By Mark Squibb/September 23, 2021
There are 13 people running for council in Witless Bay, and while some may consider that number a bad omen, the candidates are optimist about the future of the town.
In particular, a number of young candidates have put their name forward for election.
Jacob Hayden, who turns 28 at the end of the month, is one such contender.
“I was getting kind of fed up because people would ask me where I was from, I would say ‘Witless Bay,’ and people would give a bit of a sigh, and people would say, ’Oh, Witless Bay.’ And I’m really tired of the reputation Witless Bay has gotten over the last few years,’” Hayden said.
Born and raised in Witless Bay, Hayden said he wants to work to see the town’s public image turned around, whether he is elected to council or not.
“I’m hoping, whoever gets in, I’ll be able to work with them to better Witless Bay to the standard that we’re used to,” he said. “It’s something that really has to change, because I’m really tired of telling people I’m from Witless Bay and having them belittle us, really.”
If he were elected, Hayden said, he would strive to encourage more community engagement, while trying to secure more government funding for the town.
“There’s not really a whole lot in the community for youth to really do,” said Hayden. “It’s kind of sad to see that there’s not much for youth to really do, and we’ve really missed the ball with the Puffin Patrol. We lost that Puffin patrol to Bay Bulls, and we’re the community that’s named for it. So, it’s sad to see those type of things go to the wayside when they could be great assets to our community and bring in great tourism.”
That tourism sector is also something Hayden would like to zero in on.
“People come here from all over the world,” said Hayden. “I’ve talked to tourists walking the streets of Witless Bay that come from Japan, that come from Africa, that come from many different places, just to see the puffins here in Witless Bay. It’s a beautiful asset to our community, but unfortunately it’s not promoted, and it’s sort of fallen to the wayside. We’re not using it as the asset that it is. It’s been kind of cast aside, which is very unfortunate.”
Hayden has worked with Pennecon in Bay Bulls since 2014, and besides volunteering with the Witless Bay Heritage Committee, has helped spearhead the recent ATV Association.
An avid ATV user, he regularly grooms the trails in and around the community, and helps with community clean up events.
Trevor Croft, 29, like Hayden, is also active grooming trails and keeping the town clean.
He’s also put his name on the ballot for election.
“I’m basically running because a lot of people in this town don’t feel like they have a voice,” said Croft. “Some people are actually afraid to speak out against council for anything, and I want to bring back a voice to the people and have a council that actually works for the people, versus the other way around.”
Croft said there is a lack of communication between council and residents and that it is oftentimes too difficult for residents to get a hold of members of council with their questions or concerns.
“People don’t know if they can get a permit for this, or they don’t know the rules and regulations for certain things, and they feel they don’t have anybody to talk to at council. It’s been an issue for a while. I’ve had my own situation, where I didn’t know the rules and regulations, and getting hold of council members is extremely difficult. It’s nice to have somebody in place that you can easily get hold of. I’d like to put my email and phone number out there to make sure that if people have questions, they can contact me, and I’ll be able to find out the answers for them.”
Croft’s issue with council concerned a piece of the old railbed that was part of a subdivision development. He said it’s been an uphill battle, and he’s still not 100 percent sure of the rules in place to protect the trail.
Croft has lived in Witless Bay much of his life, often flying to the mainland or the United States to work for various railways. He moved back in 2018, and currently works at Maloney’s Plastic, while also volunteering with the Railway Costal Museum and other groups.
“People deserve someone who is fair, and who will fight for small issues, as well as large issues,” said Croft. “People in Witless Bay need someone that they can trust and that they’re comfortable yet.”
He said he would like to lower taxes, encourage sensible development, protect waterways, and attract businesses. He suggested council re-evaluate its business taxes to attract businesses.
Alex Troake, 35, is the business development manager with TMSI Ltd., a container shipping company, and also a candidate in the election.
Troake grew up in central Newfoundland, and studied French at McGill University in Montreal, before moving back to Newfoundland to study economics and political science at Memorial University.
He moved into an historic home on Harbour Road in 2018, which he and his partner Dylan are in the midst of restoring.
“I’m a community-minded person,” said Troake. “I’ve always had that mentality of, ‘What can we do to make the community better? What are the issues, and what groups need assistance?’”
He said his priorities have not been represented at the council table.
“If we get a majority of like-minded councillors, we can probably make some big change here in the next four years,” said Troake.
He said the town has good assets, like the ecological reserve, the East Coast Trail, heritage buildings, and whale and puffin tours and he would like to see them used to build a bigger tourism sector while promoting activities for local residents.
Troake said he would like to see a more fiscally responsible council. He pointed out that in a recent council meeting, councilor Colleen Hanrahan asked how the town retained its lawyer. Then CAO Pat Curran explained it was the lawyer recommend by Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador.
One topic that all three councilors had opinions on is the seemingly never-ending Ragged Beach saga.
“The whole Ragged Beach debacle is something that really needs to be ironed out and dealt with properly,” said Hayden. “The last 12 years it’s been a saga of back-and-forth and of who is telling the truth. I’d like to see that come to an end, because that’s been a thorn in the side of Witless Bay for many years.”
Hayden suggested the town hire a moderator to work out a potential solution between the town and the Save Ragged Beach group.
“We would have to get both parties to sit down, and it would have to be moderated because they’re not going to talk to each other in a sensible manner and come to a conclusion,” he said. “Personally, I’d like to hire an independent consultant to come in and review all the history on it, and the documents…. Once it’s decided upon, I’d like to see the two sides to agree that this independent person could decide what the proper way to go about it is.”
Hayden said he’s talked with the principal players involved, and that each seems to have their own version of events.
“It’s something that’s got to come to an end,” said Hayden “It’s not feasible to keep going on like this and keep going through the courts and spending town money on something that really shouldn’t be the focus of our town. Yes, it’s a great asset, it’s a jewel in our town, but it’s not all that Witless Aby is about. And that seems to be the big drag on Witless Bay — Ragged Beach.”
Similarly, Croft said there has to be a middle ground found between the two groups.
“Ragged Beach is an important issue to everyone here in this town. It’s been ongoing for as long as I remember, 12 or 13 years I believe,” said Croft. “I don’t know enough about the development regulations when it comes to Crown Land and road construction, but I will say that I won’t refuse anyone the right to use their land if they’re legally able to do so. But, I’m against public spending on centrist projects while other parts of the town crumble… There is a happy medium for both parties, if we’re able to get together in a sensible environment and work something out. I think we’ll be able to work something out.”
Troake said most folks aren’t necessarily concerned with the construction of the road itself, but they are concerned with the way in which council has conducted itself regarding the matter.
Troak said it has been the Save Ragged Beach group which has been speaking the loudest, which means the public conversation has not at all been balanced.
He said it’s time the town move past the issue.
“Unfortunately, 99.9 percent of the residents have absolutely nothing to gain, whether that road is built,” said Troake. “It doesn’t affect most residents of the community. And what people are telling me is they want to see the council focus on something else… Community spirit has not been nurtured, and the focus of council for the last four years has been on Ragged Beach and it’s draining the town resources… The Town has only got so much money, and at the end of the day, and if it’s being spent on lawyers, its not being spent on something else. And for the amount of time the staff is spending on this, and the amount of time the staff is spending talking about this, it’s got one neighbor against another neighbor.”
In his own pamphlet, Ragged Beach is not mentioned once.
“It’s not my focus,” said Troake. “I’m not going to go to town meetings for the next four years and talk about Ragged Beach. It’s been beaten to death. Let’s move on.”
