Remembrance Day attendance growing

By Mark Squibb

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 34 based in Ferryland, more commonly known as the Southern Shore Legion, will be hosting the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Ferryland cenotaph at 11 a.m. on the morning of November 11, and secretary Heather Sullivan says that attendance at the ceremony seems to be growing.

“In recent years it’s grown,” said Sullivan. “There was a bit of a lull for a few years, but now it’s bigger than ever. We’ve had anywhere from 60 to 75 wreaths laid on Remembrance Day.”

Sullivan ventured to guess that the growth could be due to young people who desire to pay their respect to those who served in recent peacekeeping missions, as her generation paid its respects to those who served in WW II and the Great War in years past.

In the lead up to Remembrance Day, Branch 34, which serves Renews-Cappahayden as far as Petty Harbour - Maddox Cove and every community in between, will be hosting it’s annual Remembrance Week kitchen party on Saturday, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Legion building. There is no cover charge, however, 50/50 tickets will be sold.

The Legion also hosted a free technology assistance class on Wednesday, November 5.

“We’ve been doing this once a month for the last year,” said Sullivan. “We have a girl that comes in and helps seniors with tech issues. Sometimes we have a special guest come in. We’ve had the RCMP and a folklore specialist come in so seniors could research their ancestry.”

The Ferryland Legion is also busy this time of year fielding entries for the national poster and literary contests. The Ferryland Legion accepts entries from students in Mobile Central High, St. Bernard’s Elementary, Baltimore School, Goulds Elementary, St. Kevin’s Junior High and St. Kevin’s Senior High. Members of the Legion also attend school remembrance ceremonies in full uniform.

Meanwhile, the Heritage Committee of Witless Bay will host a prayer service to honor Witless Bay veterans at the Holy Cross Cemetery on November 11 at 11 am. Flags will be placed on veterans’ gravesites beginning at 10:45 a.m.

In Bay Bulls, the memorial parade will leave Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church around 10:30 a.m. and the wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial will begin at 11 a.m.

In Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove, the Remembrance Day ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at the war memorial. Those wishing to place a wreath at the service are asked to call Ron Doyle at 745-1106.

In Witless Bay, anyone wishing to place a flag can reach Maureen Walsh at 689-5087.

In Bay Bulls, anyone wishing to lay a wreath may contact Patricia Hearn at 334-2833.

In Ferryland, anyone wishing to lay a wreath may contact Heather Sullivan at 682-0387.

Mystery Samaritan saves the day in Portugal Cove South

The battle for ownership of Holy Rosary Church in Portugal Cove South has come to a close after an anonymous buyer with ties to the community purchased the building for continued community enjoyment. From left are former mayor Clarence Molloy, Royal LePage realtor Clifford Power, Portugal Cove South Historical Corporation chairperson Cynthia Power, and Town Clerk Ida Perry. Portugal Cove South Historical Corporation photo

By Mark Squibb

The Holy Rosary Church in Portugal Cove South has been sold to a mystery buyer who has promised that it will remain a place of worship, bringing to a close a story that will be talked about in the community for years to come.

“I’m feeling very happy, excited, and relieved,” said Cynthia Power, who has been at the forefront of the battle to keep the church as a church after the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John’s put it, along with dozens of others, up for sale in 2022 to compensate child abuse victims.

“It’s been a long road, that’s for sure, but it all turned out good in the end,” said Power.

Members of the Portugal Cove South Historical Corporation received the keys last month, roughly six months after the Supreme Court granted an injunction prohibiting residents from interfering with the sale of the building after residents changed the locks to deter potential buyers.

“When the court ruling came down last spring, that was very difficult,” said Power. “It was very hard. But we respected the decision of the court, and we felt we had done the best we could to try and keep the church. I used to say to myself, ‘Maybe, just maybe, someone would come along and buy it for us.’ And, lo and behold, we had someone contact us and say they had a family connection to our community and that they would like to buy the church for the community and have it remain a place of worship.”

Power said it was imperative that the church continue as a church.

“We wanted it to remain with the community and to be a place of worship,” said Power. “So, please God, down the road we will continue to have Mass, maybe not on a regular basis, but as long as Father Peter (Golden) is around, I’m sure he will come out and have Mass with us on Christmas, New Year’s, Easter Sunday, things like that. Anyone who wants to get married in our church, that can happen, as well as baptisms and funerals. It’s a very happy time for our community.”

As to the mystery buyer, Power said she’s as much in the dark as anyone.

“I don’t actually even know the person’s name,” said Power. “Someone contacted us on their behalf. They do have a family connection to our community, but they wished to remain anonymous at this time, and we’re fine with that, we respect their decision.”

The cost of keeping the lights on, meanwhile, will be split between the Town of Portugal Cove South and the Portugal Cove South Historical Association.

Former Mayor Clarence Molloy, who was also involved the battle to keep the church, said he too was pleased with the sale.

“We’re certainly delighted to have our church back,” said Molloy. “Even though someone had to pay for it.”

Molloy said that while he always had a feeling that things would work out, the Supreme Court ruling certainly took the wind out of the group’s sails.

“We did all we could do, and there wasn’t much else we could do about it,” said Molloy. “But then this person came forward and purchased it for us.”

Folks in the community and beyond had raised nearly $130,000 for upgrades to the church shortly before it was put up for sale, and so Power doesn’t expect big maintenance bills in the near future.

“We are very, very grateful for the kindness of these people who bought the church for us, and for all of the support we have received since we made our stand,” said Power.

New Witless Bay council jumps into busy agenda

By Mark Squibb

The newly minted Witless Bay council wasted no time getting to work following this month’s municipal election.

Following the selection of mayor and deputy mayor – Jacob Hayden and Justina Nawaz respectively – during the opening minutes of the October 15 meeting, council tackled a full agenda that included development applications, committee appointments, and more.

First, council ratified an earlier e-vote of council to approve a single-family home at 29-33 Carter’s Road. The permit will be issued once all other applicable government approvals have been received by the Town.

Council approved construction of accessory buildings at 67 Country Path Drive, 94-96 Gull Pond Road, 12 Island View Place and 41-45 Dunn’s Lane, all subject to various conditions, and approved an application to subdivide land at 1-17 Southern Shore Highway, pending provincial government approval. No development applications will be considered until the land has been subdivided.

Council also approved the purchase of an M18 chainsaw for the fire department at a cost of $499, plus HST, and approved the installation of a back power generator for the Town Hall at a cost of $3,043 plus HST.

Council also approved a number of new committee appointments. Margaret Swain and Susan Byrne will sit on the recreation committee, Robert Thor and Gerard Dunn will sit on the public works committee, Ralph Carey and Justina Nawaz will sit on the finance committee, Susan Byrne and Justina Nawaz will serve on the human resources committee, and Susan Byrne and Margaret Swain will represent the Town on the Southern Shore Joint Council.

Most items put to council were approved, however, a request for the Town to provide materials and manpower to extend the Carey’s Road culvert was denied.

Meanwhile, bank signing authority was granted to Mayor Hayden, Deputy Mayor Nawaz, and councillor Carey.

Sullivan doubts he’ll make another foray into municipal politics

By Mark Squibb

FFAW Vice President and former Bay Bulls councillor Jason Sullivan was 25 votes shy of keeping his council seat in the municipal election earlier this month.

Sullivan was edged out by incumbent Corey Ronayne, who scored 206 votes to Sullivan’s 181 votes in a field of seven in which five seats were open.

Sullivan said that given the popularity of newcomer Johanthan O’ Dea, who placed third in the polls, and his own lacklustre campaign, which he said he didn’t have time to commit to, he wasn’t surprised at being handed a loss.

“I figured I would be the one out,” said Sullivan. “It’s not the end of the world, but it’s unfortunate.”

Sullivan was first elected to council in 2013, expelled late in that term for missing three meetings in a row, then ran again successfully in 2021.

Had he been re-elected this time around, he said he would have worked towards getting the town a new soccer field and improved sports complex.

When asked whether he will ever run again, Sullivan replied, “Not a chance.”

“It’s a volunteer position and a thankless one,” he said.

Sullivan wished the newly minted council the best of luck moving forward.

“Johnny (O’Dea) is a good guy, and the last four years we had a good bunch on council,” said Sullivan. “We have good staff. Ashley (Wakeham) and them are great. I wish them the best and that they continue as they were and that they don’t raise taxes and stuff like that. The only way I’m ever going back on is if they get into a mess like they were before, and I hope we don’t ever get there.”

Interestingly, Sullivan would still be part of council if the Town had not appealed to the Department of Municipal Affairs in late 2020 to reduce its allotment of council seats from seven to five, following several years of difficulty in filling all seven seats during a contentious term of council. If not for that, Sullivan, along with all of the other six candidates who offered themselves this election, would have been elected by acclamation.

Former Bay Bulls councillor Jason Sullivan attributes his election loss to not having had time to properly campaign. Irish Loop Post file photo

Conference call system overloaded

Some residents in Bay Bulls last week were so eager to learn who their new mayor and deputy mayor would be that they overloaded the Town’s conference call system. The system allows up to 25 people to call into the public meeting and listen in at home. A number of people dialing in last Wednesday night were met with a busy signal as the conference call had reached its limit. For those who missed the action, Ethan Williams, who earned more votes than any other candidate this election, was nominated by former mayor Keith O’Driscoll for the position of Mayor. Williams, however, declined, citing his young age and status as a full-time student. O’Driscoll, in turn, was nominated for the position by Jason O’Brien and Williams. O’Driscoll accepted the role, and will once again serve as mayor. Next, both Williams and O’Brien accepted nominations for the role of deputy mayor, and the matter was put to a secret ballot vote. Williams claimed that victory, and will serve as deputy mayor. Pictured, from left, are newcomer Johnathan O’Dea, Jason O’Brien, Mayor Keith O’Driscoll, and Deputy Mayor Ethan Williams. Missing from the photo is councillor Corey Ronayne. In neighbouring Witless Bay, former Deputy Mayor Jacob Hayden was acclaimed as Mayor and councillor Justina Nawaz was acclaimed as deputy mayor. Town of Bay Bulls photo

Donnie Earle takes Ward 5 on a wing and bite

Donnie Earle

By Mark Squibb

Donnie Earle was at home spending the night with friends, family and a feed of Keith’s wings and cod bites when he learned he had been elected Ward 5 councillor.

“I’m over the moon,” said Earle. “I’m so honoured and privileged that the residents of Ward 5 believed in me, were willing to put their faith and trust in me and give me an opportunity to do my part to make my city a better place.”

Earle bested incumbent Carl Ridgley 3,687 votes to 2,545 votes, a difference of 1,142. He had previously run against Ridgeley in 2021 and lost by 14 votes.

“There was no pressure this time around,” said Earle, comparing this election night to his last. “We were just waiting for the results to come in and once they started to come in, we knew we were going to be in for a great night.”

Hard work and a great campaign team made the difference this time around, Earle added.

“We took nothing for granted,” said Earle. “On the cards we were leaving at the doors, we put my private number. People knew that this was the same number my grandchildren reach me on, and my sons reach me on, and my mom. People were willing to say, ‘If this person is willing to give out his private number, he’s for real. He’s not going to hide. He’s not going to not be available if he’s elected and given the opportunity to represent us.’”

The councillor said he is excited to get to work on behalf of his constituents.

“There’s some great men who come before me and a lot of hard work already has taken place,” said Earle. “I look forward to the next chapter in our ward and to being a hard working, dedicated, easily accessible councillor, who’s not always going to have the answers you’re looking for, but will always get you an answer and will always take your phone call.”

Southern Shore running club growing legs

SSH Running Club founders, from left, Sam Kelly, Heidi Clowe, and Shannon Chidley, have been overwhelmed with the success of the group. Mark Squibb photo

By Mark Squibb

Last January, Sam Kelly, Heidi Clowe, and Shannon Chidley decided on a whim to start a running club for the Southern Shore.

They dubbed it the SSH Run Club, and while many people at first believe the acronym to stand for Southern Shore Highway, they would actually be wrong.

“It’s actually the Sam, Shannon, and Heidi Run Club,” said Shannon Chidley, laughing. “When we named it, we named it as a joke because we honestly didn’t think anybody would show up. We honestly thought it would just be the three of us running… And so when people started showing up, it was a little bit embarrassing to let people know we named it after ourselves.”

To date, over 130 women have participated in weekly runs hosted by the SSH Run Club.

“It’s overwhelming to see the community that has developed,” said Chidley. “People hang out together now that have met at run club. It gets you out of your house, and so it’s good for your mental health and your physical health… and when people say to you, ‘Run Club has changed my life,’ it’s overwhelming. It just feels so good.”

Chidley noted a number of members ran this year’s Tely 10, some of them for the first time.

“A lot of girls ran it for the first time because they had someone to run it with,” said Chidley, adding some members have also participated in other races, including the Conception Bay South T’railway Trek Half Marathon.

The group has hosted runs in the Goulds and Cape Broyle and every where in between, with the majority of the runs being in either Mobile or Witless Bay. Members run Saturday mornings and Monday evenings. Additional runs are held throughout the week for those who can’t make it out on Saturday or Monday. All told, the group runs probably three or four times a week.

As a means to keep the club welcoming to new runners, routes are kept to a distance of about four kilometres, although some runners opt to run longer distances. The social aspect, added Chidley, is just as important to the club as the athletic.

If someone is interested in joining, Chidley said, it’s as simple as showing up.

“We’ve had a lot of people message and say, ‘I’d like to get involved but I’m nervous to show up,’” said Chidley. “Showing up is the hardest part. It’s so intimidating to show up for the first time, and you think that all these girls have been running forever.”

The club, she added, is one where no one runs by themselves.

“If you come and decide to walk, myself, Sam, or Heidi will stay behind with whoever is walking,” said Chidley. “You won’t be left behind.”

There’s no registration fee to join, although members are encouraged to bring a toonie Saturday morning to go towards supplies.

‘I think we’ve got a really good new council,’ says Ferryland mayor

By Mark Squibb

Aidan Costello proved Ferryland’s most popular candidate in this month’s municipal election, garnering the most votes out of the eight candidates.

“I’m glad to get back on council again, and glad to see the town put their trust back in me,” said Costello, “I’m quite happy.”

Former councillors Nathan Ryan, Keith Mooney, and Rudy Embury chose not to seek re-election.

Costello extended his thanks to the outgoing members.

“We did a lot of work in four years,” said Costello. “We received over $700,000 in new monies for various projects in those four years, Council worked hard for those new monies, and I would like to thank them for their hard work over the last four years.”

Costello said that, along with incumbent Arnold Furlong, he has confidence in the three newly minted councillors.

“I think we’ve got a really good new council,” said Costello.

The new councillors include former mayor Adrian Kavanagh, retired provincial government senior manager Steve Barnable, and construction supervisor Kevin Walsh.

Costello said the Town has undertaken a number of large projects in recent years, including harbourfront infrastructure and the drafting of a new climate adaption plan, both of which will remain a priority of council. Improvements to water infrastructure and roads will also remain a priority, he said.

Costello noted the previous council members, shortly after the 2021 election, drafted a four-year plan to guide them during this past term. He hopes the new council will do the same.

Aiden Costello

Goulds land gone to the ducks

By Mark Squibb

The conservation charity group Ducks Unlimited Canada has acquired 41 acres (16.6 hectares) of forested wetland, upland, and swamp habitat near Bidgood Park in the Goulds.

Bidgood Park itself is home to migratory songbirds, waterfowl, moose, and even red crossbills, a species of finch listed as endangered under the provincial Species at Risk Act. Over the years, it has become a favourite haunt of walkers, bird watchers, and photographers.

“Through initiatives like the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, the Government of Canada is making steady progress in protecting Canada’s land and water,” said Minister of Environment and Climate Change Julie Dabrusin. “By working with partners such as Ducks Unlimited Canada, we are safeguarding the natural environment in Newfoundland and Labrador—and across the country.”

The original 38 acres of park land was donated to the City of St. John's by the late Roger and Jennie Bidgood for use as a municipal park.

squibb@theshoreline.ca

Witless Bay rug hooking exhibition draws a crowd

The Herdman Hookers were a hit at the Witless Bay Art Gallery’s first exhibition last month in the former St. Patrick’s Church. The members of the Corner Brook rug hooking group were part of a travelling exhibition sponsored by the Rug Hooking Guild of Newfoundland and labrador. From left are Debbie Jarrell, gallery owner Linda Goodyear, Joanne Organ, Elaine Vey, Diane Howse, Karen Marchant, and Georgie Macfie.

By Mark Squibb

The owner of the new art gallery in Witless Bay’s St. Patrick’s Church says the event was a huge success.

Linda Goodyear admitted she was nervous about the venture given the important role the church held in the lives of many residents before its sale by the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation, but she decided the best thing to do was dive in and test the waters.

The first exhibition, held from September 4-8, was by the Newfoundland and Labrador Rug Hookers Guild’s 30th Anniversary travelling show entitled, Events that Changed the World.

“Personally, I had underestimated the medium of rug hooking,” said Goodyear, who has named the gallery the Witless Bay Art Gallery & Arts Education Center.

“Days into the event, I was still learning from the various pieces on display,” said Goodyear. “One example was the discovery of the Berlin Wall. Jane Jesseau taught in Baden, Germany, at the Canadian Forces Base in 1989. She and her family hammered at Check Point Bravo to retrieve stones which she hooked into her design believing the Fall of the Berlin Wall to be a joyous occasion in the world’s history.”

An especially moving piece, said Goodyear, was a personal depiction of the Holocaust by Maureen Ashfield. “It took careful observation before one comprehended the faceless uniforms behind hooked wire were the prisoners of war who bore coloured symbols to identify their classification, and subsequent treatment at the hands of the Nazis,” said Goodyear. “Many onlookers expressed cold shivers at the realization.”

The exhibit contained many subjects, often personal, with several representing Newfoundland and Labrador subjects which shaped a world closer to home, added Goodyear. “By the last day I began realizing how transformed I was by this humble exhibition of rug hooking, which has come a long way as an art form.”

Visitors included people from up and down the shore, the United States and Canada, as well as many who travelled from St. John’s and the Northeast Avalon. Goodyear said she’s taking that as evidence there is a thirst for art and cultural knowledge which can be delivered in Witless Bay.

“Rounding out the important participants were three classes of Grade 3s from St. Bernard’s Elementary, in Witless Bay,” said Goodyear, adding that schools and art curriculum will be an important part of the proposed non-profit’s business.

In total, some 275 people were recorded having visited over the five days of the exhibition.

Goodyear said she would like to thank Frances and Maxine Ennis, Winnie Glavine, Jackie Alcock and Barry Norris for providing fine examples of their work which incorporated beautifully with the exhibition by the Guild. The Herdman Hookers, a local rug hooking group, demonstrated all Saturday afternoon to enthusiastic appreciation, she added.