September 29, 2023 Edition
Autumn Clarke of Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove has earned a number of accolades for her soccer prowess this past season. This week, the St. Kevin’s High School student was named as one of two goalkeepers for Newfoundland and Labrador to compete in the Canada Summer Games.
By Mark Squibb
September 29, 2023 Edition
Bay Bulls council last week awarded two maintenance contracts and issued a request for proposals for prime consultant services for an upcoming project.
First off, council awarded a contract for catch basin cleaning services to the lowest compliant bidder, GFL Environmental Services, for a total cost of $2,616, plus HST.
Council also bought a number of corrugated pipes to have on hand for culvert maintenance purposes from the lowest compliant bidder, Witless Bay Home Building Centre, at a cost of $5,400, plus HST.
Speaking of culverts, council fielded a request from a resident asking council to install a culvert near a previous right-of-way on Bill Joy’s Lane.
Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien believed a former council had moved the right-of-way for one reason or another, and so made the motion to reinstate the culvert, which was approved.
Council also issued a request for proposals for prime consultant services for the Northside Road project.
By Mark Squibb
September 29, 2023 Edition
Bay Bulls council last week approved a number of development applications, both residential and commercial.
First off, council ratified an e-mail vote of council conducted this past August to approve a Crown Land application for a half acre of land to build a single-family home along Tract Road.
Council also approved a Crown Land application for reconstruction of an access road along Tract Road.
Council approved a residential development on Island Cove Road pending receipt of the certificate of approval from the provincial government for the installation of septic and well systems.
Council also approved a variance application from a resident on Groves Road to reduce a required lot area by two percent. Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien noted the variance was minor, and that Town policy allows for variances of up to 10 per cent.
Three residents wrote letters to council opposing the variance.
“They said they don’t agree with it, but didn’t tell us the reason why,” said O’Brien.
There was a brief discussion on whether council shouldn’t give the residents another opportunity to explain their opposition, but as the variance had been advertised for seven days as per Town policy, council decided to approve the application.
Council then approved an application for a residential development on the same piece of land, pending approval from the provincial government for installation of septic and well systems.
Council next approved a childcare business on Dunn Drive, followed by an approval in principle for a new residential development on Island Cove Road, pending approval from the provincial government for the installation of septic and well systems.
The final item was a Crown Land application for development of 12.39 hectares of land for commercial use along Winnosh Drive, which council approved.
The Town of Bay Bulls has called a by-election following the resignation of councillor Shannon O’Driscoll.
Mayor Keith O’Driscoll, Shannon’s husband, explained during the opening minutes of this week’s public meeting that his wife had resigned due to work and family commitments.
Later in the meeting, council set Tuesday, October 10 as nomination day.
“Hopefully we get some interest,” said Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien. “Last time we had a round of this, we only had one nomination, so hopefully we get some more interest this time.”
That last call for nominations O’Brien was referring to was in August of 2022, when Corey Ronayne stepped forward to fill a seat left vacant by former Mayor Neil O’Brien.
Shannon O’Driscoll, meanwhile, served as a town representative, along with Jason Sullivan, on the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre board. She also represented council on the heritage and youth advisory committees.
Back in February of 2022, she, along with her husband Keith, had voted in favour of reinstating council’s normal complement of members to seven from five, a motion which was defeated by then Mayor Neil O’Brien, Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien, and councillor Jason Sullivan.
A young man from Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove has found a way to help keep his community clean and tidy while earning a few bucks for himself in the process.
Preston Clarke, 15, has been offering lawn care services for the last several summers through his business Precision Ground Care.
The business started a few summers ago when a lady inquired about who around town could mow her lawn.
Clarke thought he was just the man for the job.
“So, I went down after school one day and helped her out with that, and from that, I thought this was something I could make some money out of,” said Clarke.
And while many might groan at the thought of having to mow their lawn or spread fertilizer, Clarke said he enjoys the work.
“I like having fun with it,” said Clarke, who’s been known to draw his initials with his lawnmower on his family’s lawn before giving it a final go over. “And I like tidiness, so I like helping people out by making their properties look nice.”
Just this fall, Clarke was awarded the Youth Ventures Award for Excellence in Financial Management, an award given to a young person savvy with the way they handle the finances of their business.
Clarke uses different software tools to manage his finances, issue invoices for his customers, and keep track of his income, and added that winning the award came as a surprise.
The St. Kevin’s High School student encouraged others to not hold off on pursuing a business venture they think they might enjoy.
“If you have an idea, try it out; if it doesn’t work out, oh well, find another idea,” said Clarke.
Preston Clarke of Petty Harbour enjoying a moment of free time with his buddy Dexter. The St. Kevin's student has won a Youth Ventures Award for the way he manages the finances of his lawn care business.
Lace up your skates because preparations are underway in Bay Bulls for a new outdoor community skating rink behind the Regional Lifestyle Centre.
Council issued a request for proposals for site preparation work for the new outdoor community rink during Monday’s public council meeting.
Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien said the Town is planning on leveling off some ground before erecting the rink.
“This is just the first step along the way to make the ground more suitable,” said O’Brien.
Mayor Keith O’Driscoll noted the Town was able to secure a donation of leftover boards from the Mary Brown’s Centre for the rink. Members of council expressed their gratitude for the donation.
Furthermore, the Town agreed to submit an application to Active NL for funding for the rink.
By Craig Westcott / September 15, 2023
Witless Bay council will make a second attempt to fill a vacancy in the chamber, this time following the rules set out in the Municipalities Act.
Council voted Tuesday to hold nominations for the vacant seat on October 5 with the by-election, if enough candidates come forward to make it a contest, scheduled for Wednesday, November 1.
The previous call for nominations this past August, in which Alan Richards, the husband of Deputy Mayor Lorna Yard, was acclaimed to council, didn't meet the 10-day notice period for nominations, nor did council properly advertise the nomination call. However, a spokesperson for the provincial Department of Municipal Affairs said the department would only intervene if someone complained. Richards remains on council and voted on the resolutions for the latest byelection call.
It was Yard who made the motion this time to schedule a nomination call with a proper notification period. Council also agreed to appoint Linda Carter as the Alternate Returning Officer for the by-election.
In other council news:
Council approved an application for a backlot development at 156 Harbour Road. The application was advertised for public comment and no objections were raised against it.
Council also approved a Crown Land application at an address it did not disclose at the public meeting. Councillor Jacob Hayden made the motion to approve the application, but with a reduced size from what the applicant was originally seeking. The motion was seconded by councillor Ralph Carey.
"We kind of just reviewed this application and because of the area that the application is entailing we had a meeting with the resident that was applying for the land, and we came to an agreement that we would modify the map in order to provide potential access to land that would be behind this area," said Hayden.
Council said no to a request from a seasonal business to change its tax status, but did agree to refund $1,284 of its taxes.
"If anytime the business operates beyond the six months of the year, the full amount of taxes owing for 2023 will be due," said Hayden. "This business is basically a winter only seasonal operation. The reason why we had to deny the request for business tax reclassification is basically because it's so far into the year we can't reclassify something that's before March 31, when our budget is finalized. We do understand that the resident is not making a lot of money off this operation and the amount of taxes we were going to take from them was substantial for the amount of money that they're taking in. So, we recognized that and that's why we brought in the remission of the taxes."
Council approved a motion from Yard to pre-approve invoices from Advantage Personnel. It was seconded by Richards.
"This is just to set up a proper payment plan with the temp agency who is currently providing us some staff assistance until the end of our bargaining year with our union coming up," said Yard. "So, we're looking at how we're going to staff the office, and how that's going to look. But for now, we just need some extra help to speak to the public, take tax payments and keep the office running."
A check with the Town Hall after the meeting however, clarified that the staffing arrangement with Advantage Personnel has nothing to do with the Town’s collective agreement with the union, which expires this year. Rather, a temporary worker has been retained from the company to fill in for a Town employee who is on leave.
Council also agreed to award a $21,390 plus HST contract to Pinnacle Solutions to upgrade the technology at the Town Hall and Fire Hall.
The motion was made by Richards and seconded by Yard.
"This is a sorely needed upgrade for us," said Richards. "We've been on antiquated technology that's just destined for the bin, essentially. This will give us some added security and will take some load off (chief administrative officer) Jennifer (Aspell) hopefully in searching for records."
That comment made Aspell chuckle.
"The important thing is that we will be able to back up everything that we're doing," said Aspell, "and centralize access through a server."
Richards noted he has worked with Pinnacle in the past "and they have a very good reputation."
Council has agreed to delegate authority to Town staff to issue routine permits for home renovations and to extend the closing period for permits when necessary.
"We're hoping to streamline for anybody who is coming in for a basic permit (so that) it doesn't have to go through a public meeting," said Carey. “We're only meeting once a month so we're trying to be helpful to the residents."
The Town has awarded a $4,441 + HST contract to GFL to clean out Witless Bay's catch basins.
"We have 32 catch basins in town, and they need to be cleaned out generally annually," said Hayden. "It's coming up now for storm season and it's a good idea to get those done now so that we don't end up with any flooding issues around town."
Mark Squibb / September 15, 2023
Samantha Thorne, 29, of Witless Bay was named the recipient of Youth Venture’s Newfoundland and Labrador Excellence in Marketing Award at the group’s 26th annual award show this August.
Throne is both owner and principal designer of Heart + Home Design Co, and offers clients interior design and project manager services.
“It was very unexpected, but obviously very exciting and an honour,” said Thorne.
She launched the business in May of this year, but had been working as a designer for six years prior to branching out on her own.
Her interest in the field goes back even further.
“I’ve loved the residential construction industry ever since I was a little girl,” said Thorne. “My dad did a three-year renovation on our home, from when I was six until I was nine, and I was so interested every step of the way. I think it’s just really fascinating. I’m very creative, but I’m also a very technical person, and I feel that interior design really marries the two really well. And me, personally, I get so excited working with individual clients and really tailoring to their project needs and specific style.”
After giving birth to a daughter in 2022, Throne was unable to return to work because of a lack of available childcare.
“I thought about it a lot, and said, ‘You know, this is as good a time as any to start my own business,’” said Throne. “It’s something that I’ve always planned on doing. I thought maybe it was a little further in my future, but everything lined up for me to start it now and I’m so happy that I did.”
She encouraged those who have a dream of running their own business one day to chase that dream.
“It might sound cliché, but if it’s something you’re passionate about, if it’s something you want to do for the rest of your life, do it,” said Thorne. “It’s not going to be easy, its going to be difficult. Every path is different to getting to the point of where you’re content doing what you’re doing. But even the hard days are worth it, because I get to do what I love every single day. I’m not going to a job I don’t want to be at.”
Youth Ventures is a not-for-profit organization funded by Atlantic Canada’s Community Business Development Corporations, including the Celtic CBDC, that helps youth and adults ages 12-29 start their own businesses.
Samantha Thorne of Witless Bay was recently awarded Youth Venture’s Excellence in Marketing award. Thorne is owner and principal designer of Heart + Home Design Co., a company she founded earlier this year. Submitted photo.
The Southern Shore U15 Girls soccer team members are proud silver medallists after an intense weekend of competition in Conception Bay South. The girls went against the Burin Peninsula in the gold medal game of the Metro Championships. Neither team scored during regulation time, leading to a five-round shootout that saw the Burin Peninsula team earn the win. In the back row, from left to right are coach Jessica Power, Christa Power, Lily Stamp, Audrey Molloy, Leela Joyce, Emma Oates, Neela Mullowney, and Lucy Murphy. In the front row, from left to right are Rachael Randell, Kennedy Melvin, Ava Gibson, Erin O'Driscoll, Ava Collett, Peyton Chidley, Ella Hefferman, and Taylor Windsor. Missing from the photo is coach Rodney Joyce. Submitted photo
By Mark Squibb / September 1, 2023
The Town of Witless Bay last week approved a number of different donations and payments to local community groups.
Council approved a donation of $500 to the local Kinsmen Club for their Community Pantry School Supply Drive.
“The Kinsmen recently issued a call for donations to assist with their back to school drive,” said Deputy Mayor Lorna Yard. “And the rising cost of living is certainly having an impact on many families with children going back to school. So, we had a discussion; should we go and buy supplies, or what would be the best thing? And in the end, we decided to donate a cheque because as they get supplies coming in, they’ll be able to fill in the gaps with some money.”
Council also voted to donate $50 to the Alzheimer’s Society for their Coffee Break fundraisers.
Yard explained the Alzheimer’s Society had originally asked the Town to host a Coffee Break fundraiser.
“But, given the fact that we only have a small complement of staff and all of us (who are on council) work during the day so none of us would be able to make it, it’s not really something that we can easily do, and we wouldn’t raise very much money, so instead we decided to give them a $50 cheque,” said Yard.
Council also voted to release a cheque in the amount of $10,000 to the Ken Williams Southern Shore Arena as its annual stabilization fund payment.
Yard noted that council had meant to issue the payment in 2022, but that the cheque had never been issued, hence the reason for this week’s motion.
