Still a help, even in times of COVID

By Mark Squibb | Oct. 8, 2020

Representatives of St. John Ambulance were in the Goulds Monday night, Oct. 5, to present a certificate of appreciation to the Goulds Lions Club for its support.

With the help of an annual donation from the Lions, St. John Ambulance was able to buy a new ambulance, valued at approximately $25,000.

“It feels great to be recognized, but anything we do as Lions we don’t do for recognition,” said Goulds Lions Club President Charlie Phillips.

“St. John Ambulance is quite an important part of the community, always has been… we’re quite proud of our relationship with St. John’s Ambulance and quite proud of our relationship with the community.

We’re proud to support them. We’ve had several people who went through the St. John’s Ambulance program who are actually now Lions Members, which is great.”

Phillips is quick to point out that the volunteer spirit can be found in every corner of Goulds.

 “The Goulds is a community built on volunteers, from St. John’s Ambulance, to the Lions Club, to minor softball, minor soccer, minor hockey, it’s all about volunteers,” he said. “Without volunteers you wouldn’t survive…All organizations need support, and it’s important for us, as Lions, to be supportive. And not just organizations, but sometimes individuals who need some help.”

There’s currently 46 active members of the Goulds Lion Club, with one new member to be inducted in the coming weeks. Like all organizations, regular meetings and events have ground to a halt because of restrictions around COVID-19, but Phillips said that weekly meetings have resumed, and the club is looking at how, and if, usual events and activities can resume safely.

Southern Shore Folk Arts council settling into the new normal

By Mark Squibb | Oct. 8, 2020

Like many other organizations and businesses, it was a hard summer for the Southern Shore Folk Arts Council.

“It’s been quiet, relative to other summers, said executive director Jamie Clowe. “We didn’t have the Dinner Theatre three nights a week. We didn’t run our Shamrock Folk Festival, which would have been our 35th, so, with just the Tea Room open it was relatively quiet.”

Clowe was hired on in March, although, due to pandemic, he didn’t get started until June.

With a background in the hotel and hospitality industry, Clowe was hired to replace Keith Mooney, following his retirement.

Originally from Ferryland, Clowe had lived away for some 40 years, and returned to the province just a couple of years ago.

It goes without saying that no one anticipates their first days on a new job to be in the middle of a pandemic, and it certainly hasn’t been a typical season for the organization.

“Financially, it’s been difficult, but our Tea Room did well enough, that from an operational standpoint, it’ll get us through a few more months. And then hopefully come the spring, a few more restrictions will be lifted, and we’ll get back to a little more normalcy,” said Clowe, who added that there was still a business this summer from local tourism ‘staycationers’.

The Atlantic Bubble didn’t open until September, and the Tea Room closed on Sept. 15, so there was little opportunity for out of province guests to stop by.

The organization has been able to host some events with the recent lifting of restrictions on public gatherings.

They held a two-night tribute to Ron Hynes featuring local musician Katie Barbour in late August, and “An Evening on the Deck” with Jackie Sullivan and Katie Pilgrim in early September, both of which were well received and reached maximum capacity.

Later this fall, Ferryland actor Randy Crane will be also be doing a fundraiser for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the organization have already sold a number of tickets.

With the possibility of new restrictions, or an increase in COVID-19 cases pushing the province back into another lockdown, planning for future events has been difficult given the uncertainty of the times, Clowe noted.

But still, you have to plan ahead anyway, she added.

“You can’t stop planning and just wait, because you don’t know fi it’s going to get better, or if get worse. But if your planning, at least you got the ball rolling,” said Clowe.

Health, Hygiene and Disease Prevention in 17th Century Ferryland

By Mark Squibb | Oct. 8, 2020

As part of the Colony of Avalon’s annual general meeting, Barry Gaulton and other staff typically give a short presentation highlighting recent archeological finds.

Due to COVID-19, the Colony of Avalon did open for the season, but, this year, no archeological excavation was undertaken.

In lieu of presenting the year’s archology finds, Gaulton, the Colony’s chief archaeologist, gave a presentation titled ‘Health, Hygiene, and Disease Prevention in 17th Century Ferryland,’ highlighting some of the Colony’s medical practises and beliefs.

 “One of the very first letters written by Captain Edward Wynne, Ferryland’s first governor, to Sir George Calvert in 1621, requests that a surgeon be sent to the Colony,” said Gaulton. “And a surgeon, in 17th century parlance, is a someone who is trained, by way of an apprenticeship, in the methods and practises of medicine.”

Wynne’s suggestion was taken seriously; the census of the following year listed a surgeon among the Colony’s residents

Wynne also wrote letters to Calvert, claiming that “the air is very healthful, the water both clear and wholesome.”

Another resident, Nicholas Hoskins, wrote to Calvert to tell him “I never smelt any evil savor in the country,” and that he, “drank from a sweet brook of running water that quenched his thirst as well as any beer.”

Despite the fresh air and beer-sweet water, people in the 17th century still got sick and needed the most up-to date medical treatments. At the time, physicians adhered to the ancient Greek system of humours, which contested that for someone to be healthful, the four ‘humors’ (blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm) needed to exist in the body in perfect balance.

“So, medical practitioners, whether they were trained physicians, or surgeons, or local healers, they all considered the balanced of these four humors to be an essential part of medical treatment,” said Gaulton.

And one way to balance out those humours?

Bloodletting.

“So, if a person was running a high fever, or was frequently flushed, or hot, they were seen to have an abundance of blood in their system, and, so, they were sometimes treated by bloodletting, so as to drain an excess amount of blood out of their system in an effort to maintain balance,” explained Gaulton.

Archeologists have uncovered ceramic bleeding bowls, as well as iron lancers and straight razors in Ferryland, indicating that the practise was common in the area during the 17th and 18th century.

Doctors also had an interesting cure for overexposure to damp, cold environments —common in Newfoundland— which were also believed to throw the humours out of balance.

“This imbalance could be countered by the consumption of products that were thought to warm and dry the body,” said Gaulton. “The 17th century solution in many cases was simply to drink spirits, which had a warming effect, or smoke tobacco, which was considered to have a hot and drying affect on the body. In the 17th century, tobacco was considered a panacea, or a cure-all, for many diseases and common aliments.”

Their medical use may explain the abundance of pipes found in Ferryland. To date, archeologists have catalogued over 400,000 clay tobacco pipe fragments in Ferryland.

“Representing, hands down, the single largest collection anywhere in North America,” Gaulton said. “We have ample evidence that Ferryland colonists were concerned with personal hygiene, overall cleanliness and grooming.”

Chamber pots and bed pans, along with bottles that once contained ointments used to treat everything from headaches to venereal diseases, have been uncovered on the site.

A trusty multi-tool discovered near the Mansion House, and likely to have belong to a member of the Kirke family, was used to clean tooth, pick dirt out from underneath fingernails, and remove ear wax.

One end was used as a toothpick and fingernail cleaner, while the other, spoon shaped end, scooped wax out the ear.

“And hopefully the ends weren’t mixed up too often,” joked Gaulton.

Gaulton said that Ferryland also used an intricate, underground drainage system which carried waste from the colony.

Human waste would be flushed into a privy and held until the rising tides flushed out the waste twice daily.

Soil samples were sent to the University of Toronto in the early 1990s, and it was estimated that per a gram of waste there were about 30,000 intestinal parasite eggs, including tapeworm, whipworm and roundworm.

“I find this to be particularly interesting, because all of the written histories of sanitation and waste management in North America clearly state that this kind of village or City-wide wastewater planning did not occur until 1757,” said Gaulton. “Yet, 130 years, the archeology in our small town of Ferryland seems to strongly suggest otherwise. And in my opinion, this is once again another opportunity to highlight the importance of our ongoing research as a way to shed light on the actual activities and events surrounding this truly exceptional 17th century colony.”

The Colony of Avalon currently boasts over 2 million artifacts.

“For those who don’t know, our archeological staff uncover artifacts every time they dig on site,” said Gaulton. “And all the artifacts go through a conservation process, and are then catalogued and put into storage for future research.”

Ferryland celebrates the man of a thousand songs

By Mark Squibb | Sept. 3, 2020

The people of Ferryland knew they had a celebration on their hands.

“Once when Ron Hynes was inducted into the singer songwriter Hall of Fame, we knew we had to do something big here,” said Anette Mooney.

That induction was back in April of 2020, five years after Hynes’ passing.

But, plans for a Ferryland concert tribute to coincide with the induction were waylaid by the COVID-19 pandemic, as were this year’s dinner theatre and Shamrock Festival..

In recent weeks, with the provincial government permitting larger gatherings, the people of Ferryland got to work organizing their tribute show.

The most important piece of the puzzle of course, would be who would perform Hynes’ songs — and that piece soon became apparent.

“We were looking for somebody who was a passionate Ron Hynes fan and knew a lot of his music. And Katie Barbour— let me tell you, she is amazing,” said Mooney. “She’s an old soul. Whenever she heard of Ron Hynes being anywhere, she wanted to be there to hear him sing.”

Barbour was honoured to be given to the opportunity to pay tribute to the man who had such an impact on her own musical journey.

“I grew up listening to Ron Hynes and always appreciated his music. However, in 2003, his album “Get Back Change” really hooked me as a musician and song writer,” Barbour said. “At the time, I was 13 years old, and playing the guitar for five years. However, Ron’s guitar playing style and chords really intrigued me and his lyrics just captured my heart as poetry and storytelling. I started then admiring his style and his writing, and with each new album or new song, I fell deeper in love with his music. I appreciate Ron’s lyrical mastery more than anything. He can capture so many emotions with his writing that has brought me tears, laughter, goosebumps and anger. He was one of the most gifted writers and I’m so happy that he is finally being recognized for his lyrical magic. Something else I really admired about Ron was his identity as an artist; many people had opinions on him and his music, but he stayed true to his art, and he created music that will last forever.”

Initially, a show, limited to 50 people – to meet social distancing guidelines – was scheduled for Friday, August 21, but tickets sold so quickly that a second show was added for Saturday night.

Mooney said that, apart from it being a Ron Hynes tribute, for many, it was their first concert since the shutdown back in April.

“People were very appreciative, and it was a great, great evening of entertainment,” she said. “There was such relief on the faces of the people there… people were so, so happy. And all I could hear was people saying, ‘We should have more of this.’”

Barbour said the show was a rousing success — despite pre-show, COVID jitters.

“The tribute show was amazing. I mean, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel “odd.” The first night I spoke with one of the administrators at the Folk Arts council we agreed that there was almost a nervousness in the air, which made the atmosphere a little different from pre-COVID settings. But overall, I knew people thoroughly enjoyed getting back to getting out and enjoying some live music and other people’s company, safely and by regulatory approval. The show meant so much more to me than just breaking the long stretch of being ‘barred in.’ Anyone who knows me, knows that I admire Ron’s music. So, to be able to do a tribute to him, in our hometown of Ferryland to two sold out audiences, is something that will linger in my heart forever.”

Barbour played three sets, including a number of her own Hynes favorites.

“’Get Back Change’, is one of my all time favourites; this song was my Nan’s favourite Hynes song, she loved it so much I had to make it a ringtone on her house phone. So, that one has become a family favourite,” said Barbour. “Another one that I love is “Dark River” which he co-wrote with his nephew Joel Hynes. This song captured my heart as soon as I heard it; the melody is a waltz and the lyrics are so relatable to small town life and the beauty that lingers there.”

Aside from Barbour’s performance, friend Cyril O’ Keefe spoke to his remembrances of Hynes.

“Cyril went to school with him and stayed at the same boarding house when they were going to university,” explained Mooney. “Cyril would wake at 2 o’clock in the morning and the light would be on and Ron would be scribbling away at his songs.”

Mooney moved to Ferryland in 1975 to teach, boarding with, of all people, Ron’s mother.

“She was obviously very proud of him, and of the work he had done,” said Mooney.

By 1975, the year Mooney moved to Ferryland, Hynes had already released his debut album Discovery, reportedly the first album released by a Newfoundlander comprised of entirely original material.

“Ron came all the time to visit his mom. And Ron was always at our (summer folk) festival, he was a big drawing card for the festival. People came to the festival just to hear Ron Hynes,” added Mooney. “Some people might say that Ron didn’t appreciate where he came from. But that’s not true, that’s not true at all.”

And Ferryland, said Mooney, appreciates Hynes.

“The name Ron Hynes is synonymous with Ferryland. And, Ferryland with Ron Hynes. People well say, ‘Oh, you’re from Ferryland— did you know Ron Hynes?’ or ‘Ron Hynes, he’s the guy from Ferryland!’ Ferryland is very proud of Ron… there is no such thing as a concert here in Ferryland at anytime where someone does not sing a Ron song. You’ve got to have a Ron Hynes song, or it’s not a concert in Ferryland.”

Barbour, meanwhile, said that she would like to see Ferryland honour Hynes legacy in other ways in the future.

“My dream is to one day have something to honour Ron here in our hometown. Maybe a Ron Hynes festival and a site that acts as a monument to point out his accomplishments and maybe some type of statue and bio,” she said. “I know we can do it together, because in the past when Ron needed help during his diagnosis with cancer, I was a proud member of a wonderful fundraising committee; a committee full of love, respect and admiration for Ron as an artist and as a fellow Ferrylander.”

Hynes was the second of five children born to Tom and Mary (O’ Neill) Hynes of Ferryland. He was a founding member of The Wonderful Grand Band, and released seven solo albums throughout his career.

A seven-time East Coast Music Awards winner and past Juno and Canadian Country Music Awards nominee, Hynes was the recipient of a number of other prestigious awards, including an honorary Doctor of Letters from Memorial University and a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

In July of 2012, Hynes was diagnosed with throat cancer, and died on November 19, 2015.

Ferryland mayor excited about trail renovation

By Mark Squibb | Sept. 3, 2020

The Town of Ferryland is looking for quotes to finish some work on a popular trail in the community.

Half of the trail was completed last year, and this year the Town is looking to finish the work up to where the trail opens near the ‘Welcome to Ferryland’ sign by Baltimore School.

Work will include clearing brush near the Come Home year sign, grading, ditching, adding fill, re-installing culverts, and installation of barriers and rocks to prevent vehicular traffic.

Mayor Sean Walsh said the trail runs the length of the community, parallel to the shoreline, and that the trail opening, near the Ferryland sign and flower gardens, is a popular spot for visitors.

“When you come into Ferryland first, a lot of people stop to take pictures,” he explained, adding that students also use the trail for getting around as it is so close. “The school uses it for everything from cross country (running) to taking their classes out for science class.”

Walsh hopes the work will help stabilise the trail to prevent any erosion that might occur.

He added that, although tourists are few and far between due to travel restrictions this year, there are still plenty of folk using the trails.

“There’s not a lot of tourists around, but more local people are out and about, walking, hiking, jogging, running,” said Walsh. “People have really gotten out into their own communities and the adjacent communities.”

The call for quotes closed on August 28, and council will award the successful tender during the next public meeting this month.

Revelations in surprising places

By Mark Squibb | Sept. 3, 2020

While watching a car renovation show with her husband, a piece of jewellery that Brenda Chidley had once found along a popular portion of the East Coast trail was perhaps the furthest thing from her mind.

Until she saw a nearly identical piece on the screen.

“He called me in to see this car that a man had put in the garage, but he had passed away before he got to pick it up,” said Chidley.

And so, the son on the car show went to pick up his deceased father’s renovated rig from the garage.

But, he wasn’t alone.

“’Well Dad, this is your ride home in your new car,’ said the son. And he hung a chain up on the rear-view mirror, identical to the one I’d found. Well, I was floored,” said Chidley.

“I said, ‘My God, that’s identical to the chain I found. I got the cold shivers and everything.”

Chidley said she’s since learned of a family member who had a spouse with a similar pendent, containing the ashes of a deceased family member.

“Honest to God, I was dumbfounded.”

She found the pendent some time back while out for a walk with her grandchildren.

“I happened to look down and I saw it on the side of the road,” Chidley explained, noting that it was half covered by gravel and may have been there a while.

She put up a flyer locally, but no one claimed it, and so she poked the pendent away in a jewelry box.

“But I didn’t realize what it was until the weekend,” she said.

Chidley added that, to complicate matters, the East Coast Trail draws tourists from all over the province, and the world, and that the person who lost it may not be from here.

“A lot of East Coast trail hikers go out that road, and they park out there, just up from where I found it. It was in the gravel on the side of the road,” she said. “And we’re after seeing people from all over the world out there.”

Now, she just wants to get it back to its rightful owner.

“I wish I could find whoever owns it,” said Chidley. “You feel so bad. It’s obviously a loved one of whoever lost it.”

If you think the piece may be yours, or may belong to someone you know, and can remember when and whereabouts it was misplaced, Chidley can be reached at 363-7671.

Bay Bulls council seat to remain vacant

By Mark Squibb | Aug. 20, 2020

COVID-19 put everyone in social isolation. So four members of a local facebook group, Blooming Buddies NL, got together to discuss how to “up” the social environment in the Trepassey Area. A plant swap party seemed like a good idea. The four decided to plan such a party. Registration was limited to 25, complete with a sanitation station and contact tracing records.

Participants came from nearby communities, and some travelled all the way from Holyrood. It was a wonderful day in the great outdoors, swapping plants and socializing. The event could not have happened without support from local businesses.

Honorable mention goes to Patricia Puddister of Pat’s Plants and Gardens, Bay Bulls. What an awesome special guest Patricia was, so much knowledge to share and a very generous sponsor for the event.

There were garden gate prizes galore, thanks to all our sponsors, and everyone had a prize to lift home along with all their newly swapped plants.

Blooming Buddies NL is a private group, but open to new members, so if you grow flowers or veggies, look either one of these women up on FB and ask to join; Patsy McCormack, Theresa Shea, Helen Mulrooney or Viola Curtis-Pennell. If you love to dig in the dirt and create something, we will welcome you to the group.

A fresh look for an old establishment

By Mark Squibb | Aug. 20, 2020

A staple of the Goulds, the Hayloft Lounge, has received a fresh new look — and second bar — that’s turning heads in the community.

The building has a rather storied history. Tony Barton opened the Hayloft Lounge in 1974 (the local legend is that 12-gauge shotgun was handed out as a door prize). During the billiard boom it served a brief stint as the Billiard Barn before reverting back to its old name. And before opening to the public, it was also the Barton home.

The Kiely brothers, Ian and Jed, bought the building some years back. The brothers themselves have a long Goulds history.

Both brothers have worked farms baling hay, back when hay was baled into square bales, not the large marshmallow shapes you see today.

“When it was baling time, everybody around the community, I remember Jed and I and our dad and everyone down by Forest Pond and that area, getting together and helping the farmers bale the hay and loading it up on the flatbeds and then we would get up on the flatbeds as kids and ride down the Goulds Main Road. It was really a part of growing up for me that I would like my kids to experience,” said Ian.

“We have a lot of memories baling the hay and all that. And now that we have small kids, it’s an opportunity for them,” agreed brother Jed.

The brothers say that they have a love for Gould’s farming roots, and want the Hayloft and new Farmhouse bar to reflect that heritage.

“The Farmhouse came from the Goulds being a farming community,” explained Ian. “The roots of the Goulds is in farming. The farmers have been here a long time. Different places, like Petty Harbour, are known for fishing. Goulds is know as being a farming community.”

He said that many people might be a little embarrassed by the farming reputation — especially that unmistakable summertime farm odor — but that they cherish the Goulds’ heritage.

“We want to embrace it. It kind of separates us from everyone one. That’s what we’re all about,” said Ian.

The brothers held a photo contest, asking residents to submit their favorite Goulds farming photos (some of which will adorn the walls) and have designed the building around the farming motif, with decorative hay bales and an unmistakable cow decal alongside the building.

That Cow, reminding folks to ‘support local,’ has caused a bit of debate in the community.

“Some people love it — some people hated it,” laughed Ian. “We did get some negative comments, people saying, ‘Why are you covering up all your nice new siding with this cow.”

However, Ian said, it’s the message the cow proclaims that matters most.

“In this era of COVID, it’s important for people to support local and to support local businesses. They’ve been hit the hardest. So, if we were going to do a billboard, I think the message should be, for now, ‘Support local,’” he explained.

And, for those who don’t like it, he said it probably won’t be there forever.

“It’s basically a billboard that we can change around periodically. It’s not something that’s stationary and going to be there for the life of the building. It got people talking,” he concluded.

The brothers were able to capitalize on the downturn brought about by COVID-19 to complete much of the work, which includes the new Farmhouse bar, new siding and windows, parking lot renos, and a front area overhang.

They closed to the public in March 16, and reopened the 25th of June.

“We were closed and we said, ‘What are we going to do, we’re not just going to sit still,’ and we always wanted to do the renovations, but we were afraid that it would interfere with the customers coming back and forth, so we said that this is probably the best time to get this renovation done,” said Ian. “We’re closed, it won’t interfere with customers coming back and forth. And it reduces the downtime. When you’re open you have to put away all your tools and make sure the place is clean for when customers come back. So, it saves us that hour or two everyday having to clean up.”

The lounge is currently operating at fifty percent capacity, or 30 people, and the brothers are holding off on booking parties, in light of the pandemic.

They hope to have the rest of the interior work, including bathroom renovations, done by the fall.

“A lot of people respect that we’re honouring the farmers of the Goulds and getting back to the roots of the Goulds,” said Ian.

Town of Witless Bay to hold off on by-election

By Mark Squibb | July 23, 2020

The Town of Witless Bay is waiting it out before holding a by-election to fill the seat left vacant by former councillor Lucy Carew, citing safety concerns and COVID-19 regulations.

“By-elections are permitted under Alert Level 2, as long as public health measures are followed, such as social distancing and appropriate hygiene. However, councils are still recommended to do their meetings by video and teleconference. So, council presently has six members. And I’m not comfortable subjecting staff and residents to the possibility of this very serious virus. This is not warranted at this time,” said deputy mayor Maureen Murphy during the July 14 meeting public council meeting.

She added that there are also limits on how many people can be gathered together publicly at one time.

Murphy made the motion that Mayor Derm Moran contact Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment Derrick Bragg to request an extension on the by-election until further notice.

The motion was approved unanimously.

The town council has seen some significant changes over the last year or so with a number of councillors coming and going.

The latest to join council was Dale O’ Driscoll, who was acclaimed to council in November of 2019, following the retirement of former mayor Rene Estrade due to health reasons.

Upon Estrada’s retirement, council voted in Moran, who was the town’s former mayor. Moran, along with David Ryan, were elected to council on Oct. 9, following the resignation of former councillors Chris Brinston and Neil Stratton.

Carew resigned on May 15. No specific reason for the resignation was given to council. Her vacant seat will be the fourth such seat since August, 2019.

Witless Bay tackles long list of public infrastructure applications

By Mark Squibb | July 23, 2020

Witless Bay Town Council had a long list of public infrastructure applications before them at the July 14 public council meeting.

Council first dealt with a number of applications that had been deferred from the June 9 meeting, including an application for a lot at 11 Dean’s Road, which council approved, and an application for a home on Jockey’s Lane, which council deferred as they continue to seek information.

Later in the meeting, council approved a Fisheries and Oceans application to remove the old CFIA building and construct a new warehouse, as per pending permits, at 229-235 Southern Shore Highway.

Council deferred an application for a home on 184-188 Dean’s Road until they received more zoning information, but approved applications for homes at 62 and 64 Country Path Drive, pending Service NL approval, as well as an application for a home at 215-17 Gallows Cove, again pending Service NL approval.

Council also approved applications for sheds, fences, a second access to property, a catch basin, and renovations for other properties around town.

The Town also noted that ongoing work on the recreation complex is on schedule.

“Most of the ground work is done, we got a few minor touch ups to do, and the fencing is supposed to start the middle of the upcoming week at the latest,”  said councillor Fraser Paul, adding that he had to meet with the plumber the next day.

Bay Bulls ratifies St. John’s road motions

By Mark Squibb | July 23, 2020

During the July 15 meeting of council, Bay Bulls council ratified a number of motions approved through email polls in June, most to do with upgrades to St. John’s Road.

Due to numerous conflicts of interest, councillors Joan Luby, Eric Maloney, and Patrick Coady had received permission from the provincial government back in 2019 for just three councillors to vote on any issue regarding St. John’s Road

The first motion to be ratified was email June 15 email vote to award the contract of St. John’s Road Infrastructure Upgrade Project to Cougar Engineering and Construction at a cost of $983,250 based on a 90/10 cost sharing with provincial government.

The second was a June 15 email vote to release payment of$4,326.88 to prime consultant Meridian Engineering  for work completed on St John’s Road.

Two motions for approval of residential accessory building on St. John’s Road were also ratified.

And Then There Were Five

Evelyn Tucker’s resignation brings council to five; no nomination date in sight

By Mark Squibb | July 23, 2020

The resignation of Evelyn Tucker, who joined council in the 2017 election, brings Bay Bulls council down to five members.

“She never really gave a reason... I guess you would have to talk to her about her actual reason. She never really got into reasons,” said Mayor Harold Mullowney, when asked why Tucker quit earlier this summer.

Tucker herself could not be reached for comment.

But Mullowney praised her time on council.

“She was there for a good period of time and did a lot of great work, and we’re sorry to see her go,” said the mayor. “I was surprised and sorry to see Evelyn go. The time she was with the council, she was a very active councillor. She was involved in a great deal of things. She got a lot of things done, and I think her voice is going to be missed around the table. But then again, people got to do what they got to do. She was certainly willing to put in the time. And then some.”

Mullowney said Tucker sent an e-mail notification of her resignation.

At present, there’s no plan to schedule a nomination date to elect someone to fill the seat.

“COVID is certainly a part of it,” said Mullowney, although he said council is also cognizant that they have tried in the past to fill a vacancy with no takers.

“Summer is always a difficult time to hold an election anyway,” added Mullowney. “But I’m hoping we will at least try again and go to the polls and see if we can get one or two people to step forward.”

He said that, in spite of council delaying the nomination date, it is important to get the vacant seats filled, one of which has sat vacant since the resignation of councillors Kevin O'Brien and Philip Burton in 2018. Councillor Patrick Coady was acclaimed to council that year, filling one of those seats, but the other seat has remained vacant, despite multiple calls for nominations over the past two years.

“It would be great to have another one or to councillors around the table. It really is important for quorum on a number of issues,” said Mullowney. “We’re finding it very difficult to get people to step up. But we’re not the only town. We’re looking at Mount Pearl, now, is down to five councillors. I’ve spoken to a couple other mayors recently and they’re also operating with five councillors. So, it seems like it’s getting harder and harder in the province to get people to step up and fill a volunteer role on a council. People have to realize that they’re stepping forward to help assist their communities. At the end of this process, there’s really noting in it for the individual other than seeing their community prosper and grow. The unfortunate thing is that we’re living in a world today where people come forward and try and do the best job that they can and they’re often criticized, mercilessly, by individuals who have no interest in stepping forward themselves.”

During the July 15 meeting, councillor Joan Luby announced that she would be stepping down from the Public Works Committee. Previously, Luby and Tucker had worked on the committee together.

“Joan and Evelyn worked very effectively together,” noted Mullowney.

Councillor Patrick Coady and Eric Maloney will now take over the responsibilities of the Public Works Committee.

Bay Bulls to forward ATV complaint to RCMP

Council also addresses speeding concern

By Mark Squibb | July 23, 2020

Councillors in Bay Bulls say there’s little they can do about an ATV complaint other than forward it to the police.

The Town was in receipt of a complaint from a resident of Quay’s Road who was concerned about ATV usage.

“I believe we just need to forward this on to the RCMP,” said Deputy Mayor Wendy O’Driscoll during the July 15 meeting.

Town CAO Jennifer Aspell spoke to the rationale of the decision.

“The reason that it’s being forwarded on by the deputy mayor is that it’s really outside of the town’s jurisdiction for managing this particular issue. It has to do with ATV use in the area, and the Town of course has no authority to regulate or police ATV use. So, the best course of action would be to refer it onto the authorities,” explained Aspell.

During that same meeting, members of Bay Bulls council addressed concerns about speeding in town generally.

Council had received requests for additional speedbumps along Sheldon Drive and Solomon Close.

“We don’t have any extra speedbumps, but we are going to look into providing some ‘Children at Play,’ signs,” said O’Driscoll.

She noted that correspondence should be sent to residents to inform them of the decision.

Eastern Health Clinic moving from Witless Bay to Bay Bulls

Eastern Health is advising the public that the Witless Bay Health and Community Services Centre at 294 Southern Shore Highway will relocate this month to 788 Southern Shore Highway, Bay Bulls.

The transition is expected to be completed by July 29.

All services currently provided at the Witless Bay Health and Community Services Centre – including public health, community supports, and mental health and addictions services – will be offered from the new site by the same staff. The new space will enhance current operations and allow for future growth of programs and services, said spokesperson Tracey Boland.

The clinic hours will remain the same, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Clients who have been referred to the clinic for appointments will be contacted directly, Boland added. Individuals requiring more information can call the clinic at (709) 334-3941.

Boland said the relocation is anticipated to be completed with a minimal interruption in service.

Picturesque Tors Cove Church taken down

The Sacred Heart Parish Church in Tors Cove, a landmark which stood since 1893, has been torn down.

“It is a sad thing, and a disappointing thing, and a difficult thing, and I understand how people feel,” said Our Lady Star of the Sea parish priest Monsignor Patrick J. Kennedy.

Like other churches in rural communities, in its day, the church was the centre of the community.

“The church was the gathering place. It was the place for baptisms, weddings, and regular Masses and other religious activities, because it wasn’t just limited to Mass, the Stations in Lent, and benedictions and funerals, and all the other things that bind a community together and family,” said the priest.

Kennedy was appointed to the parish in July of 2011, but his history with the building dates back much further.

“I was baptized in that church,” said Fr. Kennedy. “My parents were married in that church. I was confirmed and had my first holy communion in the church, and one of my first Masses, 54 years ago, was in that church, and then I served there as the parish priest.”

The discussion about what ought to be done with the church, which was decommissioned and deconsecrated in June of 2014, had long been a topic amongst church leadership.

“When I first came to the parish in 2011, I think the first meeting I had was a meeting about the situation and the state of Tors Cove church,” recalls Kennedy. “We made an attempt to fix the roof. It was far gone and leaking badly. We spent a little over $11,000 trying to fix the roof and patch it. We didn’t have the money to put a new roof on it, which was what was needed.”

A 2013 engineering study found that much work would be needed to be done to bring the building up to snuff, including structural foundation work.

“We didn’t have the funds to do what was needed. And what was needed was very, very, very considerable,” admitted Kennedy.

Following its decommissioning in 2014, artifacts, pews, statues, and altars, were removed and sold at public auction, with the $7,000 in profits given to the cemetery committee in Tors Cove. That money was used to build a chapel in the cemetery, which contains many of the remaining pews and artifacts.

“The chapel has a lot of the artifacts. One thing is a magnificent stained-glass window of the Sacred Heart,” said Fr. Kennedy, who has since hosted funerals and liturgies in that chapel.

Ultimately, the decision to tear down the building was a necessary one, Kennedy said, especially as the building became a target for vandals.

“Week after week after week the RCMP had to be called,” said Kennedy, who added that no sooner than a parish member could board up a broken window, vandals would break it again. Graffiti became a common problem, both inside and outside the building.

Kennedy said that one night the police were called, but by the time they reached the building, the vandals had fled. They returned that same night after the police had left.

But an even bigger concern was that someone would start a fire, which could spread to nearby homes, or that someone would fall through a sagging floorboard or through the steep tower stairs and injure themselves.

“We couldn’t leave it there like that. It was just to dangerous,” concluded Kennedy, who said there was no other option than demolition.

The wreckage of the building in still on site pending an environmental assessment before a full cleanup can be completed. But, in a larger sense, the church itself, which once served as a landmark for fishermen on the water, remains. Its parish committee is still active and its parishioners are still involved in the ministry of faith.

“The church is not a building; the church is the people of God,” said Fr. Kennedy. “And we have three churches here to serve the area, one in Bay Bulls, one in Witless Bay, and one in St. Michael’s.”

‘We feel forgotten about’

St. Mary’s feeling left in the lurch over doctor shortage

By Mark Squibb | Vol. 13 No. 3 (February 6, 2020)

St. Mary’s Deputy Mayor Steve Ryan said that as of Friday, Jan. 31, the St. Mary’s region is without a doctor for at least the next three months.

“We had a doctor here for about a year-and-a half, her name was Dr. Shada Dujali,” said Ryan, referring to the last fulltime doctor to serve the community and surrounding area.

After Dr. Dujali moved to Carbonear, the clinic in St. Mary’s was without its own doctor.

 “We had no doctor really, so what they did is bring in a ‘fill-in doctor,’” said Ryan, who is part of a local committee that has been lobbying Eastern Health and the provincial government on health issues for several years.

The fill-in physician was a retired doctor, Marshall Godwin. But on Jan. 31, Dr. Godwin left for a three-month vacation in Portugal.

Ryan and his fellow committee members had a conference call with Larry Alteen an executive with Eastern Health, on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

“We had the meeting with Dr. Alteen on Wednesday, and we’re not happy with what they’re offering,” said Ryan. “The solution they came up with is that they’re hoping to bring two doctors to Holyrood. They haven’t got them signed yet, but they’re working on it. They’re going to come to Holyrood and work in an office in Holyrood, and they’re going to come this way for two days a week. But what I’ve said to Dr. Alteen is that if those two doctors go to Holyrood, they’re going to be overwhelmed with Holyrood… They’re hoping that when they get to Holyrood, it’s not going to be busy and they’re going to be able to come to St. Mary’s for two days. They’re hoping. They’re grasping at straws.”

Ryan said Eastern Health’s solution isn’t one.

“From Peter’s River to North Harbour, we have almost 2,500 people. And as you know, the majority of people in those communities are older. They need doctors more now than they ever did,” Ryan said. “They’re just trying to put a band-aid on a wound. We feel forgotten about.”

Just about a 45-minute jaunt from St. Mary’s is the community of Trepassey. Until February last year when he retired, Dr. Thomas McGarry served patients both in Trepassey and St. Mary’s.

Ryan said that while access to health care has been a concern in the region for the last number of years, the retirement of McGarry amplified the problem. He said that shortage makes accessing even basic health care services difficult.

“There are stories here of people having to go to emergency, waiting 10 or 12 hours, to get a prescription filled for a urinary track infection. It’s just crazy,” said Ryan.

He even has his own personal story.

 “I had a flu over Christmas. And I couldn’t get any appointment. So, I said, ‘It’s only the flu.’ I didn’t want to bump anyone else who had a more serious situation. And what happened, is I got an ear infection. I have tubes in my ears, so I have to go and see a specialist on Wednesday, and I have to go to an outpatient specialist on Thursday, which I would not have to do if I had gone and got treated.”

Placentia— St. Mary’s MHA Sherry Gambin-Walsh said she is well aware of the situation unfolding.

“This has been an oncoming concern,” said Gambin-Walsh, who said she has been in constant contact with both Eastern Health and the committee. “Every rural community in Newfoundland and Labrador wants a doctor full-time. That’s the desire throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. So, St. Mary’s is not unique in their request, nor are they unique in their challenges. And the challenges that they are facing are actually getting closer and closer to the urban area. One of my children (in St. John’s) doesn’t have a family physician. Hasn’t had one for years. And I was without one for six months last year.”

The MHA said she is confident in Eastern Health’s ability to address the issue, both in the long run and in the immediate term. For now and until March 9, she said, a doctor will make a weekly visit to St. Mary’s. That will be followed by a fill-in doctor for two weeks, and then a one day a week visit until the summer.

“Eastern Health is truly and honestly working with the resources that are available to try to fill this gap. So, they’ve identified this gap, they are aware of it, and are actively working to try to fill it. And I’m confident that they will,” she said. “But I do understand the frustration of the people, and they want consistency in care. And if we have two physicians that are going to go out there (from Holyrood), one to two times a week, based on the need, there will be consistency of care, and that’s needed. Those physicians have agreed that they would provide services to St. Mary’s,” she added.

Gambin-Walsh said getting a full-time doctor to move to rural Newfoundland would be incredibly difficult.

“The new generation of physicians don’t want to live in rural Newfoundland. They just don’t want to live there… You can’t make a physician move into St. Mary’s and live there. You can’t make somebody work there. So, we’re trying to put together a model that meets the needs of the people.”

According to Gambin-Walsh, the sole practitioner model of healthcare is dying and not just in rural Newfoundland.

“The model for the solo family physician practise is changing across the country, and it’s changing around the world,” she said. “And the modern models of primary healthcare is very different. And there lies the issue and concern… So, the new model proposed by Eastern Health would have two MUN-trained family physicians work in the Holyrood area in July of 2020, so this application is already before the Family Physician Approval Committee. Our objective and goal is to recruit the physicians into the area to ensure that we do give the residents the healthcare that they need and desire, and use the models that are available today — including nurse practitioners.”

Nurse practitioners are “filling a huge void in Newfoundland and Labrador— and doing a good job I might add,” said the member.

Meanwhile, Ryan insists there’s only one right answer for St. Mary’s — and it’s not a doctor dropping in once or twice a week.

“Right now, we need somebody in that clinic five days a week… there’s no way around it,” he said. “I know of people who will not come to this community because of the doctor shortage. They’re older, they’re retired, some have houses here, but they’re living in CBS, they’re living elsewhere, because they’re afraid to come here in case something happens, and there’s no doctor.”

The Irish Loop Post reached out to Eastern Health multiple times, beginning Friday, Jan. 31, but did not receive confirmation or clarification regarding plans for health care service in St. Mary’s by deadline on Feb. 5.

‘It started as a small thing’

Charity hockey game enters fifth year

By Mark Squibb | Vol. 13 No. 3 (February 6, 2020)

Hockey fans in the Goulds area will want to mark Feb. 21 on their calendars.

That’s the night of the St. Kevin’s Mavericks Hockey Alumni Charity Classic, which pits the current high school team against a select roster of alumni players.

This will be the fifth annual matchup, which each year being a little more successful than the last.

“It started as a small thing,” said organizer Jason Snelgrove. “The first year we did it, I thought ‘The alumni players have donated a couple of bucks, and the high school players have donated a couple of bucks, and if we could get together five or six hundred dollars, it would be great, we’ll donate to some charity.’”

The first year, the event raised just about $1,700.

“We thought that was outstanding,” he said. “To this point, we’ve raised over $16,600 in four years. Every year we raised more money. We’re certainly hoping we can break the $20,000 in year five,”

Last year the group raised a little over $6,600, so cracking the $20,000 mark seems to be a realistic goal.

Apart from individual donations, there are St. Kevin’s students accepting donations at the door, as well as a 50/50 draw and plenty of door prizes provided by local businesses.

Every year, organizers scout for potential local beneficiaries, in addition to the Curtis Hudson Memorial Fund, a non-profit dedicated to building a playground in Goulds in honour of young Cutis Hudson, who passed away after a short battle with brain cancer in 2017, which the alumni game has supported for the last number of years.

“Every year, the basis of the game was to pick a family, or a person, or an organization in the community or close to someone in the community, that could use a monetary donation. And not necessarily that they need the money, per say, but it’s a bit of money to boost spirits if they’re going through a difficult medical time,” said Snelgrove. “We try to reach out to a different family, a different circumstance, a different person, or whatever the case may be.”

This year, funds will be raised for Alicia Danielle Burry of Petty Harbour— Maddox Cove and St. Kevin’s student Jake Langer to help with medical treatments, in addition to the Curtis Hudson Memorial Fund.

“It kind of keeps the event fresh, and people know that they’re supporting multiple people and multiple families,” said Snelgrove.

The high school students, either battling it out on the ice, collecting donations at the door, or helping behind the scenes, are also benefactors in a way.

“They’re learning how the world works, and they enjoy the fact that they are a part of something that gives back to the community, that they can help people in the community. And we’ve had people come onto the ice to accept donations with tears in their eyes,” said James.

The on-ice action has become quite heated over the years as well.

“Everybody wants to win,” said Snelgrove.

Currently, the alumni hold a 4—0 record.

“The older guys know how to play the game,” said James, noting that hockey IQ and experience has given the alumni the edge against the young guys.

 “Every year the high school team is getting closer and closer. They believe every year that they’re going to win.

“They’re certainly more skilled, a lot of the time, and they’re certainly quicker, and they have more energy than a lot of the alumni players. And they think that alone will win them a hockey game.”

Both teams, said James, once hockey season starts up in the fall look forward to the game, enjoying a healthy dose of banter along the way.

And, in a small community, you can usually find a family member or two to play against the young players.

“What we’ve really tried to do over the last couple of years is find alumni hockey players who have a connection to players on the team. So, we’ve had some dads play in the past, we’ve had some uncles play in the past. This year we have a son and father combo,” said James, adding that watching the inter-generational game is pretty special. “The alumni will get to hang out afterward and tell their stories about what it was like to play hockey twenty-five years ago, or when the last time they won a championship was, or how the game has changed.

The game, held at the Goulds Arena, has been incorporated in the Goulds Winter Carnival, which runs from Feb. 14— 21 and is open to all members of the community.

“It’s turned into something bigger than any of the organizers could have ever imagined,” said James, adding that without support from fans, business, and players, the event would not be possible.

The 2019 Alumni and St. Mavericks teams.

More business along the shore

Cape Broyle council supportive of proposed gun assembly facility

By Chris Lewis | Vol. 13 No. 3 (February 6, 2020)

A new facility is making its way to the Cape Broyle area, but not all are enthusiastic.

On Thursday, January 2, a registration was undertaken through Municipal Affairs and Environment that would see the construction of a jet perforating gun assembly facility. Although not set to be constructed directly within town boundaries, the proposed location is just north of the municipality nearby a cabin area known as Hell Hill Pond. More specifically, the exact area set for this facility is known as Whitehorse, or the Whitehorse Barrens.

The Cape Broyle council is enthusiastic about the project, with Mayor Beverly O’Brien stating that any new business coming to the shore is a good thing in the long run.

“The majority of council support this proposal for the facility. We welcome any project that could bring work to our area, and abides by the environmental standards of the government,” O’Brien said.

The decision from Minster of Municipal Affairs and Environment, Derrick Bragg, is due on Sunday, Feb. 16th, with public comments due five days prior on Tuesday, Feb. 11th.

O’Brien says that although the facility is not going to be set up in the heart of the community, there are still benefits that come along with these types of businesses to any community found along the southern shore.

“Any project that gets set up near any town is going to have benefits, really,” she said. “Our stores are there, and I’m assuming that the workers are going to be making use of those while they’re working. I mean, hopefully, it’ll bring some new residents to Cape Broyle, too. You never know.”

One resident of Cape Broyle, Aaron O’Brien, says that while he is not opposed to the facility itself, or any such development making its way to the southern shore, he is still a bit skeptical about how good a fit the jet perforating gun assembly facility is for the proposed area.

He says the people who will be in the closest proximity to the project are those living in the Hell Hill Pond region, with the location for the facility coming in at only less than a kilometre away from them.

“The area that they have proposed to put this facility is one that I’m familiar with; I hike in that area, and I just appreciate the natural beauty of the place. For that reason, it’s concerning to me,” Aaron said. “I’d rather not see the forest there be destroyed.”

As such, Aaron is not wishing to see the facility turned away or brought to an area outside the southern shore, but instead is hopeful for a simple location change for the sake of the people living nearby, as well as the natural habitats that can be found in and around Hell Hill Pond.

“If they could find a location that’s already developed in some way that’s not just a grove of woods that hasn’t been cut in a very long time, I’d just rather them put it somewhere else,” he added.

Once the facility is up and running, both Aaron and Mayor O’Brien said they expect any employment going into the project would likely be hired from within the proponent company, Baker Hughes Canada, as opposed to hiring straight from the nearby community of Cape Broyle. Still, Beverly was hopeful that this facility may even bring one or two jobs to the people of the community.

She said that, as far as she can tell, the majority of the people of Cape Broyle seem to be on board with the facility.

“We went through this proposal with a fine-toothed comb, and we can’t find anything negative that would come out of this if they abide by everything they’re saying,” she said. “We had several inquiries as to exactly where this is going – a lot of ‘is it in my backyard?’ but beyond that, we as a council haven’t heard any direct complaints about it.”

At the head table

Mobile chef represented province in national culinary competition

By Mark Squibb | Vol. 13 No. 3 (February 6, 2020)



Local chef and entrepreneur Kyle Puddester’s kitchen prowess landed him a spot representing Newfoundland and Labrador at a national culinary event this past week.

From Jan. 29 until Feb. 3, Puddester was in Ottawa for the Canadian Culinary Championship.

Puddester’s place in the competition didn’t happen by accident. First, Puddester had to compete in the regional competition in St John’s on Nov. 1, 2019. He competed against four other local chefs, and came out the gold medal winner.

Winning that competition allowed him to represent Newfoundland and Labrador at the national level.

“It was a great opportunity. I’m very proud of what we did,” said Puddester, adding that it was an honour to represent the province.

He had a sous chef, a personal friend from Halifax, and three students from Algonquin college, to aid him in his station.

The event kicked off in Ottawa on Thursday, Jan. 30; after introductions, media shoots and, of course, dinner, where the chefs received the key to their first competition; a bottle of mystery wine.

Chefs had to wake up Friday morning and, on a budget of just $500, buy ingredients to prepare a meal that would pair with the wine and feed roughly 350 attendees. For the dish, Puddester paired his wine (a Closson Chase Pinot Noir 2017) with mi cuit (half cooked) rainbow trout, with pear and fennel salad, citrus, walnut brittle, and vanilla buttermilk.

Saturday’s competition was a Black Box competition.

Each chef receives a box of seven diverse ingredients and upon opening their box, they must create a meal to please the most distinguished palate.

For this competition, the sous chef was not allowed in the kitchen until after the first 25-minutes, just to make things a bit more of a challenge.

Puddester opened his box to find elk, parsley root, phytoplankton, black kale, oats, berries and pickled fiddleheads.

All perfect ingredients for phytoplankton dusted, pan seared elk, oat porridge with kale, parsley puree, and fiddlehead chimichurri.

The third competition seems to be the easiest on paper— using your own ingredients, re-create your gold medal winning regional dish. For Puddester, that was a wild willow partridge dish that incorporated several local berries including blueberries and partridgeberries.

It actually turned out to be the most challenging, with the difficulty beginning before Puddester even set foot inside the kitchen

“We actually had some wild foraged blueberries and crowberries that were supposed to make it on to the dish, because part of the story of the dish was because that was what was in the crop of the bird” explained Puddester. “But when we arrived on Wednesday, West Jet actually had lost two very important bags of luggage. One was all my kitchen equipment, and my knives and a couple of different ingredients that we had to re-prep up there Thursday night, and all my clothes.”

By the time the luggage situation was straightened away on Thursday, there was a nasty surprise inside one of the suitcases.

“Somehow the berries had exploded over all my clothes. So, all my clothes were died blue. And we lost all the berries.”

He said that the two-hour time constraints and close quarters also made for a stressful final competition.

Puddester didn’t place in the top three, but still did get to rub shoulders with some of the best in the business and shed a little more light on the province’s culinary scene.

And, he got to do what he loves.

“It’s a chance to be creative. And you’re actually physically making something with your hands. I like being where we are, in such a small restaurant, where you get immediate feedback from people,” he explained. “It makes me happy to make other people happy, and to be able to be creative and make nice food and beautiful looking plates. It’s basically just like creating art, only it’s edible.”

Puddester began cooking in 2009. Him and his wife, Kayla O’Brien, run the 28-seat casual-fine dining Fork restaurant in Mobile. The restaurant began in 2017 as a seasonal pop-up restaurant operating out of the Irish Loop Coffee House in Witless Bay.

Getting to work

Bay Bulls hopes to double down on work projects in 2020

By Mark Squibb | Vol. 13 No. 2 (January 23, 2020)

Bay Bulls mayor Harold Mullowney admits that 2019 was a year of challenges.

Perhaps biggest of all was a piece of roadwork along Lower Road that remains unfinished.

“We’ve had a lot of challenges when you look at the bit of road work we’ve tried to do this year,” said Mulloweny.

Bay Bulls Mayor Harold Mullowney anticipates a busy 2020 after some disappointing setbacks in 2019.

“It was supposed to be finished before tourism season started, but because of a number of circumstances beyond control, it dragged on and on and on.”

The largest concern was that the Town had to switch contractor’s mid-year, slowing down the project considerably.

“That was a bit disappointing, because we had intended to do a considerable amount of work this year.”

“It occupied a tremendous, tremendous amount of our time. It was frustrating. We started the year with three or four projects that we wanted to knock off, and because of this one we never got them done.

“All that being said, we’re looking at a very active year coming,” said Mulloweny, hoping that many of those projects, including the resurfacing of Cemetery Road by the Regional Lifestyle Centre, and updating of St. John’s Road, will be picked up in 2020.

He adds that the Forotten Corner restoration project on the Ryan Property is scheduled to be completed, the Town is planning to preserve the last vestiges of the Southern Shore railway as a heritage site, and work is scheduled for community walking trails.

Near the top of Mullowney’s 2020 wish list is more regional partnerships.

Bay Bulls had recently floated out the idea, once again, to cost share with nearby communitiies for a regional municipal enforcement officer.

So far, no one else has come on board with that idea.

 “We’re still hopeful that we can do a deal with some other towns in the area because we’ve always looking at the fact that we could use some enforcement,” said Mullowney.

 “It’s too much for small towns like Bay Bulls or Witless Bay to take on their own. But if we were to share, and do something regionally, I think it’s possible.”

Mulloweney suggested that the cyclic nature of councils stalls the movement towards regional partnerships.

“The unfortunate thing is, every time you have an election you get new people around the table, and even if there’s a lot of planning went into something, you basically need to re-educate everyone as to the necessity, and by the time you’re ready to move again, you’re into another election,” said Mullowney.

“And you got to start all over again,”

“Doing things regionally makes more sense,” he said, noting that regional groups such as the Bay Bulls Bauline Athletic Association (BBBAA) and the Witless Bay Regional Fire Department are quite successful.

“Anything we can do by working together, as small towns, is to the benefit of all. Because we cannot do everything in our own little silos.”

Meanwhile, Bay Bulls has their own election woes.

There has been a vacant seat on council since August of 2018, and at least seven unsuccessful attempts to fill it.

“We’ve gone out to the market a number of times on that, and we’ve had no one bite. We’re getting closer to the next election, so maybe people are waiting for that. But the reality on that piece is that there are still issues where we can’t vote effectively on things, because in a small town, many people have connections, and there are conflicts here and there, and so you have to step out. That one extra councillor will make things run so smooth. I’m disappointed we haven’t ben able to pick one up.”

For example, council needed to seek permission from the Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment for council to act on matters related to work being done on St. john’s Road— of the six councillors, three are found to be in conflict of interest, leaving only three councillors to vote on the matter.

Meanwhile, a decision made at council chambers down the road in Witless Bay (who, this past fall, did hold a successful election) will affect not only Bay Bulls, but many communities in the region.

Council is looking to hire a fire chief (as opposed to having volunteer man the position).

The decision would require communities who avail of the regional service to dip into their pockets.

“This is something I’d have to run by the whole council, obviously, but personally the way I look at it is the whole region is growing. This is the fastest growing region in the province right now, the region between Bay Bulls and Witless Bay, up to Mobile, Tor’s Cove… as we move forward, yes, we’re going to need to step up and have more services available. We have a great fire department, they’re absolutely fantastic, but the reality is, like the councillors, they’re all volunteers. And they don’t have the ability, sometimes, to do what needs to be done on a regular basis,” said Mullowney.

“If we can in any way shape of form facilitate them becoming more efficient, if a paid fire chief will help that, I think I’m all for that.”