Five local students awarded Provincial scholarships

Graduates from several Irish Loop schools were awarded provincial scholarships this past week.

Nicholas Glynn of Mobile Central High, Gracie Dalton of Baltimore School, and Adrienne MacGowan, who lives in the Ferryland district but attends Holy Heart of Mary High School in St. John’s, were awarded Electoral District Scholarships valued at $1,000 each. The scholarships are awarded to the three high school graduates in each district who achieve the highest Department of Education scholarship score, which is derived from the results of public exams.

Madison Brown and Kyra Williams, both graduates of St. Kevin’s High, were awarded Centenary for Responsible Government Scholarships. These scholarships are also awarded based on the Department of Education scholarship score.

The province awarded 201 scholarships all told.

Witless Bay gives ATV group green light to upgrade trail

By Mark Squibb/November 9, 2022

Witless Bay council fielded two requests from the local ATV Association during its October 11 public meeting.

The first was a request for the Town’s cooperation and financial support in repairing the railway trestle.

Councillor Ralph Carey said council is supportive of the association’s efforts to better the town’s trails for ATV users, but needs more specifics on the kind of financial support the association is requesting.

“For financial support, we don’t know what number that is,” said Carey. ‘So, we want them to come back to us with some kind of amount, and we’ll certainly consider it then.”

Council was also in receipt of a request for the Town’s written permission to upgrade Bear Pond Path trail.

Councillor Gerard Dunne declared a conflict of interest as the path borders his property.

Council approved the request to grant the association the permission.

“Again, as I said, they’re doing good work, and I hope they keep doing it,” said Carey. He added the group may have to request permission from the Province before going ahead with the work.

“They may need a provincial blessing as well, but we can certainly give them our blessing here,” said Carey.

Mayor Trevor Croft clarified the trail is owned by the Town and listed on the town plan.

More international recognition for Mistaken Point

Mistaken Point is among six Canadian sites named last week to UNESCO’s and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)’ top 100 geological heritage sites in the world.

Gros Morne was also named to the list.

Both sites, along with four other Canadian sites, were selected for their contribution to understanding the Earth and its history.

“Canada is home to an incredible array of natural and cultural heritage sites that can't be found anywhere else in the world, including some that detail the earliest days in the Earth's formation and evolution of its species,” said Steven Guilbeault, the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada.

Mistaken Point, located between Portugal Cove South and Cape Race on the bottom of the Avalon Peninsula, has been described as the world's best example of fossils which illustrate a critical time in history, when life "first got big" in terms of the appearance of large, biologically complex organisms. It was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2016.

Gros Morne National Park is said to contain one of the world's best exposures of the Moho, the boundary between crust and mantle rocks, preserved at the Earth's surface in a dramatic glacial landscape. It was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1987.

The announcement of the first 100 IUGS geological heritage sites was made during the IUGS 60th anniversary celebration recently held in Zumaia, Basque Coast, Spain.

"Congratulations to the six Canadian sites selected among the first 100 IUGS geological heritage sites,” said Guilbeault. “These incredible places are sources of ongoing scientific research and discovery, and also serve as important contributors to local economies as unique, unparalleled tourism destinations. Internationally, these places represent the geo heritage of all humanity and the planet we call home."

The first 100 IUGS geological heritage sites were selected from 181 applications from 56 countries and include different types of sites and geological interest.

Residents to be charged for calling fire department for false alarms

By Mark Squibb/November 4, 2022

Residents in Witless Bay may soon be penalized financially for calling the fire department over false alarms.

During the October 11 meeting, councillor Ralph Carey gave a notice of motion to amend the town policy to include a policy on fire service charges for responding to false alarms.

“This policy, with a detailed process, will be introduced in November’s meeting for council’s adoption,” said Carey.

There was no discussion on the matter, and as it was just a notice of motion, no vote was cast.

Council is scheduled to next meet on November 8.

Seven athletes from Alex Foley's Academy of Martial Arts in the Goulds recently travelled as members of Team Canada to Killarney, Ireland to compete at the World Karate and Kickboxing Commission (WKC) World Championships where competitors from all over the world assemble to test their skills against some of the best in their particular discipline. The athletes returned to Newfoundland with 20 medals and five new world championship titles. The team members included, starting in the back row, from left:  Alex Foley, owner and Coach at Alex Foley’s Academy of Martial Arts, Katelyn Farrell, of Mount Pearl, Gavin St. Croix of the Goulds, Ryan Bennett of the Goulds, Emily Power of Paradise, and Gavin Nauyuk of Witless Bay; and in the front, from left: Chloe Kieley of Petty Harbour and Eythor Kelly of the Goulds.

Two Nos, a Yes and a 'Maybe Later'

By Mark Squibb/November 4, 2022

Witless Bay council said no to two applications during the October 11 meeting, while another application could not be voted on because of a lack of quorum due to conflict of interests and absentee councillors.

The first application was for Crown Land along the Southern Shore Highway for industrial use. Councillor Gerard Dunne declared a conflict of interest as it was a relative who had made the application, while Deputy Mayor Lorna Yard left the chamber to allow council the opportunity to discuss whether she was in conflict on the matter, as she claimed her brother was employed by the individual who had made the request. With Dunne and Yard having left chambers, and councillors Jacob Hayden and Alex Troake being absent from the meeting, councillor Ralph Carey declared that a quorum had not been met, and that a vote could not be cast.

The next application was a Crown Land application for construction of an access off Dean’s Road to private land.

Carey motioned to deny that application, claiming that what the resident had requested did not square with the town plan. In short, ‘Transportation’ applications, as per the Town Plan, must be either airfields, railway yards, or docks and harbours. The application was neither of those three (presumably, the applicant would use a car to get to their property, and not an airplane, train, or boat.)

Next up was an application to construct a storage shed on an Ocean View Drive. Yard declared a conflict of interest as the application was made by a family member.

Carey put forward the motion to deny the application, claiming that, along with the building that already exists on the property, the shed, if built to the specs the resident had requested, would push the property above maximum allowable square footage.

Carey was apologetic about the decision.

“We do realize that accessory buildings need to be a bit larger, so we are going to try to deal with that in the near future with the town planner and our regulations,” said Carey.

Council did approve a request for a pet grooming salon at 147 Southside Track.

Carey moved to approve the application, so long as it meets town regulations for a home-based business. Dunne seconded the motion, and all members present voted in favour of it.

Bay Bulls to once again host recycling blitz for local schools

By Mark Squibb/November 4, 2022

The Town of Bay Bulls will once again collect recyclables for breakfast programming at local schools.

Council had received a request for support from the Kids Eat Smart Foundation to donate to the breakfast club.

Town Manger Jennifer Aspell explained that in the past the Town has hosted recycling blitz’s and donated the proceeds to St. Bernard’s Elementary and Mobile Central High.

Councillor Jason Sullivan said he would rather donate directly to the schools than do it through an organization.

Aspell pointed out that if the Town makes a donation, council can specify which school or schools it goes toward, and that the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) will match all funds that are donated. She said residents and local businesses can also donate, and that MMSB will match those contributions too.

Council voted to donate the same amount as last year, which wasn’t specified, and also to host the recycling blitz.

“I think we started at 9, and finished at probably 1 o’clock,” said Aspell. “The entire foyer was full of recycling, we had a few of our own kids come and volunteer. I can’t remember the final tally, but it ended up being something like a thousand dollars split between both schools, because, like I said, if you as an individual bring in a plastic bottle, you get five cents, but for schools, they have a program where they match that.”

Folks can also bring their recyclables directly to the recycling depot and tell staff that the money is to go towards the Breakfast Club.

Witless Bay hires new town planner

During the October 11 meeting in which council voted to part ways from its former town manager, it also voted to hire a new town planner— Stephen Jewczyk.

Jewczyk began his career in Ontario but moved to St. John’s in 1977 when he took on the mantle of town planner for the St. John’s Metropolitan Area Board. In 1989 he became Mount Pearl’s city planner and served as the City’s Director of Planning and Economic Development for some years.

The Town had issued a tender for a new town planner during a special meeting back in May following the expiration of former town planner Paul Boundridge’s contract with the town that same month.

A motion to hire a new town planner was on the August 9 meeting agenda, but council at the time deferred that motion pending, as per councillor Ralph Carey, further interviews.

The town planner is not an actual full time staff person, but a consultant serving the Town on contract.

The Baltimore School boys’ softball team are provincial champions after earning gold in the School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador AA Boys Slo-Pitch tournament held earlier this month. In the back, from left to right, are: coach Sean Walsh, Daniel O'Brien, William Carey, Jackson Boland, Landon Reddy, Zachary Ryan, Cameron Shannahan, Nathaniel Walsh, and Lynden Doyle. In the front are, from left: Jeremiah Ryan, Nathan Crane, Kegan Goodridge, Carter Coady, Matthew Molloy, and coach Jamie O'Brien. Submitted photo