Lack of quorum delays snow clearing motion

By Mark Squibb

Bay Bulls council was unable to ratify an e-mail vote regarding snow clearing at its last meeting due to a loss of quorum.

The change order was for a minimal value addition to the lump sum snow clearing contract to include the use of the contractor’s loader to push back the snow at both the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre and Town Hall if needed.

Town staff usually maintain and plow those two spots throughout the winter, but their largest piece of snow clearing equipment is a 5500 Dodge Ram that is not capable of large pushback operations.

Due to a family connection, Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien declared a conflict of interest, and as Mayor Keith O’Driscoll and councillor Ethan Williams were absent, only councillors Jason Sullivan and Corey Ronayne were left to vote on the matter, and so council lost quorum and the motion was moved to April’s meeting.

Bay Bulls is somewhat unusual in that while most town councils around the province boast a compliment of seven members, it only has five. For most of its history since incorporation, the town had no trouble filling a slot of seven and saw many competitive elections. However, after the last council had trouble filling openings during a spate of by-election calls in 2020, the Town received permission from Municipal Affairs to conduct business permanently with a complement of five. With a compliment of five members, three members constitute quorum.

Ferryland hoping feds will help bolster harbour infrastructure

By Mark Squibb

The Town of Ferryland is planning to apply to the federal government for funding for some much needed work around the harbour.

The Town hosted an information session last Thursday at the Town Hall. Mayor Aidan Costello said roughly 30 to 40 people showed up, representing local businesses, the fishery, the Colony of Avalon, and the Shamrock Folk Arts Council, along with members of the general public.

“They even gave us a standing ovation,” joked the mayor.

Folks who know Ferryland know how susceptible the harbour is to damages, particularly during the winter months.

“The Ferryland harbour is well exposed to every wind that blows,” said Costello. “We get it from the north, the east and the south.”

Those damages result in costly cleanups.

“In our first year as council, we had a planning session, and one of the things identified was the need to improve harbour infrastructure,” said Costello. “From there we sought out partners to help us, and we met with (the federal Department of Fisheries’) Small Crafts and Harbours (division). We met with them and started to make some plans… From there, we developed a concept of what the new harbour improvements would include.”

The Town will be submitting funding requests in two phases. Phase 1 would include a new armour stone breakwater, a marginal wharf and slipway.

Costello said that a plan for Phase 2 has yet to be developed, although possible projects could include floating docks and more armour stone.

“There’s a lot of things that we’d like to do, and that we’re hoping to do,” said Costello, who said council is hoping to submit its application sooner rather than later.

The mayor added that Avalon MP Ken McDonald has been supportive and helpful throughout the process.

An exact budget for the project hasn’t yet been determined.

St. Mary's Bay running family conquers the world

Kevin (left), wife Shirley and brother Art Fagan have now completed all six World Major Marathons. The trio completed the Tokyo Marathon earlier this month, cementing their status as Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Finishers. The six majors include Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York. Each marathon is a distance of 41 kilometers. Submitted photo

By Mark Squibb

Following completion of the Tokyo Marathon earlier this month, Shirley, Kevin and Art Fagan can rightfully call themselves World Marathon Majors Six Star Finishers.

It’s a title that can be claimed only after completing the six Major Marathons — Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York.

“I’ve got a young son, and this more or less sets an example for him that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to,” said Art Fagan, 61.

Brothers Kevin and Art hail from St. Joseph’s, while Kevin’s wife Shirley hails from Point La Haye St. Mary’s Bay. Kevin and Shirley now call Kilbride home, while Art has moved to Calgary.

Art, who has run 25 marathons, can still recall crossing the finish line at his first major one in Boston in 2005.

“It was quite emotional, because it’s something you’ve never experienced before in your life,” he said. “When I got to 36 kilometers of the race, I got this extreme pain on the outside of my knees, and actually stopped… So I was hobbling along, and the next thing I know, someone tapped on my shoulder. And it was a gentleman from Australia, and he said, ‘Come on bud,’ and he put his arm under mine, and he got me going again. And so, we ran side-by-side, and we hit kilometer 42, and we were heading for the finish line… But I looked back, and about 200 meters back, he was on his knees, and I said, ‘He did it for me, I’ll do it for him,’ so I turned around and went back and got him across. So, out of the 25 marathons, it wasn’t my best race, but it was my most memorable.”

Kevin completed his first marathon in 2009 in St. John’s.

“I found that was the most emotional,” said Kevin, 63. “I cried when I finished my first marathon.”

Both brothers cite the 2011 Boston Marathon as one of their favorites.

“Myself and my brothers Art and Steve did it together,” said Kevin. “We had a good time, and there were a bunch of other Newfoundlanders in that marathon. That’s one of the highlights when you go to these marathons, and you meet all these other Newfoundlanders. You get to meet new people and have fun. There are so many nice people involved in the running community, and they’re really supportive of one another. When people get involved in running and they start meeting other people, I think that attracts them to keep at it.”

In fact, the Irish Loop Post ran a front-page story upon their return, as participants need to qualify for the Boston Marathon (along with the New York Marathon), and for three brothers to qualify for the same marathon is quite a feat.

“It’s tough to get into some of these races,” said Kevin. “Some of them, like Boston and New York where you have to qualify, the qualifying time is difficult to achieve. And that’s why most people can’t get this done, because Boston and New York are very difficult to get into because of the qualifying times.”

Runners typically put in six to eight months of training prior to a marathon. Art said that an understanding spouse is a necessity.

“You’ve got to have a partner in your life who’s understanding,” said Art. “Because, for pretty well 20 years, I would disappear for three hours every Sunday morning, to run. I would wake up at 6 a.m. and be gone… So, to succeed in this kind of life, you have to have someone who’s supportive.”

Art said he enjoys the competitive nature of racing, but also the camaraderie, while Kevin said running helps him manage stress.

“I find when I’m running, and I have different challenges at work or different issues to try and resolve, I find that often the answers come to me while I’m running,” said Kevin.

Kevin, who has run 17 marathons, suggests that beginners ease themselves into the sport.

“Don’t push too hard too soon,” he advised. “It’s something that you want to do gradually. Set smaller goals first, and then try and step up. When I learned to run for 30 minutes, it was a big deal. And when I got there, and was running 30 minutes all the time, I realized that if you keep going for that extra five, all of a sudden you get a second wind, you get more energy. And running 50 minutes versus 30 minutes is not that much different.”

Shirley, meanwhile, ran her first marathon in 2011, and has completed 10 marathons.

Bay Bulls imposes a limit on speed humps

By Mark Squibb

Bay Bulls council last week approved a new traffic calming plan that will see temporary speed humps installed near playgrounds and the recreation grounds.

The temporary speed humps will be installed, when weather permits, according to a location map, including at playgrounds and recreation areas.

All told, nine speed humps will be installed — one along Sheldon Drive, two along Island Cove Road, and six near the main recreational grounds on Cemetery Lane West.

No further speed humps will be installed around town other than those specified in the plan.

Councillor Jason Sullivan voiced his approval of the plan.

“I don’t believe they worked,” said Sullivan of some of the speed humps installed previously. “If speed bumps had worked, we wouldn’t continually be getting requests for them. I think frustrated drivers speed up between them. So, I like the idea of getting back to the practicality of putting them around recreation areas where children are hanging out.”

Councillor Corey Ronayne noted the plan recommends six speed humps for the recreation area along Cemetery Lane West, and suggested council revisit the plan before they are installed.

Town CAO Ashley Wakeham said the speed humps are temporary, and can be removed or relocated if necessary.

“If they don’t work, or we feel they’re excessive, we can always pull them up,” said Wakeham. “That’s not an issue.”

The three councillors present – Sullivan, Ronayne, and Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien — voted in favour of the plan. Mayor Keith O’Driscoll and councillor Ethan Williams were absent from the meeting.

And then there were four

By Mark Squibb

Witless Bay council is down to four members following the resignations of Lorna Yard and her husband and fellow councillor Alan Richards last week.

Yard announced their resignations on her personal Twitter account, complaining about a lack of support from her former colleagues but offering no details to support her gripes.

Mayor Trevor Croft would not speak to the matter, and instead redirected inquires to Town CAO Jennifer Aspell.

Aspell would only confirm that the Town received the two resignations last Thursday.

The Irish Loop Post also tried to contact councillors Ralph Carey, Gerard Dunne, and Jacob Hayden.

Hayden said he was unable to comment on the matter as media requests are to be directed to the mayor.

Dunne and Cary did not respond.

Yard was elected during the 2021 municipal election and was named deputy mayor shortly afterwards.

She served as council’s liaison with the volunteer fire department and was a supporter of more funding for the service.

Along with councillors Gerard Dunne, Alex Troake, and Mayor Trevor Croft, Yard voted against increased funding for the Bay Bulls Bauline Athletic Association, a contentious issue that ultimately saw Witless Bay cutting off funding to the group altogether.

A longtime opponent of any development of the back lands off Ragged Beach, Yard fought to establish an environmental reserve and restrict a couple of private landowners from enjoying the full use of their properties.

Back in 2017, prior to landing a seat at the council table, Yard challenged the residency of then Deputy Mayor Fraser Pual, claiming he did not reside in Witless Bay during the required 30-day period leading up the nomination date of his election The court ruled in Yard’s favor.

Richards, meanwhile, was acclaimed to council in August following the resignations of councillors Alex Troake and Nancy Burke.

The resignations of Yard and Richards comes just a few weeks after they participated in a vote to evict rookie councillor Margaret Swain from council for an alleged conflict of interest regarding a vote to establish a Crown Land Reserve at Ragged Beach.

Swain had been acclaimed to council in November.

The resignations, coupled with Swain’s eviction, has reduced council to four members.

Swain had previously indicated to the Irish Loop Post that she would be appealing council’s decision. But when contacted Wednesday about the status of her decision, Swain declined to comment.

The Town has yet to set a by-election date.

Goulds hockey fans outdo themselves at charity classic

By Mark Squibb

The 8th Annual St. Kevin’s High Alumni Hockey Charity Classic has proven to be the biggest yet, with fans and corporate donors contributing $11,725, about $4,000 above last year’s total, which was the previous record.

“Any bit of money we can raise is a good thing,” said organizer Jason Snelgrove. “But when one of the organizers came out and passed me the slip of paper at the end, when I saw the total, I had to take three or four glances. I thought they must have miscounted somewhere.”

Snelgrove noted organizers this year secured ice time ahead of the alumni game for a free community general skate, and that the Goulds U7 and U9 Pacers played games during the intermission, which drew even more people to the game. He said these additions likely helped increased the donations but many folks are eager anyway to come out and help support a good cause.

The donations were distributed to a number of local causes, but the lion’s share, totalling over $8,000, was donated to Amanda Walsh, a St. Kevin’s High School alumni currently battling breast cancer.

“We were glad to be able to provide that level of financial support to take some of that strain and pressure off of her as she’s fighting her fight,” said Snelgrove. “There’s a whole lot of people in her corner and a whole lot of people thinking about her and supporting her.”

Organizers also donated $500 to Daffodil Place, $1,350 to the NL Down Syndrome Society (last year’s major recipient), and $1,500 to the Curtis Hudson Memorial Fund.

Snelgrove said while he hopes for an increase in donations each year, the event would be considered a success regardless.

“Overall, it was a huge success, so I’m certainly happy” said Snelgrove, who allowed the success of this year’s game has ensured the tradition will continue next year.

The game itself was tight throughout, but a volley of goals toward the end confirmed a win for the alumni team, which defeated the young guns 9-5.

“I said at the end of the game, ‘I don’t know how we did it,’” Snelgrove laughed. “The high school team is younger, they’re faster, they’re in better shape, they’re more skilled. Everything that they do they do better than we do. Maybe it’s just that as you get older you play the game in a little bit more of a smarter way. I don’t know.”

St. Kevins High School student Brendan Ryan tries to steal the puck from Alumni player Mark Williams who tries to protect it during action in the annual Charity Classic at Goulds Arena earlier this month. Bringing up the rear is St. Kevin’s High School student Keegan O’Brien. Photo courtesy of Stacey Birmingham Photography

Council awards line painting contract, focuses on tangly intersection

By Mark Squibb

Bay Bulls council this week voted to issue a request for proposals for line painting on a newly paved section of parking lot located behind the Regional Lifestyle Centre.

As the pavement has only been laid recently, direction will have to be given to the successful bidder on where to place the parking lines, directional arrows, accessible spots, etcetera.

Once awarded, the work will commence in the spring.

Council also added a new traffic layout for the intersection of Lower Road, Quays Road, and South Side Road to the request in hopes of bettering the intersection.

Champions all around

Athletes from Mobile Central High School claimed both the top spot and the runner up spot earlier this month at the Basketball NL East Coast Tournament Grade 6A competition. Because of the number of girls who play basketball at Mobile, the school sent two teams to the provincial tournament. Both squads went undefeated before going head-to-head in the championship game, with the Monarch White team earning the win. In the back, from left, are coach Nicole Martin, coach Laura Doyle, Rhea Doyle, Faith Gillespie, Kenedi Pardy, Abbi Sullivan, Bree Joyce, Reese Kavanagh, Raegan Dalton, coach Audrey Dalton, and coach Jennifer Sullivan. In the middle row, from left, are Ava Curtis, Faith Dalton, Jenna Keough, Olivia O'Driscoll, Italia Costello, Emma Ward, Ivy Brothers, Kayleigh Dalton, Molly Tobin, Mya Kenny, Lauren Johnson, Ava Lundrigan, Sara Aylward, and Mya Carey. In the front, from left, are Emilee Martin, Claire Carey, Callie Coombs, and Darcie Corrigan. Missing from the photo is Zoey Dowden.

Bell tolls notice of busy year ahead for Heritage Committee

By Craig Westcott

Plans are being made by the Witless Bay Heritage Committee to install new storyboards and replace the existing one on Lundrigan's Road.

That’s the little lane off the main highway through Witless Bay where the river that feeds down from the back country and through the town swimming pool eventually burbles ins way downhill to spill into the ocean near the convenience store on the main road.

Councillor Jacob Hayden, who is council's liaison with the committee, said a couple of the new storyboards, which will go up in the cemetery, will tell the story of the church bell from St. Patrick's Church. The group is also planning to make and install some new crosses at the cemetery and continue its maintenance program there.

Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Aspell noted that when the group was salvaging the old bell, the Town agreed to cover the cost of removing it from church and moving it to the cemetery. The committee is hoping to have the bell and beams cleaned and erected in time for the annual Cemetery Mass this summer.

“That was our in-kind contribution to the Heritage Committee's initiative up there," Aspell explained.

The CAO also pointed out the Town's application for an Accessible Community Grant from the Province for an accessible rest area at the Upper Pond where the river spills toward the sea, also involves the Heritage committee. Its members have agreed to create the content for the interpretative panels that will be installed at the site.

"As you know, we've already approved development of a tourism lookout at the Lower Pond, so we're going to be revitalizing that whole area, with new interpretative panels there," Aspell said. "They're also going to create the content for those. If there are any (others) that we do in town, they've agreed to do those also. It's wonderful to have that partnership."

Witless Bay council gives property owners more room to spread their things

By Craig Westcott

Witless Bay council has voted to amend the Town's development regulations to allow for bigger sheds, garages and other accessory buildings.

"This is something that we've been working towards pretty much since we got on council (in 2021)" said councillor Jacob Hayden, the chair of the planning committee, who gave a resume of the main changes.

"We've increased the total maximum floor area of an accessory building from 70 metres squared to 100 metres squared, per floor," said Hayden. "And in the case where there may be more than one accessory building on the property, the total maximum floor area will be a collective maximum of 150 metres squared."

The new rules also see the minimum clearance from the nearest point of a residential building going to three metres from the previous minimum of two metres.

Greenhouses and cold frames with areas of 16 metres or less will no longer require a permit and will not be included in calculating the total area of accessory buildings.

The motion carried unanimously at last month's public meeting held on February 20.

In related news, council approved a motion to delegate its authority for issuing fence and patio permits to Town staff to expedite small construction projects for residents.

"This is just something to streamline processes for our residents," said Hayden. "They're very straightforward applications when they come in and nobody wants to have to wait a month (for the next council meeting) to put their patio down."

That motion also passed unanimously.