By Mark Squibb | Vol. 12 No. 24 (November 28, 2019)
A vehicle was impounded in Witless Bay on Thursday, Nov. 21, following protests near Ragged Beach, according to Witless Bay Mayor Dermont Moran.
“There were protesters. And people are free to protest,” said Moran.
Nonetheless, he said, work on finishing a stone sea wall that protects the small parking lot on Ragged Beach from being washed away by erosion had to proceed, and the Town had issued a request for people not to interfere with the work.
Witless Bay mayor Derm Moran. Mark Squibb photo
“The contractor carried out his work, but he was being impeded by the protestors. There were a small number of protestors. And they’re allowed to carry out their protests, as long as they don’t interfere with the work,” said Moran.
One of the protesters, Gallows Cove resident Noel O’Dea, had parked his car in a way that blocked the work from proceeding, so the Town had it impounded.
“We checked with our lawyer, because the vehicle was impeding those trucks, so we got the recommendations saying that Town is within it’s right to impound that vehicle, which we did,” said Mayor Moran.
Once the vehicle was removed, work continued.
This black sedan was impounded and held at the Witless Bay Town Hall after it was found impeding construction of a small seawall that is being built at Ragged Beach to protect the parking lot users of the East Coast Trail.
O’Dea had also been involved in a protest earlier in the week when he stopped a tractor from maintaining a public right of way on Mullowney’s Lane, which leads to a resident’s private land. O’Dea was successful in halting the work until an Appeal Board can hear his challenge of the Town’s permit for that work.
The work at Ragged Beach, meanwhile, began earlier this year, but came to a halt in August when it was discovered the Town had not received the proper permit from the provincial government to do work within 15 metres of the ocean’s high watermark.
“Unfortunately, at that particular time, the Town, and I wasn’t on council at that time, was after having some of that work done… and what they did, they went through the process of getting some erosion fix-up. They had to get some fill in, otherwise the road might wash out. They thought they had everything in order. Unfortunately, at the time, they did not have the permit. Once they realized that, the Town said that they had made a mistake.”
The Town then applied for the proper permit and work resumed Thursday morning, Nov. 21.
The parking lot is located at the end of Gallows Cove Road and affords a small space for users of the East Coast Trail to park their cars. However, it’s close proximity to the water makes it vulnerable to erosion by strong waves, and a major storm could wash out the space if it was left unprotected.
Without the placing of large stones in front of the small parking area at the end of Gallows Cove Road, the small area that serves as a parking lot for users of the East Coast Trail is in danger of being washed out by a heavy sea.
Several protesters have been maintaining for years that the Town intends to allow a road to be built along the beach so that private land near Ragged Beach can be turned into subdivisions. That’s despite no evidence of such intentions in the Town Plan, a confirmation of the area’s protected status by an independent Commissioner and even a notice of motion, issued during the last meeting of council, of a bylaw declaring that no subdivisions will be allowed in the area.
Moran said most people in Witless Bay have no concerns about the work to shore up the parking lot.
Last week’s protest was attended by the three members who form the provincial NDP caucus, including, St. John’s Centre MHA Jim Dinn. The day before the small protest, Dinn called for an immediate work-stop order on Ragged Beach.
Moran said Dinn was misinformed, and that he should have contacted him or the Town for clarification about the work before bringing the issue before the House of Assembly.
“You’re a former school teacher. I’m sure you’ve told your students to do their homework,” the mayor said referring to the member. “I feel like saying ‘Mr. Dinn, you should have done your homework before you got up in the House of Assembly.’”
The East Coast Trail Association also requested a work stop order the same day as Dinn.
During an Aug. 13 council meeting, council had declined to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ECTA, which would have held the Town responsible for protecting public access to its coastlines and to promote the East Coast Trail. Nearby communities, including Bay Bulls and Petty Harbour—Maddox Cove, have agreed to such MOUs.
As for O’Dea’s one man protest on Mullowney’s Lane earlier in the week, Moran said council had no trouble issuing a permit for the work that was being undertaken, which included some scrubbing and grading of the historic right of way. O'Dea did not respond to request for an interview.
“That is before the appeal board, and we have to wait and see what the decision is,” said the mayor.
Moran said the motion raised last meeting to ban subdivision development near Ragged Beach will be voted on next meeting. “It’s not ratified, but it will be ratified at the next meeting,” he said. “There will be no sub-division near Ragged Beach nor the East Cost Trail, which is something else this (protest group) group has been spewing out. But it’s not official, because it’s not ratified.”
He said he hopes that decision will quell fears that the Town is planning to develop the quiet coastline into a bustling subdivision.
Moran said the history of controversy is a black mark against a bright town.
“You look around Witless Bay, and I guarantee you that it’s one of the most top-notch towns around,” he said.
Moran said Witless Bay is a vibrant community, with active Kin, Knights of Columbus, Seniors, and Girl Guides clubs, as well as a regional elementary school and fire department, a partnership with the Bay Bulls Bauline Athletic Association (BBBAA), a balanced budget of just over five million, and a full complement of council following the acclamation of Dale O’Driscoll to council on Nov. 14.
“We have all this in this community,” said Moran. “If the town’s people were in disagreement or up-in-arms about this, you sure as hell would see a lot more people out.”
