Southern Shore towns get grants for “accessibility” improvements

By Mark Squibb

A number of communities along the Southern Shore will be receiving funding through the provincial government’s Accessible Community Grants program.

Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs John Haggie last week announced that more than $619,000 had been earmarked for 40 community projects across the province.

Fermeuse will receive money for upgrades to its walking track and multipurpose area. Ferryland and St. Mary’s will both receive monies for accessibility improvements to their respective town halls.

The City of St. John's, meanwhile, will receive funding for accessibility improvements to Bidgood’s Park in the Goulds.

The grants are provided on a 90/10 cost shared basis with the communities paying the 10 per cent.

Witless Bay approves bevy of fire department purchases

By Mark Squibb

Witless Bay council has approved a smattering of small purchases by the fire department to make sure its members are ready to answer any calls.

The approvals were made at last month’s public council meeting, held April 18.

Council approved an annual flow test service at a cost of $2,200 plus HST. Councillor Jacob Hayden explained the test is an annual maintenance check to ensure the trucks are all up to par.

Council also approved an annual inspection fee policy. Councillor Gerard Dunne said the new policy will enable the Town to charge a fee to businesses requiring fire inspections. Life safety inspection requests will still be provided free of charge.

Town Manager Jennfier Aspell said Fire Chief Jack Gatherall often receives requests from businesses to conduct fire inspections which can, depending on the business, prove complex and timely.

“And so, moving forward, we’ll be charging a fee for that,” said Aspell.

Council also approved the purchase of $515 worth of new rescue equipment.

Councillor Ralph Carey said the equipment is necessary for the operation of the fire truck.

The department will also get a dryer for its bunker gear, thanks to a $667, plus HST, purchase.

The dryer will dry up to three suits, including boots, helmets, and gloves, at a time. Currently the department can only dry half a suit at a time.

Council also voted to auction off a 40-foot alumni ladder.

“This is a ladder that the department hasn’t used in at least 10 years and has been stored in our garage, and it’s just in the way,” said Hayden. “We have no use for it and so the department is wishing to get rid of it.”

Council placed a minimum bid requirement of $500 on the ladder.

In lieu of a fire department committee report, councillor Carey read a letter prepared by Chief Gatherall which said training sessions are going well and the department continues to prioritize training. Gatherall also noted the department is monitoring used equipment sales to make the most of Town funds.

The department has responded to 68 calls for service since January 1.

Witless Bay historian brings old local tale to life for children

The Pig and the Dumpling will see its official release at the Puffin Centre in Witless Bay this Saturday at 2 p.m. The book’s illustrator, Veselina Tomova, also lent her fetching graphics to Tom Dawe’s collection of spooky stories An Old Man’s Winter Night.

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

An old anecdote about Witless Bay’s past has come alive in the form of a children’s book about a pig who eats a scalding hot dumpling, causing havoc throughout the community.

The Pig and The Dumpling, written by Bonnie Johnstone and illustrated by Veselina Tomova, is a playful embellishment on a true story that is over 100 years old.

In the original tale, a man working on the grounds of the Holy Trinity Convent and Chapel is given a steaming bowl of stew with a dumpling on top, and disliking dumplings, throws it into the pig pen.

A pig named Ignatius immediately gobbles the dumpling, but knocks over the gate in a big ruckus due to the steaming mass of dough burning his poor little throat.

Eventually he coughs it up, the gate is repaired, and all is well.

This story, which didn’t make it to Johnstone’s previous non-fiction book Bygone Days of Witless Bay, which was compiled with Maureen Walsh and published by the Witless Bay Heritage Committee, finds new purpose in connecting children of today with the days of old.

“My knowledge of what went on in the old days of the outport was honed by writing that first book,” Johnstone said.

In classic children's book fashion, the commotion is extended throughout the town as the pig makes his way down to the beach to soothe his throat with the cool open air.

As the original story has a happy ending, she thought it was perfect to adapt for young audiences in an illustrated form.

Johnstone enjoys documenting the past, even in fictionalized form, so that it doesn’t fade away forever.

“I really enjoy opening their minds to what went on not so long ago,” she said. “I’m really interested in bringing history to life.”

The book's launch is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 4th, at the Puffin Centre in Witless Bay, where there will be refreshments, children's activities, books for purchase, and Chris and Claire Dowden performing some children’s music.

Colleen Hanrahan and other members of the Witless Bay Heritage Society will be there to support the book's release.

Hanrahan, as it turns out, owns and lives in the very building that was home to the convent.

“As community members we try to keep history alive and this is certainly part of that,” Hanrahan said. “That’s why we’re involved because we want to promote what we do here at the Heritage Committee.”

Jayden Turner receives Don Johnson Hockey League award

Mobile Central High student Jayden Turner received the Don Johnson Hockey League award for Most Dedicated Teammate earlier this month. Turner plays in net for the U15 AA Privateers, and has been playing hockey since he was five. Turner said being named most dedicated player was a great feeling. “I was happy just making the AA, and getting on the Privateers, the team I wanted to get on, with the coach I wanted,” said Turner. “Coach Pat Yetman guided us this whole year, through every moment. It was a very memorable and enjoyable season. Lots of new friends were made. It was a great year.” Turner said becoming most dedicated means wanting to win and hyping up his fellow teammates every game. Crystal Turner photo

Ferryland and Witless Bay ink fire deal

By Mark Squibb

The fire departments of Ferryland and Witless Bay have inked a mutual aid agreement.

Councillor Jacob Hayden of Witless Bay last week called the agreement beneficial to both towns, and to the communities serviced by the towns.

Under the agreement, fire chiefs must ensure that their respective town is fully protected before assisting the other town.

The Ferryland volunteers service Aquaforte, Fermeuse, and Renews - Cappahayden while Witless Bay services Bay Bulls, Tors Cove, Bauline, Mobile, and Burnt Cove-St Michaels-Bauline East.

Combined, the departments boast roughly 50 volunteer members.

Witless Bay ratifies hiring of planning officer and other email votes

By Mark Squibb

Witless Bay council last week held its first public meeting since Deputy Mayor Lorna Yard and her husband and fellow councillor Alan Richards resigned in mid-March.

The session was also the first public meeting since council met February 20.

In lieu of meeting in the council chamber, the four remaining members conducted a number of email votes over the last month to keep Town business moving along. Those email votes were ratified during last week’s meeting.

One motion which will be of interest to those planning on building or buying land in Witless Bay was the hiring of a planning and development officer.

Council voted on March 7 to appoint Megan Hartery at the Town’s planning and development officer effective March 11. That motion was moved by councillor Jacob Hayden and seconded by councillor Gerard Dunne.

Councillor Ralph Carey said residents will be able to work directly with the officer, and Town CAO Jennifer Aspell added that Hartery has already accomplished a number of things in her short time on staff.

Council also voted on March 12 to hire Noah Harrigan as a seasonal maintenance worker, effective March 18. That motion was moved by Hayden and seconded at the time by then councillor Richards.

Harrigan and Hartery are just two of the Town’s recent hires. Back in February, council hired Kayla Noonan as recreation director, a position created following council’s decision to part ways with the Bay Bulls to Bauline Athletic Association, which had previously administered Witless Bay’s recreation programs.

Meanwhile, Lorraine Dobbin was hired as finance and administrative assistant, a position first created in 2023 but recently made vacant.

In other votes, council agreed on March 7 to purchase three self-contained breathing apparatuses for the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department at a cost of approximately $1,700. That motion was moved by Hayden and seconded by Richards.

Hayden said the purchase was timely one, which is why council chose to put the matter to an email vote rather than wait until a public meeting.

Hayden added the purchase means there is no more mismatched SCBA sets at the fie hall.

Council voted on three separate matters during email polls conducted on March 20.

The first motion, moved by Carey and seconded by Dunne, was to subdivide land at 102-108 Gull Pond Road for the purpose of creating a single building lot from a large parcel of vacant land.

The next motion, moved by Carey and seconded by Dunne, was to approve an application for an accessory building at 68 Bear’s Cove Road provided the construction meets Town regulations.

Council also approved an application for a short-term Air BnB at 4 Bear’s Cove Road. That motion was also moved by Carey and seconded by Dunne.

All six motions were ratified unanimously.

As to the March 20 motions, Hayden explained council was unable to hold a meeting in March due to a lack of quorum, and that the email votes were a way of moving things forward and thus avoiding delays.

Witless Bay council sets nomination date

By Mark Squibb

If you’re interested in having a seat at the Witless Bay council table, you’ve got nearly three weeks to deliberate putting your name forward.

Council last week set May 15 as nomination day in the town in an effort to fill three seats vacated in recent months.

Should enough candidates come forward on nomination day to warrant an election, residents will head to the polls on June 5.

Byelections have been cancelled in the past due to a lack of candidates. Margaret Swain was acclaimed to council on November 1 and Alan Richards was acclaimed prior to that on August 3. Swain was ejected from council this past winter on a claim by councillor Ralph Carey that she had broken conflict of interest rules by discussing the Ragged Beach Land Reserve when she has a friend who owns property in the area.

Richards joined his wife and fellow councillor Lorna Yard, who was deputy mayor, in quitting council March 15.

All told, five councillors have come and gone since the municipal election of 2021 — Alex Troake, Nancy Burke, Margaret Swain, Lorna Yard, and Alan Richards.

Mobile Central High Grade 9 girls basketball won first ever Grade 9 A Level provincial tournament

The Mobile Central High Grade 9 girls basketball team has won the first ever Grade 9 A Level provincial tournament. Typically, the tournament has been divided into eastern and western divisions. In the back, from left, are coach Geri-Lynn Devereaux, assistant coach Jodine McCormack, Erin O'Driscoll, Zoe Crane, Gracie Dalton, Audrey Molloy, Neela Mullowney, Leela Joyce, Lucy Murphy, Christa Power, Callie Sears, and assistant coach Jane O'Driscoll. In the front row, from left, are Ella Hefferman, Taylor Windsor, Bridget Molloy, Kennedy Melvin, Ava Collett, and Emma Oates. Submitted photo

Witless Bay ordered to pay resident’s court fees

By Mark Squibb

The Town of Witless Bay has been ordered to pay Gary and Ann Marie Churchill over $1,000 in court fees stemming from council’s decision to rescind a motion granting the couple permission to build a septic system.

The Churchills built a gazebo on their Gallows Cove Road property with all proper permits in place, and in August 2021 applied to the Town for approval of a well and septic system. The council of the day gave the Churchills the greenlight, and the couple received approval from Service NL shortly thereafter.

An entirely new slate of candidates was elected to council on September 28, 2021, and made short work of rescinding a number of motions approved by the previous council, including the approval of the Churchills’ septic system, which was rescinded by council on November 9.

Gary Churchill appealed to the Eastern Newfoundland Regional Appeal Board, and the Board determined that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the Appeal.

Churchill then appealed to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Justice Alexander MacDonald, in a decision handed down April 12, found that the Board did in fact have jurisdiction to hear Churchill’s appeal.

The Board had argued the Town’ s motion to approve the septic system did not actually constitute approval of the septic system due to the wording of the motion.

The actual wording of the motion was to “support the application and refer back to Servicer NL for final system approval.”

The Town had argued that approval of the motion only meant that the Town would support the Churchills’ application to Service NL, not the actual septic system.

MacDonald, however, argued the application was itself a request for the Town to approve both a new septic system and well. Town minutes also note that council had been asked to approve a septic system.

“I find the development application, read in it’s entirety, shows that Gary Churchill applied to the Town to approve him taking an application to Service NL to approve his design and then develop the septic and well system afterward,” read MacDonald’s decision. “It is unlikely that an applicant would ask a council to sanction their application for Service NL approval of a septic system if that applicant was not also asking for a council’s approval of the same system.”

MacDonald deemed other points raised by the Town, such as whether the head administrative officer in the Town was in fact the CAO or Acting CAO at the time of the approval, irrelevant.

MacDonald ordered the Town to pay Churchill $1,100 in court fees, and referred the matter back to the Board with the understanding that it has jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Late storms led to contract adjustment for Bay Bulls snow clearing

By Mark Squibb

Bay Bulls council last week approved $5,000 worth of snow clearing work above the contracted price.

Town Manager Ashley Wakeham explained that council this year had opted to pay its snow clearing contractor a lump sum as opposed to an hourly rate.

The two change orders, totalling a combined $5,000 (plus HST), approved by council last week were to help cover the cost of extra work needed to clear snow in and around Town facilities following one storm in February and another storm in March.

Council awarded the snow clearing contract to Southeast Construction at a bid price of $329,900 plus HST back in October.

During last week’s meeting, council also awarded O'Brien's Trucking Ltd., the tender for the supply and installation of a new handrail at the recreation centre at a cost of $2,500, plus HST.

Council also approved the purchase of an upgraded sweeper kit required to complete regular spring road sweeping at a cost of $2,093 plus HST. East Coast Hydraulics was the successful bidder on that tender.