Volunteers already planning Ferryland Days 2024

By Mark Squibb
October 13, 2023 Edition

Mark your calendars, July 24 to 28 has been designated as Ferryland Days next year.

The five-day event, which will serve as the lead up to the annual Shamrock Folk Festival, is being organized by a committee of local volunteers.

“The Shamrock Festival is the premier summer event in Ferryland,” said committee member Nathan Ryan. “And a group of us got together and were chatting, and we said, ‘It doesn’t need to be just the two-day Shamrock Festival, but what if we have a Ferryland Days and bring back the softball tournament and the dory races, similar to what happened in 2019 with Come Home Year, but on a much smaller scale?’”

From those conversations, a five-member committee, consisting of Ryan, Katie Barbour, Lucille Hynes, Erica O’Brien, and Wayne Ryan, was born.

“We’re only in the early days, but we’re getting going,” said Ryan. “We’re already on the road to mapping things out and getting some firm details in place.”

He said the committee will be busy over the coming months fundraising, recruiting volunteers, and seeking government financial support.

Ryan said folks have already expressed an interest in lending a hand.

“There are people who have come to us and said, ‘We support what you’re doing, we just don’t have the time to sit on a committee, but we’ll volunteer any way we can,’ and so it was nice to have that broad range of support,” said Ryan. “Ultimately, we want to make things as affordable as possible, and nothing is going down. And so, the less of a burden we can pass on to the people participating in the events the better. And that comes from partnerships and funding from government and different fundraising initiatives.”

While no events have been set in stone yet, Ryan said there are a number of ideas on tap, including a sports day and outdoor movie and other activities aimed at youth to make the festival more attractive to young families.

Plenty of other events are being planned as well.

“A big event that was a real big success in 2019 during the Come Home Year was the community breakfast, and that’s something we’re passionate about doing again,” said Ryan. “There’s a whole bunch of ideas around the table, and I’m sure there will be more yet.”

Ryan said the committee has met with the Southern Shore Folk Arts Council, which hosts the Shamrock Festival each year, to discuss Ferryland Days.

Whatever else happens, Ryan said the Shamrock Festival will remain the Shamrock Festival.

“That’s not going to change,” he said. “The Southern Shore Shamrock Festival will always remain. But what we’re going to do is have something leading up to that weekend.”

And while the festival is a long way off yet, Ryan said the committee is eager to get the word out early.

“People make their plans and decide if they’re coming home for the summer early in the winter,” said Ryan. “They’re making those plans in the winter, so we have to be prepared by early January or February.”

Nomination Day rescheduled for Witless Bay by-election

By Mark Squibb
October 13, 2023 Edition

The Town of Witless Bay did not hold the Nomination Day that was scheduled last Thursday, October 5, citing circumstances beyond its control.

The new Nomination Day has been set for November 1.

The October 5 date had to be postponed because of a sudden unexpected availability of staff that day, according to a spokesperson at the Town Hall.

Should more than one candidate come forward for nomination on November 1, a by-election will be held on November 27.

The by-election is necessary to fill a vacancy left by former councillor Nancy Burke, who resigned mid-August citing work commitments.

On Wednesday, council voted to ask the provincial government for a by-election deadline extension. It’s the second time this year council has failed to hold a Call for Nominations and by-election within the time frames specified in the Municipal Elections Act.

Conception Harbour chief would love to see more members

By Craig Westcott
October 6, 2023 Edition

The Conception Harbour Volunteer Fire Department is like many such brigades around the province these days: doing more with fewer people.

"We're looking for members, to be honest with you," said Chief James Lewis after just returning Tuesday from a trip to Immaculate Conception school in Colliers where members from his department and the sister departments in Colliers and Avondale enjoyed talking with children about the basics of fire safety. That's an activity many fire departments do regularly in the never-ending effort to encourage safe practices at home to prevent fires, accidents and tragedies.

Lewis said the Conception Harbour department has about a dozen volunteers and many of them have day jobs, or other work commitments that take them out of town. Hence the need for more members.

"You'd don't have to be from the community to join," Lewis said. "We'd like to get some new young blood."

The department did manage to attract three new members this year. 

How big of a commitment is it?

"We have a meeting once a week and probably on Thursday we'll get together for a bit of training," he said. “On the scattered Sunday we might take the truck out for practice."

Lewis reckons there's at least a call for service every week. "It's not only fires, we also have to go and perform first aid (on the highway) when people get hurt, before the ambulance gets there," he said. 

Lewis has been a member of the department for some 35 years and said it is a rewarding experience.

"Everybody in the community respects the fire department," he said. "But the problem is getting younger members. We need younger members. And you don't have to be real young, either. We need new members in our department."

Lewis said the fire departments in Conception Bay Centre give each other a lot of support and their members sometimes even train together. They also have mutual aid agreements to help if one particular department has to answer a particularly challenging call and needs more resources.

Speaking of resources, the Conception Harbour department could use more equipment too, Lewis said.

"We need equipment, we need funding," said the chief. "We do our own fundraising but it's not enough to get all the things that we need."

On top of the wish list is a new pumper truck.

"Well, it doesn't have to be a new one, but an up to date one," Lewis allowed. "Our pumper is an older pumper with a tank on it... We need some government funding. Funding is our biggest thing, and members, we need more members."

Guiney completes loop around the Irish Loop

Bill Guiney had a bit of company as he completed his 331 km loop around the Irish Loop in aid of mental health causes last Saturday. By the time he managed the final trek up Signal Hill, Guiney had logged some 500,000 steps on his counter. “We will be continuing to look for donations and stories for the upcoming book titled PUSH which we hope to have on the shelves by spring 2024,” said the mental health advocate from Renews. On hand with Guiney for the final steps were supporters, from left: Emma Lake, Ferryland MHA Loyola O’Driscoll, Kim Kelly, Pauline Lake, Guiney’s wife Susan Guiney, and Darla Chidley of Ferryland. Guiney plans to self-publish the collection of some of the stories that people have shared with him during his many fundraising walks, push-up feats and other adventures in aid of mental health promotion. You can reach him at wilguiney@gmail.com.

Goulds blue frog highlight of family vacation

By Mark Squibb
October 6, 2023

Many a frog calls Second Pond home, but only one of them, as far as is known, is blue.

Leanne Murphy and her husband Jeff Cahill live in Calgary, Alberta, but hail from the Goulds.

The family makes the trip to Newfoundland each summer with children Jude, 10, and Layla, 7, in tow.

“Last summer when we were home, Jude and Layla had discovered a frog pond down at the end of Donovan’s Road, and so they caught a few frogs, and fell in love with catching frogs, because they live in Calgary, and you just can’t do that there,” said Murphy, who maintained it’s important that her children experience a true Newfoundland summer each year.

Returning to the Goulds this summer, Murphy said the kids were both eager to get back to the frog pond and were diving into the gully chasing after frogs on only their second day back.

And although frogs are unique in their own right, there was one that stood out from the rest — a rare blue frog.

Catching the blue frog, which appeared to be larger than many of the other frogs in the pond, became a top priority, and with the aplomb of Ahab chasing after his whale, Jude set himself about the task.

“He kept spotting this blue frog, and eventually he caught it, and he was over the moon with excitement,” said Murphy.

After taking some pictures of the frog, they released it back to its habitat so it could go about whatever business it is that frogs attend to.

Of the dozens of frogs in the pond, there appeared to be only the one blue frog to be found.

Blue frogs are incredibly rare. Scientists say that most frogs appear green because they sport a layer of yellow pigment atop their grey skin. Frogs lacking this yellow pigment, however, appear blue in colour.

Brian Murphy, who is Jude and Layla’s grandfather, said that catching the blue frog was definitely a highlight of the trip, and that out of the blue (pardon the pun,) Jude would say, “I can't believe that I caught a blue frog,” for days afterwards.

Outside of catching frogs, Jude and Layla enjoyed hiking the Manuel’s River trail in CBS (“they wanted to go there everyday,” said Leanne), looking at fossils at the Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve, watching whales at St. Vincent’s, visiting Bowring Park, and exploring the Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium.

Jude and his sister Layla get ready for another day of amateur zoology during their holiday in Newfoundland this past summer. Submitted photo.

Blue Frog

Jude Cahill surveys the rare blue frog he caught near Second Pond in the Goulds. The frog is being held by Jude’s grandfather Brian Murphy. Submitted photo.

Some protection for private landowners in Ragged Beach reserve

By Mark Squibb
October 6, 2023 Edition

Some details have been clarified about the Ragged Beach land reserve announced by the Province this week to protect the puffin colony off Witless Bay.

For the last decade, special interest groups and private landowners have butted heads over land between Mullowney’s Lane and an area inland from Ragged Beach.

In a press release, the Province said it was establishing a new land reserve “in the area of Ragged Beach in order to further protect the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve bird populations from potential impacts of future development.”

The release noted that 82 percent of all North America’s puffins breed around the coastline of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, located one to two kilometres offshore from the Ragged Beach area, is home to North America’s largest colony of Atlantic Puffins with over 600,000 breeding birds calling the area home.

The release said as a result of the reserve status, new development of Crown land in that area will be restricted to ensure light pollution in the area is minimized and protections are enhanced for the Atlantic Puffin and Leach’s Storm Petrel populations of the nearby Witless Bay Ecological Reserve.

Asked how the new reserve will affect private landowners, Mayor Trevor Croft and Deputy Mayor Lorna Yard directed questions to town staff.

A request for details was also sent to the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, such as whether the dimensions of the reserve have been determined and how the reserve may affect private landowners in the area.

In an e-mail reply, staff informed the Irish Loop Post the new land reserve is 75 hectares and is currently being uploaded to the Provincial Land Use Atlas. Staff also said that private land is not included in the reserve. And while development will be restricted, the Minister may issue grants, leases, licences and easements where required on an urgent basis for the public good, if a person has acquired interest under section 36 of the Lands Act, if an application for Crown land was received prior to September 26, 2023 ( the date the reserve came into effect) or for improvements or maintenance of the East Coast Trail network.

The area has long been contentious. A council two terms ago tried to implement a 99-hectare reserve there and was accused of trying to prohibit private landowners from accessing their properties. The council that succeeded them in 2017, passed a motion throwing out the plans for such a reserve. More recently, the new slate of councillors elected in September 2021, themselves passed a motion overturning that previous motion, in effect reinstating the plan for a Town-initiated Land Reserve.

St. Kevin’s High School student earns number of accolades for soccer prowess

September 29, 2023 Edition

Autumn Clarke of Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove has earned a number of accolades for her soccer prowess this past season. This week, the St. Kevin’s High School student was named as one of two goalkeepers for Newfoundland and Labrador to compete in the Canada Summer Games.

Culverts and catch basins

By Mark Squibb
September 29, 2023 Edition

Bay Bulls council last week awarded two maintenance contracts and issued a request for proposals for prime consultant services for an upcoming project.

First off, council awarded a contract for catch basin cleaning services to the lowest compliant bidder, GFL Environmental Services, for a total cost of $2,616, plus HST.

Council also bought a number of corrugated pipes to have on hand for culvert maintenance purposes from the lowest compliant bidder, Witless Bay Home Building Centre, at a cost of $5,400, plus HST.

Speaking of culverts, council fielded a request from a resident asking council to install a culvert near a previous right-of-way on Bill Joy’s Lane.

Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien believed a former council had moved the right-of-way for one reason or another, and so made the motion to reinstate the culvert, which was approved.

Council also issued a request for proposals for prime consultant services for the Northside Road project.

Bay Bulls approves bevy of development applications

By Mark Squibb
September 29, 2023 Edition

Bay Bulls council last week approved a number of development applications, both residential and commercial.

First off, council ratified an e-mail vote of council conducted this past August to approve a Crown Land application for a half acre of land to build a single-family home along Tract Road.

Council also approved a Crown Land application for reconstruction of an access road along Tract Road.

Council approved a residential development on Island Cove Road pending receipt of the certificate of approval from the provincial government for the installation of septic and well systems.

Council also approved a variance application from a resident on Groves Road to reduce a required lot area by two percent. Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien noted the variance was minor, and that Town policy allows for variances of up to 10 per cent.

Three residents wrote letters to council opposing the variance.

“They said they don’t agree with it, but didn’t tell us the reason why,” said O’Brien.

There was a brief discussion on whether council shouldn’t give the residents another opportunity to explain their opposition, but as the variance had been advertised for seven days as per Town policy, council decided to approve the application.

Council then approved an application for a residential development on the same piece of land, pending approval from the provincial government for installation of septic and well systems.

Council next approved a childcare business on Dunn Drive, followed by an approval in principle for a new residential development on Island Cove Road, pending approval from the provincial government for the installation of septic and well systems.

The final item was a Crown Land application for development of 12.39 hectares of land for commercial use along Winnosh Drive, which council approved.

Bay Bulls calls by-election

By Mark Squibb / September 22, 2023 Edition

The Town of Bay Bulls has called a by-election following the resignation of councillor Shannon O’Driscoll.

Mayor Keith O’Driscoll, Shannon’s husband, explained during the opening minutes of this week’s public meeting that his wife had resigned due to work and family commitments.

Later in the meeting, council set Tuesday, October 10 as nomination day.

“Hopefully we get some interest,” said Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien. “Last time we had a round of this, we only had one nomination, so hopefully we get some more interest this time.”

That last call for nominations O’Brien was referring to was in August of 2022, when Corey Ronayne stepped forward to fill a seat left vacant by former Mayor Neil O’Brien.

Shannon O’Driscoll, meanwhile, served as a town representative, along with Jason Sullivan, on the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre board. She also represented council on the heritage and youth advisory committees.

Back in February of 2022, she, along with her husband Keith, had voted in favour of reinstating council’s normal complement of members to seven from five, a motion which was defeated by then Mayor Neil O’Brien, Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien, and councillor Jason Sullivan.