Trepassey breakwater repairs expected to start next month

By Mark Squibb

The new year will bring a new breakwater to the people living on the Lower Coast of Trepassey.

“We’re ecstatic,” said Mayor Wanda Waddleton. “The residents of Lower Coast have been living in fear when we have storms, because the road gets blocked off, and it’s blocked off for five, six, or seven hours… When we have high waves and winds, what comes in over that breakwater would frighten you.”

Newly minted Minster of Transportation and Infrastructure Barry Petten, along with Ferryland MHA Loyola O’Driscoll, announced back in November that government would soon be tendering major repairs to the breakwater, with the intention of starting construction in the fall.

That tender has since been awarded to Rock Construction Company Ltd., in the amount of $1.6 million, and construction is expected to begin in January.

RJG Construction, Southern Construction Ltd., Farrell’s Excavating Ltd. and Coady Construction & Excavating Ltd., submitted bids in the amounts of $1.8 million, $2.2 million, $2.6 million, and $2.8 million, respectively.

Project estimates at the time of the announcement hovered around the million-dollar mark.

The announcement came on the heels of a major storm which caused significant damage to the breakwater, which was already awaiting repairs for damage incurred back in 2024.

Waddleton said residents felt ‘forgotten’ by the previous administration, and that she’s glad to finally see the project moving forward.

“They’re going to put in new armour stone, fix the seawall, and put in cribbing to support the seawall to help save the road and infrastructure going down to the Lower Coast,” said Waddleton. “This is what we wanted done in the first place.”

Petty Harbour balances next year’s budget without tax increases

By Mark Squibb

Although most municipalities don’t pass a budget until early or mid December, the Town of Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove were on the ball ahead of the others again last month and approved a balanced budget of $1.3 million for 2026 that will see no tax increases.

Residential and commercial property taxes will hold steady at 7.2 and 10 mils respectively, while the commercial business tax will remain at 13 mils.

The new tax structure will introduce a new by-law violation fee. Those who go afoul of it will be charged $50 for the first offense and $100 for the second offense.

The budget also included an increase in councillor remuneration based on the Town’s two percent fixed revenue regulations. All told, $25,600 has been earmarked for council renumeration to be shared among the members, along with $2,000 for travel.

The Town has budgeted $672,820 for general government, the biggest single expense category. General government includes everything from salaries, benefits, supplies, and insurance, to professional services and general maintenance.

The next largest expense is transportation services in the amount of $303,000, most of which is for snow clearing at $188,000. Other expenses include vehicle maintenance and street maintenance.

The Town has budgeted $94,642 for protective services, most of which – roughly $80,000 – has been earmarked for fire protection.

Environmental health, which includes water supply, sewage disposal, and garbage collection, has been budgeted at $112,260.

The Town has budgeted $34,500 for recreation, and $11,000 for planning.

Council expects to bring in $767,492 in residential property tax and $40,216 in commercial tax, along with $22,680 in vacant land tax. The Town also anticipates $180,380 in residential water tax, $7,800 in commercial water tax, and a combined $86,294 in business tax and utility tax.

Council approved the budget unanimously during its November 10 public meeting.

Petty Harbour- Maddox Cove Christmas Events

Ellee, 5, and Nolan, 3, Williams were happy to buy a couple of raffle tickets from their nanny, Jackie Connolly, at Petty Harbour- Maddox Cove’s Christmas Tree lighting and raffle. The community has a big Christmas event lineup, including a breakfast with Santa, adult dinner and dance, and Christmas bingo. The town’s festivities will wrap up with the Christmas parade on December 14. The parade will start at 2 p.m. at the gravel pit and run along down to the Ron Doyle Volunteer Community Center.

Santa Claus coming to town this weekend

One of the many groups that participate with a float in the annual Kin Club of Witless Bay Santa Claus Parade is the Mobile Central High School council. The parade features groups from throughout the north end of the Southern Shore, from Tors Cove to Bay Bulls, and is always well-attended by spectators along the parade route in Witless Bay. Agnes Westcott photo

By Mark Squibb

The Witless Bay Area Kinsmen Club is hosting its 45th annual Santa Claus Parade this weekend.

While it may be easy to take the annual parade for granted, it doesn’t happen without a lot of work, and maybe just a little Christmas magic.

Kin Club member Chris Swain said that initial planning begins about six weeks before the parade, when Kin Club members begin to call a host of people and businesses, including Town staff, St. Bernard’s school, and the big man himself.

Once a date has been set in stone and the school gym booked for the after-parade lunch, Kin members reach out to a number of volunteers outside the Kin Club who help with everything from directing traffic to serving lunch.

Even after all that, there’s still lots to do in the week leading up the parade. 50/50 prizes and raffle tickets need to be secured, hot dogs need to be purchased, award plaques need to be finalized, and Santa’s sleigh needs to be given a final inspection to make sure it’s road ready.

“We have a spreadsheet and over the six weeks we just gradually check things off as we’re going, making sure everything is done as it’s needed,” said Swain.

The parade is “100 percent” a community effort, he noted, adding the Knights of Columbus help with the raffle, while members of the Witless Bay Days Committee help sell 50/50 tickets. Other volunteers help dish out hot dogs and drinks to hungry paradegoers. There are also volunteers who walk the parade to keep an eye on things and make sure no one is in trouble.

“Making sure that everybody is safe is the number one priority for us,” said Swain, who reckoned there’s upwards of 30 volunteers on the ground for parade day. Hundreds, meanwhile, participate in the parade itself.

“We have great support from the towns (Bay Bulls and Witless Bay) and from the (Tors Cove) local service district,” said Swain. “And we have people coming for the parade, people supporting our raffle, people offering to help, and all that kind of thing. And all the different organizations, minor hockey, Mobile High School and the Girl Guides and Brownies, they’ll all enter a float or walk, and the local cadet marching band will be there. So, it’s really a regional event that just so happens to happen in Witless Bay.”

Swain has been involved in the parade one way or another the last 20 years, and said the time and energy spent organizing it is always rewarded on parade day.

“For me, it’s worth it when you walk up through Witless Bay and see the kids – and adults – and see how happy they are,” said Swain. “Everybody has a smile on their face, everybody will give you a handshake.”

The Kin Club boasts about a dozen active members, and a number of volunteers waiting in the wings. Swain said the club is always looking for new members

This year’s parade will begin at Dean’s Road at 10:30 a.m. Following the parade, folks are invited to head down to St. Bernard’s School for a hot dog lunch, raffle, and meet and greet with Santa.

Deans Road will be open only to one-way traffic from 9:30 until 11, and folks are asked to enter by the Community Credit Union.

Bay Bulls seeking funds for new woodchipper

By Mark Squibb

Bay Bulls council is hoping the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) will pitch in to help cover the cost of buying a new woodchipper.

The Town is applying for cost shared funding through the MMSB Community Waste Diversion Fund 2026 to buy a woodchipper to help reduce organic waste.

The Town estimates the woodchipper could cost upwards of $10,000.

Councillor Jason O’Brien said organic waste is charged at a rate of $4.50 a tonne when it is dropped at the Robin Hood Bay Landfill. That waste could instead be mulched and reused as garden fertilizer.

Town Manager Ashley Wakeham said residents would leave their waste at a drop-off location and would not use the woodchipper themselves. She noted, for example, that folks could drop off their Christmas trees to be mulched.

Through the program, the MMSB will provide a maximum of $25,000 in funding for local waste diversion projects.

Some of the projects approved in the most recent round of funding included installation of surveillance cameras at common dumping areas in Placentia at a cost of $4,401, and a $15,000 recycling promotion blitz in Mount Pearl.

Bay Bulls hoping to hire at least three students next summer

By Mark Squibb

While there’s still another six months or so of winter to struggle through, the Town of Bay Bulls is already looking ahead to it’s 2026 summer season.

During last month’s meeting, Deputy Mayor Ethan Williams moved that the Town apply to the 2026 Canada Summer Jobs Program for funding for three student positions. One of those positions will be a tourism chalet worker, while the other two will be outside recreation and maintenance workers.

Depending on the chalet’s hours, the tourism chalet position may be split between two students.

“This program is a great benefit to us, as a town, but also to the students,” said Williams. “I was one of those students years prior. And anyone I’ve spoken to who has held a position has had high praise for being able to spend the summer working for the community, and it seems to really bring young people into the community. So, I’m glad to see that we’re applying again.”

Mayor Keith O’Driscoll concurred that the program is great for both students and the community.

The motion was approved unanimously.

Bay Bulls council getting in the Christmas spirit

By Mark Squibb

Members of Bay Bulls council may have avoided being visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, after approving a number of donation requests during the November public meeting.

Firstly, council approved a donation of 55 vegetable hampers for the local Knights of Columbus at a cost of $18 per hamper, for a total of $990.

“Young families and seniors alike have received these hampers over the years,” said Town Manager Ashley Wakeham. “It’s quite needed at this time of year. And it’s not just vegetables in the hamper; that’s just one part of the entire package that’s dropped off.”

Council agreed the donations would be especially welcomed given the closure of the Kinsmen Club food pantry in Witless Bay. The pantry was struck by vandals this past summer.

“This is a great thing for the Town to contribute to, for sure,” concluded Mayor Keith O’Driscoll, before the matter was put to a vote and approved unanimously.

Council also approved a donation to the Mobile Central High School Scholarship Fund. Council was initially set to approve a donation of $250 to be divided evenly among five students.

Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien, however, suggested increasing the donation amount, noting the Town has held its donation amount steady over the years while the cost of living has increased.

Wakeham suggested increasing the donation to $375, meaning that each student would receive $75 rather than $50.

Council was agreeable to the suggestion, and the new donation total was approved.

Council also approved a donation of $400 for the annual ‘Kidmas’ event scheduled from December first to the fifth.

The Kidmas festival is hosted by the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre and includes a number of kid-friendly Christmas events, concluding with the Town of Bay Bulls tree lighting ceremony. This year’s schedule of events is still in the works.

To cap off the festivities, council voted to once again host the annual ‘Light it Up’ challenge and announced $500 worth of local gift cards that will be handed out to residents who best decorate their homes.

The life of the party

Jose Waddleton, 90, is marking her 30th year as president of the Trepassey 50+ Friendship Club.

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Jose Waddleton, 90, of Trepassey has been president of the town’s 50+ Friendship Club for almost 30 years.

She was too young to get involved when it was formed in the seventies and was initially called the Hillview Senior Citizens Club. But once she became a member in the 1990s it wasn’t long before she became president. That happened when the president resigned in 1996. Waddleton was nominated for the position and accepted the role for one year on a trial basis. She has been president ever since.

Waddleton said the club is involved with many events and occasions in people’s lives. They hold birthday parties twice a year, and also do bereavement gatherings.

“We have a social get-together where we supply everything for a meal for bereaved families after a funeral,” she said.

The club also holds exercise classes once a week. They also host dances with entertainment by a band or DJ. When Waddleton became president in 1996, the club had 20 members. Today, it has 120.

“We do different things, and I was the one who organized everything,” she admitted. “I don’t like to brag about myself, but I did.”

Waddleton recently helped secure funding for the club, as well. The Trepassey 50+ Friendship Club applied for the New Horizons for Seniors grant last year and was successful, receiving $25,000.

“The grant was mostly for parties, meals, and guest speakers to come in and give us information on anything of interest to a senior,” Waddleton said.

On November 11, the club used money from the grant to provide a big meal for Remembrance Day. “And we had a caterer, too, all because of our grant, which was wonderful,” said Waddleton.

The club fed 100 people, which is what they would expect if the weather was fair. Though the weather that day was bad, they still had a turnout of a hundred.

Waddleton allows that being involved with the club is pretty fulfilling. It allows her to meet new people and keep in touch with the world.

“I love to help people,” said Waddleton. “I always loved to help seniors. Now I’m a senior myself.”

Next month the Trepassey 50+ Friendship Club will hold its annual elections. Waddleton said she is considering stepping down as president after three decades.

“But I still feel capable of carrying on the work,” she said. “So I’m not really sure if I will step down or if I’ll continue on for another while.”

Witless Bay council hit with case of teleconference interruptus

By Mark Squibb

Residents were unable to dial into the Town of Witless Bay’s public council meeting on November 12 as Bell has discontinued its teleconferencing services in the area.

Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Aspell said while it is not a requirement for towns to broadcast meetings, staff are currently looking at other options.

The meeting, which was rescheduled due to the Remembrance Day holiday, was still open to in-person attendance, and the agenda is available on the Town’s website.

New government jumps in fast to fix Trepassey breakwater

Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture and Ferryland MHA Loyola O’Driscoll, left, and Minster of Transportation and Infrastructure Barry Petten speak to reporters on the heels of an announcement to construct a new breakwater in Trepassey following the havoc cause by Hurricane Melissa earlier this month. Mark Squibb photo

By Mark Squibb

Newly minted Minster of Transportation and Infrastructure Barry Petten and Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture and Ferryland MHA Loyola O’Driscoll announced last week that a tender for the new Trepassey breakwater has been issued, and construction will begin this fall.

Moreover, the new provincial government will cover the full cost of the project.

Petten said the initial estimates were about $750,000, but the major windstorm of November 4 had driven those estimates up slightly. Engineers had yet to fully assess the situation, but Petten didn’t think the increases will push the project over the million-dollar mark.

“We’re not sure of the exact amount, but we still anticipate it will be less than a million dollars,” said Petten, who noted the Liberals failed to address the matter when the breakwater was damaged in 2024.

A handful of residents living out on the battery had to be evacuated during Hurricane Melissa, as crashing waves threated to overcome the breakwater and wash out the lone road connecting the area known as “the Lower Coast” to the mainland. Those residents, said Petten, travel with their bags packed, in case a storm rises and the road becomes inaccessible.

Lifting that road above sea level, said Petten, would be a huge cost. The provincial government meanwhile has no appetite yet for relocating residents from the battery, and so the breakwater remains the only viable option.

“We hope this (the breakwater) will work,” said Petten. “Nobody is ever one hundred precent certain, but our engineers are good engineers, and they feel confident that this should hold up.”

O’Driscoll added the breakwater had lasted a good number of years but had become compromised in recent years due to a number of storm surges.

“Hopefully this time it will work,” said O’Driscoll. “With a wall put up, and cribbage behind it, and armour stone in the front, I think it can last, for sure, as long as we do it properly.”

There is no project completion date as of yet, but Petten and O’Driscoll say they hope to get the job finished sooner rather than later.

Petten admitted he was unaware the federal government would be announcing an $8 million breakwater in Petty Harbour just days before the Province announced funding for the breakwater in Trepassey.