Bay Bulls to address tangly intersection

Bay Bulls councillor Jason Sullivan.

By Mark Squibb

Bay Bulls council has approved the reconfiguration of a troublesome intersection.

During a meeting held earlier this July, councillor Jason Sullivan moved that council approve a reconfiguration of the intersection of Southside Road, Quays Road, and Lower Road.

“I think this needs to be fixed,” said Sullivan. “It’s a tangle that doesn’t need to be there.”

Deputy Mayor Jason O'Brien said that he himself had met oncoming traffic heading in the wrong direction.

Councillor Ethan Williams seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously, except that Mayor Keith O’Driscoll was not in attendance and thus did not vote.

Councillor Corey Ronayne allowed the suggested fix will be an easy one.

Lower Road and Quay’s Road both intersect Southside Road from opposite directions, creating a tangled web of possible routes drivers may take.

Cape Broyle Chase the Ace heating up

By Mark Squibb

The cards are heating up as the Cape Broyle Church Committee’s Chase the Ace enters it’s thirty-sixth week this weekend with only 16 cards left and a jackpot approaching 20K.

Committee member Wayne Kenny says he couldn’t tell you exactly how many people have been showing up these last few weeks, as it’s hard to count heads when you’re cutting cards, but said that as the jackpot grows, the crowds have been getting bigger.

Kenny said the committee is especially thankful for a core group of supporters who have been chasing the elusive Ace from the get-go.

“We’re very thankful for the people who did come out over the long, cold winter,” said Kenny. “There’s a core group of people who have been supporting us since day one, and we’re very, very appreciative of those people. They’re out almost every week. Now that the jackpot is growing and we’re getting more people, we’d like to thank the regulars, the people who have been out all winter.”

Some folks have begun coming from as far as the Goulds to chase the ace — you’ll likely remember that a Chase the Ace game hosted by St. Kevin’s Parish some years back drew thousands of folks to the Goulds as the jackpot hit millions.

The Cape Broyle Church Committee, meanwhile, began raising funds in August 2022, and last year successfully raised enough money to purchase the Immaculate Conception Church at a cost of about $77,700. The committee continues to raise money for ongoing maintenance and repairs, as well as to pay the monthly bills for heat and insurance. Just recently, the committee arranged to have some of the historic stained-glass windows removed and sent for repair.

Down the road, the committee hopes to upgrade the church’s electrical system and install a septic system, amongst other upgrades.

Kenny said the committee aims to repurpose the building so that it can be enjoyed by the entire community, while also staying true to its religious purpose.

“We’re trying to turn this into a multi-functional building,” said Kenny. “We do have church services every week, but we also trying to expand it’s usage, while still maintaining the sanctity of the church, as it is. We’re slowly turning this into something more than a church building. We want it to be part of the community again.”

Chase the Ace is held each Sunday evening at Riverside Lounge. The doors open at 6 p.m., and the card draw is at 7:45 p.m.

This Sunday’s jackpot starts at $17,741.

Kenny said the committee is very happy for the support from Riverside Lounge, who have allowed the group to host the card game each Sunday evening.

Mobile Central High players selected to compete at Women's National Championships

Two basketball players from Mobile Central High have been selected to compete at the 2024 15U and 17U Women’s National Championships, which will be held in St. John’s this August.

Abby Mullowney (left), 16, will play with the 17U team. Gracie Dalton, (right), 14, will compete with the U15U team.

“I’ve had these kids since they were both eight years old, and we’re in the gym two or three times a week,” said coach Gerilynn Devereaux, who has seen them put in the hard work both on-and-off the court over the years. “They’ve won some wonderful banners and accolades along the way, and both girls are leaders on their teams,” said Devereaux. Both girls have made National teams before, although this is the first time they will be competing at a national level in their home province. Submitted photos.

Bay Bulls opts to pay as they go on snow

By Mark Squibb

Bay Bulls council has decided to not take advantage of a provision to re-new it’s current snow clearing contract, but instead will issue a new tender for the upcoming winter season.

The motion to call a new tender for snow clearing and ice control was approved unanimously at last week’s public council meeting.

“I think we need to get back to the hourly rate just because certainly I don’t think anybody saw the prices coming that we got last year, so we’re going to have to revisit that,” said councillor Jason Sullivan. “Our winters are getting milder but our costs are going through the roof.”

Council awarded the snow clearing contract to Southeast Construction at a bid price of $329,900 plus HST back in October. Council paid an additional $5,000, plus HST, for additional work following a particularly rough storm in February and another in March.

“That backfired,” summarized Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien. “We’ll pay as we go. That will work better for the town.”

Southern Shore team named 2024 top fundraiser

Members of the original Rays of Hope fundraising team, established in 2020, include, from left: David Horne, Beverly Corrigan, Bradley Murphy and Shane Mahon. In front is Jessica Summers. Submitted photo

By Mark Squibb

The Southern Shore “Rays of Hope” squad has been named the Melanoma Canada 2024 Top Fundraiser Team.

“I’m pretty proud of the team, no question,” said Beverly Corrigan, who for the last five years has organized a Strides for Melanoma fundraising event on the Southern Shore in conjunction with Melanoma Canada.

At the core of the fundraising team are a number of Special Olympians and their families.

Corrigan said the award came by way of the hard work and dedication of volunteers.

In 2020, the Rays of Hope raised approximately $4,300 for Melanoma Canada. Donations would continue to grow year over year, and in 2024 Southern Shore volunteers raised over $16,700 for melanoma treatment and awareness, helped in part by the introduction of a 50/50 ticket draw.

Melanoma is a kind of skin cancer. Most melanomas are caused by exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun.

To protect oneself, Corrigan recommends applying broad spectrum sunscreen at least 15 minutes before heading out — and re-applying it frequently— and to avoid the sun as best you can during peak hours, which are typically between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Corrigan also recommends wearing proper UV light blocking sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, as ocular melanoma is a risk.

Witless Bay fire department records improved emergency response efforts

By Mark Squibb

Witless Bay Fire Chief Jack Gatherall says that with training the department has improved its responses to fire emergency calls.

“Our members have demonstrated exceptional dedication and skill in their response to emergencies, and it is evident that the aggressive training initiatives we have implemented are paying off,” Gatherall wrote in a report, which was read aloud at last week’s public meeting by new councilor Justina Nawaz. “We have observed a marked improvement in our response to fires, with over five recorded structure fires and seven vehicle fires being successfully managed since the start of the year.”

As per the report, the department has responded to 146 emergency calls for service, a significant number of which were fire related, since the beginning of 2024.

Gatherall’s report also noted the department is practicing water drafting— the use of a hose to suck water from a pond to fight fires elsewhere— due to limited availability of pressurized hydrants, and that the department has officially placed its rope rescue gear into service following the successful training of 11 members in low-angle operations.

Later in the meeting, council approved a request from the department for hose, fittings, and ladder testing at a cost of $3,387, plus HST.

“They know better than us what they need to keep on top of their training,” said councillor Ralph Carey, who moved that council approve the request.

Witless Bay to install new traffic signage

By Mark Squibb

Witless Bay council last week fielded two traffic calming requests from residents.

The first was a request to install ‘Blind Turn Ahead’ signs along Dunn’s Lane as well as a ‘Drive Slow – Children at Play’ sign near 54 Dunn’s Lane. Council approved the request.

Council then denied a request to install a speed bump on Fisherman’s Road near the intersection of New Line Road, and instead voted to install signs in the area both to caution drivers to drive slowly and to confirm the 30 km/h speed limit.

Councillor Ralph Carey, who put forward both motions, said that speed bumps don’t always fulfill their intended purposes and signage would be a better fit for the area.

Ferryland gearing up for a major summer festival

By Mark Squibb

Folks from the Southern Shore and beyond will be flocking to Ferryland next week for both the newly minted Ferryland Days festival and the 39th annual Shamrock Festival.

“Last year, after the Shamrock Festival, a group of us got together, and we said the Shamrock Festival draws a lot of people home, so why don’t we form a committee and put a group together and see what we can put off in the days leading up to the Shamrock Festival?” said Ferryland Days committee member Nathan Ryan. “So, we’re going to try this out, and it seems like everything is going to go well, and so our eyes are set on next year already.”

Ryan said the days leading up to the launch have been busy if nothing else, and that upwards of 40 volunteers — outside the committee of five— have come forward to help make the festival a go.

“The whole committee has gone above and beyond to ensure that this is a success,” said Ryan. “And there’s been a very, very positive response within the community. Lots of people have been reaching out, asking ‘How can I help?’ ‘How can I participate?’ And that’s very positive. Because if you don’t have the backing of the community, you have nothing.”

Ryan said the committee made efforts to utilize different facilities and areas within town, so that the events didn’t feel centered around just one part of town.

To that effect, the opening ceremonies will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion, a community breakfast and free community concert will both be held at Baltimore School, a co-ed softball tournament will be held at the softball field, and a senior’s social will be held at Bernard Kavanagh’s restaurant, amongst other activities.

Ryan said one of the committee’s goals was to keep the festival as affordable as possible for the patrons and visitors.

“All events are either free or affordable,” said Ryan. “We’ve had some great corporate sponsors and some great community sponsors, so that allowed us to make these events affordable for everyone.”

As part of that strategy, ticket prices for the Saturday night Shamrock Festival Dance, featuring performances by Celtic Connection, Ceiligh, and Reddy or Knot, were tiered, beginning at only $20 until July 1, $25 until July 24, and $35 at the gate.

That dance will once again be held outside.

“People resoundingly told us that they wanted an outdoor dance,” said Ryan. “So, we sat down with the Folk Arts Council, we ironed it out, and we made it work.”

The committee has also named the Friday co-ed softball tournament in memory of Dicker Barnable.

“Dicker was devoted to community sports — especially softball,” said Ryan. “Whenever a softball was thrown on that field, Dicker was there with his camera taking pictures. He unfortunately passed away a few years ago.”

Opening ceremonies kick things off on Wednesday evening, July 24, and the party runs until Shamrock Festival Sunday.

Witless Bay awards ball field and swimming pool contracts

By Mark Squibb

Witless Bay council this week ratified the results of two e-mail votes it conducted earlier this summer.

First was a motion to award a tender for ballfield upgrades to the lowest compliant bidder, Harbour Construction Ltd., at a total cost of $66,100, HST included. That vote was conducted on June 17.

Next was a motion to award a tender for swimming pool accessibility upgrades to the lowest complaint bidder, O’Brien’s Trucking Ltd., at a cost of $27,784, HST included. That vote was also conducted on June 17.

Council has postponed the swimming pool upgrades until the end of the summer after running into an unexpected delay. The Town plans to open the pool by the end of this week, barring any unexpected delays.

Both motions were approved unanimously, except that councilor Gerard Dunn declared a conflict of interest on both matters as the company he works for bid on both jobs.

Budget set for outdoor rink but no money for it yet

By Mark Squibb

The Town of Bay Bulls has approved a new community ice rink construction cost estimate.

As per the motion approved by council Monday night, construction of the new community rink is contingent on “funding availability and budget constraints.”

Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien noted furthermore that a phased approach to the project will be likely.

“This doesn’t mean we’re spending that much money,” clarified Jason Sullivan. “It means we have the cost in case a (funding) opportunity presents itself.”

Staff later clarified the cost estimate is for a two-phase approach to the project, and the Town does not have any active funding approved for it.

The cost estimate, which staff said they could not release as it could change as funding becomes available, is intended to be included in funding applications.

Council issued a request for proposals for site preparation work for the new outdoor community rink back in September.

The Town has also secured a donation of leftover boards from the Mary Brown’s Centre for the rink.