‘We just want to keep what’s ours’

Cape Broyle group making progress in effort to buy back their church

Local men volunteered their labour to build Immaculate Conception Church in Cape Broyle in 1946-47. The local church committee has formed a foundation to buy the building from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese so that it is not lost in an auction of diocese owned property to raise money to compensate victims of abuse at Mount Cashel Orphanage. Photos courtesy of Mike Power

By Craig Westcott \ May 18, 2023

A group of volunteers in Cape Broyle who are raising money to buy their community church are pleased with the support they're getting along the shore, and are fully aware of the financial obligation they are taking on, says Wayne Kenney, a spokesperson for the group.

Immaculate Conception Church is among the long list of Roman Catholic Church properties being sold to pay settlements to some of the victims of sexual and physical abuse at Mount Cashel Orphanage. Kenney said the parishioners and members of the Cape Broyle Church fully support compensation for the victims.

"We are 100 per cent behind the support the victims are getting now," Kenney said. "We're not trying to lowball our bid, or trying to keep anybody else from supporting the victims... And we feel that the contribution we're making by buying this church is going to the right people, it's going to the victims of Mount Cashel."

Under the stipulations of an agreement between the foundation and the Archdiocese, the Cape Broyle group can't say how much they are paying for the building.

"The church still hasn't been settled away quite yet," said Kenney. "We have an offer in that has been tentatively accepted, but financing and all the other paperwork that needs to be done hasn't been completed yet. So, we are (still) in the process of buying the church.”

Kenney said to the best of his knowledge, the foundation was the only bidder for Immaculate Conception. He describes it as beautiful inside with "priceless" stained glass windows donated by local families. But he allowed it would be a big expense for most people to take on. The church needs a bathroom, upgrades to the windows and wiring, new insulation, and the wood in the bell tower needs to be replaced. The bell is actually situated on a steel stand outside the church, but is still rung on special occasions.

"It's an old building and it needs a lot of work, but it's something we're willing to do over time," Kenney said. "It's a lifetime of work. There's obviously no way of getting it all done the one time, but over time, over many years I would assume, by the time we finish doing the last thing, the first thing will need to be redone."

The people of Cape Broyle built Immaculate Conception themselves in the 1940s. Local men cut and milled the timbers for it, the community's fishermen donated part of their wages, and the women raised money by selling dried fish. The first Mass in the building was Christmas Eve 1947. The building replaced an earlier church that has since been converted into Cape Broyle's community hall.

"Everything went to the church, to build the church," said Kenney. "It would be a terrible thing to lose it. Just the significance of the forefathers of this community building it and worshipping there since 1947, it would be an absolute sin to lose it at this stage through something that's no fault of the community."

The church is still used for Mass every weekend. With parishes on the Southern Shore being reorganized, Cape Broyle worshippers are hoping they will be able to keep their parish priest, Fr. Joe Morz, or at least get to share one. 

"We do hold other things in the church," said Kenney. "We held a community concert there Christmas, we held quilt shows there for Come Home Year last summer. So, we're trying to utilize it more than a Sunday morning, Saturday evening church service. We want it to be there for baptisms and we want it to be there to say goodbye to our loved ones. It's not like you're going to use it everyday, but when you need the church, we want it available to the community."

Kenney said the people of Cape Broyle have been maintaining the Church and paying the power bills on it since at least the 1970s. Most of the members of the church committee are still working, Kenney noted, and maintaining day jobs while devoting increasing amounts of time to the needs of the building.

The announcement that the church would be sold came as a surprise, but not a shock.

"I would say the biggest emotion was disappointment," Kenney said. "You sort of felt the Archdiocese was only holding the church for us in trust. Even though it's in their name, it's our church. And then to be turned around and told that everything you put into it is not yours and you have no rights to it? It's disappointing."

Since then, the foundation put its finances in a position to be able to take on the burden of a mortgage and entered the bidding process. “We made several bids and were refused several times," said Kenney. 

The property was listed at $189,900 initially.

"Obviously the little community of Cape Broyle cannot afford that," Kenney said. "We were well aware as a committee what we could afford, because once it was all said and done, the church had to be paid for... So, we bided our time and we only bid what we thought we could afford to pay after the process was done."

After several bids, the latest one was tentatively accepted.

"The survey has to be done for the lot," Kenney said. "And then I guess it's up to the real estate (agents) when they want it closed and how they want to do it. We're just following along as we're being told what to do."

Kenney said the group is working really hard to raise money. It has a GoFundMe page on the internet, holds a weekly Chase the Ace lottery at Riverside Lounge, and stages an occasional concert to bring in donations. This Sunday, the organizers of the Chase the Ace will turn over the 14th card in the deck. The jackpot is estimated to be around $3,000. The Go Fund Me page is at https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-our-church-for-our-community.

"We're slowly getting there, I must say. I'm very pleased," said Kenney. "We're a small community with a small population base and we totally understand that people can only give what they can give." 

Kenney said people along other parts of the shore, who are also struggling to keep their churches in some cases, have been more than generous with financial advice and encouragement. 

"The support is great, we couldn't ask for more," Kenney said. "The road is a long road... But we are very determined that the church will stay in the community... It's the focal point of this community and has been since 1947. We just want to keep what's ours.”

Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove at Softball NL's award ceremony

The community of Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove was well represented at Softball NL’s award ceremony this past week. The organization handed out four years’ worth of softball awards, as the ceremonies for previous years had been cancelled due to the pandemic. A number of men from the picturesque fishing village took home hardware. Colin Walsh was named the Senior Male Player of the Year for 2020, 2021, and 2022. Mark Stack was named Junior Male Player of the Year for 2020, and Ryan Maher was named Junior Male Player of the Year for 2022. Pictured are Stack, left, and Maher. Submitted photo

BBBAA funding deal still “in the works,” says Croft

By Mark Squibb \ May 12, 2023

Despite the item having fallen off the public meeting agenda for months, the Town of Witless Bay is apparently still working on a funding arrangement with the Bay Bulls to Bauline Athletic Association (BBBAA).

The Irish Loop Post put the question to council during a question-and-answer session following this week’s public meeting. Mayor Trevor Croft said an agreement is “still in the works.”

When asked if there was a definite timeline on when a deal might be struck, and whether that deal will be finalized before the recreation-heavy summer months hit, Croft said there was no definite timeline yet in place.

For several years, the Town has contributed $37,000 annually to the BBBAA, as per a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The Town of Bay Bulls pays an equal amount and in turn the BBBAA provides recreation services for the entire region.

That MOU expired at the close of 2022, and though the item had appeared on Witless Bay’s agenda a number of times, it was delayed time and time again.

In early December, councillor Nancy Burke, who serves as council’s BBBAA liaison, noted a decision would need to be reached soon, as the Town was budgeting for 2023.

Former councillor Alex Troake, who chaired the Town’s finance committee and had recommended council should re-consider signing a new MOU at all before resigning from council last month, said earlier this year that $37,000 had been earmarked for the BBBAA in the 2023 budget should council once again move forward. If the Town chooses not to enter into an agreement, that money will be used for other recreational purposes.

The Town of Bay Bulls elected to once again enter into the MOU with the BBBAA as per usual.

Witless Bay woman out to beat melanoma second time around as she raises funds for others

By Mark Squibb \ May 12, 2023

Beverly Corrigan-Barbour is once again organizing a Strides for Melanoma awareness walk for people along the Southern Shore.

“It’s a passion of mine, getting information out there and helping people on a yearly basis,” said Barbour, herself a Melanoma cancer survivor who began hosting the walk in 2020 after realizing no one else in the province had been doing so. “I made it my goal to make sure, that for that year at least, we were involved. The first year, people really enjoyed themselves, and people were becoming more informed and making decisions around sun safety… We had some people go and get moles checked and get treatment for skin cancer, not Melanoma thankfully. So, those positive things I’m hearing, and each year I think, ‘I need to do this again.’”

In March of 2019, Barbour noticed a very small mole on the side of her left knee. She decided to have the mole checked. Her family doctor removed it and sent it for further testing.

When her doctor called her back and told her it was Melanoma, she believed that because it was only a tiny mole and it was caught early, the Melanoma would clear up quickly.

“I honestly believed that because it was removed, I had nothing to worry about,” said Barbour. “I was very wrong… I, along with my family and close friends, were placed into unfamiliar territory; the world of a cancer patient with a full schedule of scans, tests, and specialist appointments. I had lymph nodes removed from my groin and a three-inch excision on the lateral portion of my knee. Thankfully, after six weeks of waiting for the results, it hadn't spread to my organs as it could have at a very quick rate.”

In March 2022, just ahead of last year’s walk, Barbour was diagnosed with Recurrent Malignant Melanoma.

“It’s been a rough year, between the surgeries and the treatments,” said Barbour. “Some days are better than others, But I keep a really positive attitude and I keep healthy, as healthy a lifestyle as I can. But it does put it into perspective, just how quickly this can come back… I don’t want people to go through this unnecessarily. There are so many cancers out there that are beyond people’s control, but this one, people can, with some wisdom, avoid.”

Barbour said it’s important that folks protect themselves against harmful UV rays.

“It takes only one blistering sunburn before the age of 20 to increase a person's chances of developing Melanoma,” said Barbour. “And once somebody knows that, and I’m sure we’ve all had at least one sunburn, it makes us aware that that little mole could be melanoma. If there’s any change in colour or size, or you have any concerns, get it checked out.”

She encourages people to use broad spectrum sunscreen, which protects from both UVA (ultraviolet A radiation) and UVB (ultraviolet B radiation) rays, and apply it at least 15 minutes before heading out, and to re-apply it frequently.

Strides for Melanoma is a national walk held across Canada on May 28.

The walk will start at 10 o’ clock at 16 Old Witless Bay Line. Folks will walk 2.5 kilometres and then return, making a full five kilometres. Following the walk there will be fundraising, games, live entertainment by Brian Finn and Con O’Brien, and guest speakers.

“It’s a really fun-filled afternoon,” said Barbour.

Barbour and her team of volunteers and walkers have raised over $18,000 the past three walks.

Donations go to Melanoma Canada, which uses the money to support initiatives like Mole Mobile – Canada's first Mobile Skin Cancer Screening Unit.

Mole Mobile visits major cities, underserved communities, and rural and indigenous regions to help people get their moles checked out. Mole Mobile will operate from May through September for the next five years, and visit a different part of the country each summer.

Mole Mobile launched in Toronto this May, and will service Ontario this summer.

Barbour said initiatives like this would not be possible without donations.

You can donate at https://melanomanetwork.akaraisin.com/ui/strides2023/g/39152.

Bay Bulls one step closer to enlightenment

By Mark Squibb \ May 12, 2023

Councillor Jason Sullivan moved to approve the supply and installation of 40 solar lights along the trail to the lowest compliant bidder, JJL Electrical Ltd., for a total cost of $10,800, plus HST.

Councillor Shannon O’Driscoll seconded the motion, which passed unanimously, excepting that councillor Corey Ronayne was not present at the meeting and thus did not vote.

The Town was the recipient of some $16,320 in provincial government funding last month for the solar lights through the Province’s Building Age Friendly Community Grant program.

A date has not been set for the installation of the lights, although in a previous meeting CAO Jennifer Aspell had said the work is expected to begin once the weather clears.

Witless Bay awards tender to upgrade trail

By Mark Squibb \ May 5, 2023

Witless Bay council has awarded a tender for trail upgrades, although the exact nature of the work was not specified.

During last weeks’ public meeting, councillor Ralph Carey motioned that council award the tender for the trail work to Harbour Construction Ltd., in the amount of $12,525, plus HST.

Carey explained the trail runs along the Puffin Centre, and the Town had received Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) money for the project.

Councillor Jacob Hayden seconded the motion, and council, excepting councillor Gerard Dunn, who declared a conflict of interest on the matter as he works with the company, voted unanimously in favour of approving the motion.

A timeline for the work was not provided.

Gold Medal Champions

These Mavericks are gold medal champions. The St. Kevin’s Grade 9 boys basketball team claimed first place in the Newfoundland and Labrador East Coast Tournament this weekend. In the back row, from left, are coach Gerard Clarke, Keegan O’Brien, Ashton Chaisson, Jacob Kelly, Brody Pearce, Preston Clarke, Micheal Deir, Liam Guest, Aiden Putt and coach Joe Kelly. In the front row, from left, are: Jesse Bailey, Jesse King, Nathan Erasmus, Liam Cody, and Joseph Best. Missing from the photo is Olivia Clarke.

More Irish Loop towns get ‘age-friendly’ grants

By Mark Squibb \ May 5, 2023

Earlier this month, councillors in Bay Bulls acknowledged receipt of $16,320 in government funding to install solar lights along the Long Pond walking trail.

The money came from a pot of over $2 million the provincial government set aside in April for ‘Building Age-Friendly Communities.’

Bay Bulls was hardly the only community along the shore that successfully applied for funding through the program, as a number of other communities have also received grants.

In Petty Harbour - Maddox Cove, council is getting $16,320 for accessibility upgrades to the tourist information centre.

Ferryland meanwhile received $16,320 for accessibility upgrades to the Town Hall.

Cape Broyle received $16,320 for accessibility upgrades to the community centre parking lot.

St. Mary’s received $15,250 for accessibility upgrades to the Town Hall, while St. Vincent's - St. Stephen's - Peter's River received $16,320 for accessibility upgrades to Holyrood Pond Centre.

Initially, government had earmarked only $400,000 for the program, but bolstered the funding given the number of applications it received.

Over 130 projects were approved for funding.

And then there were six

Witless Bay councillor tenders resignation, no date set for byelection

By Mark Squibb \ May 5, 2023

Councillor Alex Troake has resigned from Witless Bay council.

Mayor Trevor Croft informed the public of Troake’s resignation at the tail end of last week’s public meeting, the first in-person, public session council has held since the start of the pandemic, in fact the first such public meeting since the group was elected two years ago.

Troake served on the finance committee, and worked closely on files relating to Town finances. It was Troake, along with Deputy Mayor Lorna Yard, who recommended council hire Sean Kavanagh as Town CAO, forgoing the hiring of a consultant, which, in Troake’s words, “saved the town thousands of dollars that would previously have been paid to a consultant.”

The Town has since parted ways with Kavanagh for undisclosed reasons and has struggled to keep other staff.

Troake and Yard also worked together on the hiring of a new fire chief, Jack Gatherall, again keeping the work in-house, after the former chief resigned.

Troake had also strenuously argued against increasing funding for the Bay Bulls to Bauline Athletic Association, claiming, amongst other things, that “the BBBAA chose to sit on their hands,” during the pandemic when it came to seeking financing from other sources, and that the organization was too “Bay Bulls-centric.” The BBBAA serves as a de facto recreation department for both communities.

With the multi-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) between council and the BBBAA set to expire at the close of 2022, Troake recommended council re-consider signing a new one arguing council should instead look at funding the group year-by-year.

The MOU has since been repeatedly delayed, and as of today no firm decision has been made as to whether Witless Bay will continue to partner with the organization when it comes to recreation services.

Troake did not attend last week’s meeting and had not attended the last number of meetings.

During last week’s meeting, Croft told the public Troake “has decided to move on to other opportunities… We will let the public know when there will be a by-election.”

Alex Troake has tendered his resignation from Witless Bay council. The rookie councillor was elected in September 2021 and served on council’s finance committee. Submitted photo

Trepassey mayor keeping up the good fight

By Craig Westcott \ April 28, 2023

Trepassey council has managed to fill the two openings it had in the chamber, and nobody is more delighted than Mayor Rita Pennell to have a full crew.

After the latest call for nominations went out last month, former councillor Colin Cheater and former town administrator Sharon Topping both put up their hands offering to serve.

"That's a relief," said Pennell. "It's been a struggle all along (to keep a full complement). We haven't had an election in years. We're lucky to just get enough (to get acclaimed)."

As for byelections, Pennell noted the Town has often had to make several calls at times to fill even one seat.

With the full complement, the council will still have a lot on its hands. Pennell and her crew often find themselves dealing as much with provincial issues, especially health care and transportation, as they do with routine municipal business.

Just this week, crews are working on yet another repair to an area called the Lower Coast, a spit of land that juts out into Trepassy Bay connected to the rest of the town by a narrow road that keeps getting washed as climate change makes storms bigger and stronger.

"It's looking pretty good down there," Pennell said of the reconstruction. “It looks like they're doing a great job."

But she knows it's probably not a permanent solution.

"They're not putting any cribbing there," she noted. "And there's going to be nothing to stop the force of the water. So, we're just going to have to wait and see (how it holds up). I guess we're just going to have to be positive, but it's hard."

About 35 people live on the Lower Coast, Pennell reckoned, too many to relocate to the other side of the harbour in any vacant homes that might be available.

"You wouldn't resettle some of them if you put a bomb down there," she allowed, laughing.

More serious is the state of health care. Because of a wrangle over compensation between the last set of serving doctors and Eastern Health, Trepassey hasn't had a physician in more than a year. Residents of the Town and its surrounding area, including St. Shotts, Biscay Bay and Portugal Cove South, have been left to reply on part time nurse practitioners for their medical needs.

"They were here from Eastern Health on the 1st of March and they politely told us that we didn't need a doctor, that we're well looked after," said the mayor. "They just told us we don't need a doctor. It was such a negative meeting. They were so negative and (their attitude was) they were right and there was no one else right. One of them even told us they had left their family doctor and had gone with a nurse practitioner. I said you must be some foolish – I wouldn't leave mine."

Like many residents who have been lucky enough to find one elsewhere, Pennell goes to Kelligrews to see her family doctor, Dr. Heather Cuddy, the last family doctor to serve Trepassey and who felt forced to give up on the clinic because of Eastern Health's refusal to cover some of her expenses.

Pennell said the nurse practitioners man the clinic sometimes two days a week, sometimes three days a week.

On March 6, a resident showed up at Pennell's home after going to the clinic with a bad pain and finding no nurse practitioner available. "They could see one of the nurse practitioners in 15 days times, or 21 days later to see the other," Pennell said.

On March 22 a person who called the clinic looking for an appointment was told a nurse practitioner would be available on April 24, Pennell said.

"We're the furthest from a hospital on the island," said Pennell. "It's unbelievable, I tell you."

The other big issue Pennell and council has been grappling with is a looming deadline of mid-July for the withdrawal of the ambulance service by the operator, Fewer's. But in this case, Pennell is hopeful she has found a solid ally.

"I don't know if everything is going to work out or not, but the premier did call me himself on the 29th of January," Pennell said. "He told me they couldn't interfere with Fewer's while they had the contract."

But he did commit to ensure Trepassey has an ambulance service after Fewer’s pulls out.

Andrew Furey explained that Fewer's contention that it was short of staff wasn't a good enough reason for the government to end the contract early, or punish the company. But the premier promised the Trepassey area would be covered by two ambulances from St. John's. 

"I kind of have to believe him," Pennell said. 

She hasn't talked with Premier Furey since then but expects to see him Tuesday next week at a breakfast to which they are both invited.

Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain: Pennell isn't the type to give up.

"Well, no," she admitted, laughing. "They know they won't get rid of me."