awarded a tender to O’Brien’s Trucking for $38,525, HST included, to start upgrades on the pitch.

Councillor Jacob Hayden said the improvements will bring the softball field up to standard.

The work is to be completed with federal funding. The Town received $120,000 from ACOA in February to “enhance outdoor space to improve accessibility and safety and increase recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.”

Upgrades are to include new playground equipment, ballfield renovations and trail system improvements.

Deputy Mayor Lorna Yard and Gerard Dunne declared conflicts of interest and did not vote on the matter.

In other news, council is looking to move its dog park, pending a feasibility study on the cost of such a venture.

“We’ve had multiple requests since we’ve come into office about better access to our dog park,” said Hayden. “People have requested that we move it as well, into a better area.”

Hayden added that folks from neighbouring communities enjoy bringing their pooches to the park.

Councillor Alex Troake said if the cost is reasonable, the Town ought to look at relocating the park to the playground area, which is something, he added, residents have requested.

The motion to move the dog park, pending a feasibility study, passed unanimously.

Members of the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department unveiled the new fire department logo earlier this month. It was designed by Deputy Mayor Lorna Yard with Fire Chief Jack Gatherall, Assistant Chief Shane Cole, and other department members. Left to right are Shane Cole, Sylvester Cahill, Adam Doyle, Chris Courtney, Steph Croft, Jeff Kelly, Chrystal Kelly, Wes Learning, McKenna Walsh, Jack Gatherall, Daniel Vickers, Nick Legge and Caitlin Yard. Missing from the photo are firefighters Dylan Whitty- Lundrigan, Connor O’ Driscoll, Jarrett Waddleton, Michael Clarke, Zack Clarke, Chris Hollett, Jeremy Legge, Andrew Gibbons, Rodney Norris, Danielle Dinn, Patrick Maloney, Brandon Clarke, Dave Ryan, Kenneth Penney, Daniel Coady, Cyril Dalton, and Lee Dunne. Submitted photo

Witless Bay, Holyrood to split Witless Bay Line fire coverage

By Mark Squibb/July 22, 2022

The Town of Witless Bay will work with NL 911 as well as provincial Fire and Emergency Services to extend the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department’s service boundary approximately 10kms across the Witless Bay Line.

The request to amend the NL911 map and Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department response district was discussed and unanimously approved during last week’s council meeting.

“So, what will happen is, if you’re halfway across the Witless Bay Line and you have an accident, and you call 911, all calls go to the RCMP to determine whether or not the fire department is needed,” explained Deputy Mayor Lorna Yard. “And you have to remember, that RCMP officer could be in Trepassey, he’s not on the scene, so it’s hard for him to make that call. By extending our coverage across the line, that will drastically improve safety, and faster response times. Because we have a lot of residents who travel for pleasure, for work, and right now there’s very little coverage on that line.”

Yard said the Holyrood Fire Department has agreed to cover the remainder of the Witless Bay Line.

“The Witless Bay Fire Department has a good working relationship with Holyrood, and Holyrood are going to take the other 50 percent of the line on the other side,” said Yard. “So, both departments will notify each other in the event of a call, to ensure that somebody responds and so that way we can ensure coverage for all of the line, which right now currently doesn’t exist.”

Bay Bulls defers Crown Land application over watershed concern

By Mark Squibb/July 22, 2022

Bay Bulls may see construction begin on a new subdivision — if it turns out the land is not inside a watershed.

Last week, council voted to defer a Crown Land application for a parcel of land that the Division of Water Resources, an arm of the provincial Department of Environment, says may exist in a potential watershed.

“There is an applicant that is seeking Crown Land, the property is in the area of Cemetery Lane West and also borders the Lower Path Road,” explained CAO Jennifer Aspell. “There is a potential watershed area that has been identified through mapping through the Water Resources Division and, so the decision is being made to refer the Crown Land application back to advise that the Town is deferring any approval until Water Resources reviews the potential watershed area and identifies if there are any concerns.”

The current proposal, said Aspell, is for a 36-lot subdivision.

 “It would be important to note that we don’t have engineering drawings, or anything detailed at this point,” said Aspell. “It’s a very high-level plan that’s accompanying the application – nothing beyond that.”

The motion to defer was approved unanimously.