BBBAA's challenge gets lots of takers

By Mark Squibb | April 8, 2021

Folks from Bay Bulls to Bauline were on the move this past week.

The Bay Bulls-Bauline Athletic Association (BBBAA) challenged folks to walk, run, bike, or wheel 25 kilometers (the distance from Bauline to Bay Bulls) in the week of March 20-28.

“I wanted to promote the benefits of just getting out and going for a walk,” said Regional Recreation Director Carla Sullivan. “Lockdown is hard for everyone.”

She got the idea from group talks within Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador, as recreation practitioners often share ideas with one another.

“It’s something you can do safely. And you’re getting outdoors, and out of the house,” she said.

Twenty-eight people submitted their distances, clocking a total of 1,420 kilometers.

Sullivan said she was pleasantly surprised to hear folks encouraging and challenging one another to get out and get active, and pleased with the turnout.

Bev Barbour won the participation draw, and Pam Power earned a prize for most kilometers, logging an impressive 105 kilometres.

Sullivan said another participant came in a close second with 101 kilometers.

For Easter, the BBBAA launched it’s 12 day long virtual Easter Egg Hunt, which runs until April 12.

Locals top up funds for new Trepassey war memorial

By Mark Squibb | April 1, 2021

Despite a monkey wrench hurled by COVID-19, a volunteer committee in Trepassey is continuing to push on with its efforts to erect a veterans’ monument.

“We thought that these veterans who have fought for our freedom deserve a bit of recognition,” said committee chairperson Marina Halleran, a veteran herself. “You go all over Canada and see these monuments in the bigger cities, and we figured, why shouldn’t we have one here?”

This past summer, the Trepassey Veterans Memorial Committee, a volunteer group of five,  secured a $25,000 Community War Memorial grant from the federal Department of Veteran’s Affairs, and while that grant covered the cost of purchasing the monument, the group needed extra funds for the site preparations, installation of the monument, flag poles, benches, concrete finishing, ornamental fencing, and artwork.

The committee had budgeted a total cost of about $60,000 for the entirety of the project.

“Due to the COVID, we are not allowed to fundraise much, so we’ve had to depend on personal donations, and we’ve been doing wonderful,” said Halleran, noting the committee has brought in just over $12,000 in personal donations.

She said that, given the generous nature of people in the area, she’s not all that surprised, though very grateful, for the support.

“Nope. Not a bit. I personally, thought myself that it would fly once we got the word out,” she said, when asked if she was surprised about the number of donations that have come in.

“Every donation, however big or small, means a lot right now to us,” said Halleran, adding they’ve received donations from all over Canada and even from outside the country.

Halleran said Trepassey boasts about 71 WWII veterans, 14 WWI veterans, and nine veterans of the forces since the second world war, as well as members who are currently serving.

Donations to the project can be made to the town hall, or at townoftrepassey2@hotmail.com.

Student voters evenly split on O'Driscoll versus O'Brien

By Mark Squibb | April 1, 2021

PC candidate Loyola O’Driscoll and Liberal candidate Cheryl O'Brien were deadlocked at the ballot box, each with 101 votes to their names, while NDP candidate Paul Murphy trailed close behind with 77 votes. That’s according to how students in Ferryland district voted in a mock election anyway.

In the actual election, the results of which were announced Saturday, PC incumbent O’Driscoll earned 3,197 votes to O’ Brien’s 2,696 votes, leaving O’Driscoll to carry on the district’s 50-year blue streak, while NDP candidate Paul Murphy received 216 votes.

Students at Goulds Elementary, however, favoured Murphy (48 votes) and O’Brien (50 votes) to O’Driscoll (26 votes), while students at Mobile Central High School gave O’Driscoll an overwhelming majority vote – 38 votes for O’ Driscoll to Murphy’s and O’Brien’s 4 and 13 votes respectively.

At St. Kevin’s Junior High, O’Brien beat O’ Driscoll by just one vote – 34 to 33, while Murphy trailed behind at 25.

And, in an astonishing coincidence, the district tie between O’Brien and O’Driscoll was not the only tie. At Stella Maris Academy in Trepassey, the vote was split straight down the middle: both O’Brien and O’Driscoll received four votes each.

“We looked at all the parties’ election platforms and election promises,” said teacher Ashley Abbott. “Some of our students made up their minds based on what each candidates in our area said what they’re going to do, and we also have students who came to school, and heard from their parents, who are talking politics at home, who they think is the most suitable candidate.”

Students in grades 4 to 12 at Stella Maris, along with other schools participating in the mock election, were among some of the few across the province who cast an actual ballot. The students voted just prior to Elections Officer Bruce Chaulk’s decision to cancel all in-person voting due to an outbreak of COVID-19, ballot box and all.

“They’re really engaged, and involved in something, similar to what the adults are doing,” said Abbott. “We show students from a young age how to vote, and why it’s important. And that’s good because voter turnout sometimes can be really low, as we’ve seen in this election. So, if we get students engaged and interested when they’re young, the chance of turn out being higher (in the future) is greater, in my opinion.”

The mock election is hosted by national organization Civix, which provides participating schools with materials for the election, along with curriculum that touches on politics, the democratic process and Canadian rights and freedoms.

“There are lessons that talk about fake news, and where to go for reputable facts and information, and how to check for those things online,” said Abbott, who also helped coordinate the school’s mock election in the 2019 provincial election. “So, it teaches students critical thinking skills and how to analyze what they read online.”

She said the students were concerned both about local issues, such as road conditions and water quality, as well as big picture ideas like climate change.

Unlike the actual provincial election, which was beset by controversary at every turn and amassed a historic low voter turnout of only 48 percent, there have been no talks yet of challenging the student election in the courts.

Bay Bulls harvester not on board with DFO's 'who's on board' policy

By Mark Squibb | Mar. 25, 2021

Confusion over who can and cannot be aboard a fishing boat according to new regulations from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) coming into effect next month has caused considerable confusion across the province.

“On Wednesday, an e-mail came out from DFO saying that as of April 1, this new crew list requirement would come into place, and they outlined what you needed to record,” said harvester Jason Sullivan of Bay Bulls.

As per those new requirements, records of who is aboard the boat for each trip would need to be kept on file for five years. As part of the bookkeeping, a Fisher Identification Number (FIN) or Provincial Fisher’s Certificate would need to be recorded for everyone on board.

But, according to Sullivan, not everyone may be able to obtain one of those numbers.

“You can’t get a FIN number, which is DFO issued, unless you have a professional fish harvester number,” he said. “So, for example, if I wanted to bring you out with me fishing to fill in for a day, and you have a job at the newspaper full time, they won’t give you a professional fish harvester number, even for an apprentice, because you have a job outside the fishery. This was going to make it tough on thousands of small enterprises that can’t afford to hire someone full time. They’re just looking for a fellow to fill in for a day here or a day there, and pay him a day-rate. So, this was the big issue for me. By bringing this into the law, it means I could be fined for bringing you out on the boat, if you didn’t have that number.”

There is another side of that coin; folks under age 16 cannot get a professional number.

“People got their backs up pretty good once they didn’t think they could bring their kids out anymore, or their buddies, or family members,” allowed Sullivan.

Social media was flooded Friday morning with photos of smiling grandkids and teenage apprentices who may not be allowed out on the water according to the new regulation.

“Everyone always brought their families and their kids and grandkids out fishing with them,” said Sullivan. “It’s just a part of rural Newfoundland culture. You want to try and encourage more young people to get out, rather than have rules that deter that.”

However, the FFAW has since clarified that that those 16 and under do not require the number, however, registration is necessary if the person is over the age of 16 and earning pay.

Furthermore, as of Friday, according to Sullivan, the Professional Fish Harvesters Certification Board will allow those who work outside the fishery to apply for an Apprentice license.

Sullivan said the confusion was largely caused by poor communication, and while he’s glad for the clarifications, he still questions the regulation as presented.

He argued that knowing everyone who is on board a vessel doesn’t necessarily determine who is in the control agreement, nor how the money is divided.

“You don’t have to tell them what percentage of the catch you’re getting,” said Sullivan. “So, they know you’re on the boat with me, but they don’t know how much money you’re getting.”

Sullivan said that while he has a full-time crew, he occasionally takes a friend or politician out in the boat for the day, and that he wouldn’t let the new regulations bar him from that.

But now, professional fish harvesters offer apprentice cards to those who work full-time in other jobs.

“We would go to court and fight it out there,” Sullivan said.

Bay Bulls re-jigs building permit fee

By Mark Squibb | Mar. 25, 2021

Those wishing to build in the Town of Bay Bulls ought to know of a new change to the permit fee.

During the March 8 council meeting, council adopted a revised budget and tax structure effective March 8.

The mil rate will remain the same, and business and utility and property taxes will remain the same too. Town Manager Jennifer Aspell noted during the meeting, the major changes had to do with application fees for projects.

“So, in the past we did not charge application fees,” said Aspell. “We will be charging an application fee and a permit fee that will total what previously used to be the permit fee. For example, if you were applying to construct a new residential home, there was no application fee, but the cost of the permit was $150. Now, there will be a $75 application fee, and a $75 permit fee. So, it will be the same total cost, but we are splitting it. There is no change to the mil rate, or minimum business tax, or residential property rate or anything like that.”

Mayor Harold Mullowney told the Irish Loop Post the price split was more of a housekeeping item than anything else.

There was also a change in the overall expenditures and revenue in the town’s new budget.

The Town had budgeted expenditures at $2,680,732 and revenue at $2,733,497 in the original budget, but under the new revision, expenditures sit at $2,728,232 while revenues sit at $2,796,360.

That’s $47,500 in additional expenditures and $62,863 in revenue.

No explanation was given during the meeting for the budget changes, and in response to a follow up e-mail, Aspell said the adoption of the revised budget was “a housekeeping item with the changes that were made to the tax structure.”

Meanwhile, Mullowney said the revised budget had nothing to due with the change to permit fees.

“This would have had nothing to do with that motion,” said the mayor, noting the revised budget was adopted before the application fee motion.

“Nothing has changed, it’s just a matter of splitting the fee and how you pay it… the actual amount hasn’t changed, just how you pay it: it’s two installments instead of one.”

Mullowney said the budget revision was due to some minor changes and tweaking.

Trepassey boys 'Running Home' for a good cause

By Luke Barry | Mar. 18, 2021

On April 12, 1980, after dipping his right leg in the Atlantic Ocean, Winnipeg’s Terry Fox set out on his iconic Marathon of Hope.

 In the early morning hours of September 22, 2021, Trepassey natives Charles Luther and Melvin Sutton will begin a journey of similar spirit dubbed Runnin’ Home, their own version of bipedal cancer fundraising.

 And while much has changed in four decades, the prevalence of cancer in society remains.

Nearly one in two Canadians are expected to receive a diagnosis of cancer in their lifetime, according to a report on projected cancer rates published in March 2020 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

 To raise awareness and funds, the duo from up the shore plan to run 147 kilometres from Mile One Centre in St. John’s to Stella Maris Academy in Trepassey.

 The real kicker is they plan to complete it in two or three days.

 “I always wanted to do something, and I’m getting older and noticing more people being affected by cancer, my family members, my friends, I just felt the need,” Luther said. “I’ve got to go out and get it (done) while I can.”

 Training diligently since April 2020, the 38-year-old has been knocking out between 100 and 120 kilometres per week, which sometimes sees him running twice a day.

 After hearing word of Luther’s idea, Sutton admits he didn’t want the opportunity to pass him by.

 “Over the years I’d run the Tely Ten, but I’d only run in the spring and summer months and that was kind of enough,” Sutton said. “I’d do weight training in the winter, but I’d do no cardio, so this kind of put me in a spot where it’s time to get a treadmill and time to run all year round if I’m going to actually do this because you got to be ready for it right?

 “My father-in-law died of lung cancer, and you know what, there’s a list of that. Everywhere you turn it’s there you know? It’s obviously a great cause and it drives you a bit more.”

 The route will see the men ascend and descend more than 1,200m while running an ultramarathon each day along the Irish Loop.

 “In Canada, there’s been an estimated 225,800 new cancer cases last year in 2020,” Elizabeth Holmes, Senior Manager of Policy and Surveillance at the Canadian Cancer Society, said. “In Newfoundland and Labrador, we estimate that at about 3,800 new cancer cases and 1,600 cancer deaths in 2020.”

 The donations Luther and Sutton are raising will go to Daffodil Place, a 24-room facility operated by the Canadian Cancer Society-NL Division for cancer patients and caregivers who must travel to St. John’s for cancer related appointments.

 “Together we are bigger than cancer and the Canadian Cancer Society is here for you,” Holmes said. “If you have been diagnosed with cancer, if you know somebody who has, if you just have questions about your cancer risk, then you can give us a call on our cancer information healthline at 1-888-939-3333 and one of our information specialists can help you with navigating the information and understanding information that’s been provided to you.”

 Email options and a chat function are available on www.cancer.ca in addition to an online community found at www.cancerconnection.ca, a website designed to provide people, caregivers and survivors with support during their cancer journey.

 Young Adult Cancer Canada (www.yacc.ca) is a national organization started by Geoff Eaton in St. John’s specifically geared towards providing young adults with inspiration, information and support.

 Efforts that advance the research, prevention, screening and treatment of cancer are vital to addressing its burden in Canada.

 Online donations in support of Runnin’ Home can be made via the page Luther set up through the Canadian Cancer Society. It’s located at https://support.cancer.ca/site/TR/IFE_NL_Event/IFE_NL_General_?px=13410714&pg=personal&fr_id=27158.

Bay Bulls okays Phase II design for Long Pond trail

By Mark Squibb | Mar. 11, 2021

Bay Bulls is one step closer to finalizing the Long Pond walking trail.

During a special meeting of council held on February 24, council granted approval for Phase II, which will see the trail extended around the full perimeter of the pond.

Much of the monies for the project come courtesy of the province through the COVID-19 Stimulus Program. Phase II is valued at $144,229, and of that cost, the town only has to contribute $14,422, which is 10 per cent.

Meanwhile, Phase I of the project is being cost shared by the federal, provincial, and municipal governments under a Municipal Capital Works program, with each government paying a third of the cost, which works out to $143,702 each for a total of $475,444 (less HST).

Work on the design began in 2020, and the trail, which will be a combination of compacted granular and boardwalk with a focus on accessibility, is expected to be completed and ready for use by July or August this year.

'The one we depended on'

By Mark Squibb | Mar. 11, 2021

The Southern Shore and the hockey world at large are reflecting on Kenny William’s legacy following his passing last week.

Williams got his start playing pond hockey in his hometown of Bay Bulls, but would grow to become so influential and involved in hockey on a local, provincial, and even national level that the name ‘Kenny Williams’ would become synonymous with hockey along the Shore.

In 1986, Williams was a member of a small group lobbying for the construction of a badly needed Southern Shore arena.

“Getting a stadium here on the shore was no small feat,” said Loyola Hearn, another foundational figure in Southern Shore hockey history. “We had a tremendous hockey league, and we used to play in St. John’s all the time, at Feildian Gardens, and we would block the Garden every Sunday night. Every yellow school bus that was on the shore, and cars besides, were at Feildian Gardens.”

Still, said Hearn, there were challenges, largely tied to the Shore’s sparse population.

“We just had enough in each community to make up a team,” said Hearn. “For example, we never had a full roster in Renews; usually we had two lines, and maybe an extra defenseman. If we made up three lines occasionally with a few juniors we were lucky. And most communities were like that, because the population was so small. So, then to go after a stadium in an area, where as I say, the population is so small, was no small feat at all. And Kenny and others were the driving force. You can’t just go into an area, especially a small area, and build a stadium, and you can’t just go get the money, unless you have organization on the ground and people who are willing to do a tremendous amount of work. And one of those people certainly right from the start, was Kenny Williams.”

When the arena was constructed in 1987, Williams was hired on as the stadium manager.

Today, that stadium he fought so hard to see built and which he managed for decades bears his name, being rechristened the Ken Williams Southern Shore Arena in 2019.

“He was one of the fellows who was there for the right reason,” said Hearn. “We always say that people take on a job because it’s a job. But not with Kenny… I would say for 15 years or more that I was on the local hockey scene, coaching and on the executive, and although that period, Kenny was there. He was the one we depended on. He wasn’t just a stadium manager — he was Kenny. And whether you were 8 or 80 you depended on Kenny. He was there to make sure everything went well. Whether it was a simple minor hockey practise or a Breakers championship game, one of the fellows who would be there making sure that everything was ready was Kenny Williams. He had a total dedication to the job.”

There was no league that Williams did not play a fundamental role in. He was elected as the founding President of the Southern Shore Minor Hockey Association and served as an HNL provincial coordinator for 24 years. In 1993 he was fundamental in organizing the Avalon West Senior Hockey League and served as its first president. Williams also served as a Director of the Southern Shore Breakers Senior Club, Treasurer for the Avalon East League and President of the Southern Shore Amateur Hockey Association, and even more besides. He was a Branch Representative on Hockey Canada and chaired the Hockey Canada meetings in St. John’s.

Ferryland PC candidate Loyoala O’Driscoll, played senior hockey with the Breakers during the nineties and was on ice for a number of championship wins, released a statement reflecting on the passing of Williams.

“Without Kenny, the Southern Shore Breakers wouldn’t be five-time Herder champions and the point of pride for the community they are today,” said O’ Driscoll. “His dedication to the community and to sports cannot be overstated or replaced.”

Williams was inducted into the NL Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 and received national recognition in 2017 when he was awarded the Hockey Canada Meritorious Award.

Williams is remembered mostly for his dedication to and involvement in the hockey community, but he was also involved in government at a municipal level. Williams was a member of the first Bay Bulls council following incorporation in 1986 (the same year Williams was fighting to see a stadium constructed on the Shore.)

“An ex-councillor, he was an individual who was synonymous with the Southern Shore Arena and hockey in the area for many years,” said Bay Bulls Mayor Harold Mullowney during his town’s March 8 council meeting. “He put an awful lot of time into recreation and volunteer activities in this town. Ken will be sorely missed. He contributed tremendously to both council and the community at large.”

Witless Bay councillor sets sites on ATV riders, speeders, litter

By Mark Squibb | Feb. 18, 2021

Witless Bay council is looking to curb problems around town by launching a new project, the Peaceful Community Enjoyment Initiative. Witless Bay council looks to curb community troubles

“The council asked myself and the CAO to prepare terms of reference, and we’ve also prepared a discussion paper of potential implications and considerations,” said councillor Colleen Hanrahan during the February 9 meeting of council.

Some of the problems council hopes to tackle include irresponsible ATV use, excessive speeding, littering, and vandalism.

Hanrahan explained the plan is to hold a meeting this month to discuss the scope of the project and what can be done to address the issues, and that a full report will likely be presented at the next council meeting.

Discussions were originally slated to have taken place at the February 9 meeting, but were deferred until that additional, private meeting takes place.

Sullivan video captures Shore's love of hockey

By Chris Lewis | Jan. 28, 2021

Some members of the Southern Shore’s hockey community recently got together in the name of music and sport.

Jackie Sullivan is a Calvert native whose music career has expanded greatly over the last decade or so, starting with her debut album in 2002, Out of the Rain which earned her Music NL’s Female Artist of the Year prize and the CBC Galaxie Rising Star award. Since then, she has been keeping herself busy with pen on paper and microphone in hand.

Sullivan’s most recent musical project however is one that holds an especially important role in her career after she was able to combine the memories and stories of her father with the local hockey scene along the Southern Shore.

Sullivan’s newest song and upcoming video, Fiery Hockey Blood, was spawned from the collective stories of her father Gerard Sullivan and his long time friend Kenny Williams. She described both of their deep loves for the game of hockey.

“My dad experienced several strokes a couple of years ago, and certainly lost his fire after it all occurred,” Sullivan said. “The only person he wanted to see was Kenny Williams. The day that they got together and started reminiscing about hockey, I saw an incredible change in my dad that day. I knew then that the game of hockey was much more than just a game. It’s brought them so much joy in their lives.”

Williams, from Bay Bulls, is a legend on the Southern Shore, and respected throughout the province, as a minor and senior hockey builder, arena manager, and much beloved recontour. He has been dealing with health challenges of his own the past few years.

Their love for the game got Sullivan thinking. She described the hockey spirit in her home region as a ‘go big or go home’ attitude, and said her father exemplified that in his time playing.

This, she said, is what compelled her to begin writing the song. Before long, she was in the studio recording, and was even able to score some vocals from Chris Andrews of Shanneyganock to add to the project.

“The song kind of took on a life of its own,” Sullivan said. “Everything just started to snowball for us, and I thought it was deserving of a music video to go along with it… I thought it would be cool to get a player’s perspective intertwined in the project.

Sullivan reached out to Fermeuse native and NHL great Ryan Clowe, who was more than happy to get involved.

“Ryan provides an incredibly nostalgic commentary about growing up on the Southern Shore, and how the passion and fire for hockey really shaped him and helped him achieve his goals of becoming an NHL player,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan even got Hockey Night in Canada Sportscaster Bob Cole to hop on board and call an old play from a Herder Championship of years gone by. This is what Sullivan considers one of the most exciting aspects of the video, even managing to get Cole in an old Southern Shore Breakers jersey.

Back in November of 2020, the shooting process began for the video inside the Southern Shore Arena and around Calvert, Sullivan’s hometown.

“There were lots of little kids involved, some old Breakers players, and some coaches,” Sullivan said. “For me, this was about capturing the legacy of hockey on the Southern Shore and across the province because, as I’ve come to learn, everybody seems to have a hockey story. While this was inspired by dad, I think it speaks to the magnitude and importance of hockey culture in our province, and even across the country.”

The video is set to release on Friday, January 29.