Bay Bulls recycling depot to reopen

By Mark Squibb

Bay Bulls council last week was glad to welcome back a recycling depot to town.

Councillor Ethan Williams moved that council approve a business permit for a new recycling depot at 297-299 Southern Shore Highway, the site of the former depot, and council approved the motion unanimously.

“Both Bay Bulls and the surrounding communities felt the loss when they closed up, so it’s good to see them back,” said Williams.

The depot closed its doors on May 31. Residents looking to cash in their recyclables had to bring them to Mount Pearl.

Petty Harbour Councillors given the all clear on microbrewery conflict claim

By Mark Squibb

Four Petty Harbour councillors accused of potentially being in a conflict of interest have been cleared to vote on what Mayor Ron Doyle has called perhaps one of the hardest decisions this council has had to make.

Over 100 residents signed a petition against a proposed microbrewery at 11 Cribbies Road, the site of the former Catholic Church in Petty Harbour, citing concerns about increased traffic and a lack of adequate parking, amongst other concerns.

Council hired JW Consulting to investigate as four members of council had been named as being possibly in conflict on the matter by a member of the public opposed to the application. Mayor Doyle, when speaking with the Irish Loop Post earlier this month, did not disclose the names of the councillors accused of potentially being in conflict.

The consultant did find that councillor Ed Dyke was in conflict when discussing and voting on issues related to Chafe’s Landing, Tinker’s Ice Cream Shop, and other properties owned by Todd and Angela Chafe, the proponents behind the brewery application, while his daughter worked at Tinker’s.

Any motions that Dyke voted on while his daughter was working at Tinker’s were then vacated and voted on again by council.

JW Consultants noted that there was no malicious intent or intent to deceive on Dyke's
part.

Council hopes to vote on whether to approve or reject the microbrewery application this November.

Alderwood Estates residents don the red and white

Alderwood Estates residents in Witless Bay were among many people across the province who donned red-and-white socks and walked in support of the Ronald McDonald House this past September. Ronald McDonald House Charities Newfoundland and Labrador hosts the Red Shoe Crew — Walk for Families Walk each September to raise funds for the St. John’s Ronald McDonald House, a home-away-from-home for families of children requiring medical treat at the Janeway. All told, the folks at Alderwood raised over $1935 for the charity. Pictured here are Mrs. Marie Guiney and Mrs. Florence Shortall; in the top photo, Mr. Walter Finley sporting red-and-white stripped socks for the Ronald McDonald House; and in the centre photo, from right to left are Mrs. Betty Sutton, Mrs. Alice Kavanagh accompanied by her daughter Mary Alice Kavanagh, Mr. Sam Skinner accompanied by employee Amanda Hann, and Mrs. Angela Chidley accompanied by family member Robert Walsh. In the back are Mrs. Patsy Mooney, Mrs. Betty Swain and Mrs. Margaret Vickers. Submitted photos

Witless Bay awards bevy of contracts

By Mark Squibb

Witless Bay council approved a number of contracts during the October 8 public meeting.

Council ratified an e-mail vote held on September 20 to award the 2024-2025 snow clearing contract to O’Brien’s Trucking at a cost of $227,650, plus HST.

Councillor Gerard Dunne declared a conflict of interest as the company he works for bid on the tender. The rest of council voted numinously in favour of awarding the contract to O’Brien’s.

Later in the meeting, council approved the purchase of a spotting scope for the Lower Pond trail at a cost of $9,579, plus HST, and audio equipment at a cost of $1,578, plus HST.

Council also released the request for quotes for stormwater drainage upgrades along Southside Track and entered into a funding agreement with the provincial government for the purchase of two new self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA), 12 cylinders, and two masks, for the Witless Bay volunteer Fire Department on an 80/20 cost shared basis. The fire department’s portion of the cost is $14,594.

Premier Andrew Furey announced some $3 million in funding for more than 300 SCBA units this September, however failed to note that the funding would be contingent on cost-sharing agreements with communities.

Witless Bay appoints committee members

Witless Bay council last week approved a number of new committee appointments.

Deputy Mayor Jacob Hayden and councillor Margaret Swain were appointed to the recreation committee; councillors Ralph Carey and Gerard Dunne were appointed to the public works committee; councillors Ralph Carey and Justina Nawaz were appointed to the finance committee; and Deputy Mayor Jacob Hayden and councillor Justina Nawaz were appointed to human resources.

Mayor Trevor Croft sits on all committees.

The committee appointments are the first since a number of members, including Nancy Burke, Lorna Yard, and Alan Richards, resigned earlier this year and since Nawax and Swain had been elected to council.

The appointments were approved unanimously, excepting that Swain and Mayor Croft were absent.

Dunne Memorial Academy Runners

A number of runners from Dunne Memorial Academy in St. Mary’s participated in the Newfoundland and Labrador Athletic Association’s (NLAA) X-Country Series, held over three weekends in Bowering Park each Fall. Some days are beautiful for running, and others are not, but the weather doesn’t deter the runners from Dunne Memorial. In left photo, going from left to right, Dalton Corcoran, Noah Van De Bulk, Kellan Tobin (who placed first in two out of his three races and second in his third), Connor Corcoran, Katie Toope, Skye Corcoran and coach Karen Hearn. Meanwhile, Heather Squires, Kain Tobin, and Noah Van De Bulk represented the school at the School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador (SSNL) Cross Country Running regional tournament held in Carbonear earlier this month. In right photo are coach Karen Hearn, Heather Squires (who placed 14th in the senior girls race with a personal best time), Kain Tobin (who placed second in the senior boys race), and Noah Van De Bulk (who placed third in the junior boys race). Submitted photos

Bay Bulls extends public comment deadline on industrial application

By Mark Squibb

The Town of Bay Bulls has extended the deadline for public comment on a proposed liquid asphalt storage and offloading terminal at 2-36 Northside Road to allow the proponent to reconfigure the application and provide more information for the public.

Originally, public submissions were due October 9. That deadline has now been pushed back to November 6.

Town Manager Ashley Wakeham said that the town has already received a number of e-mailed and hand-delivered submissions, in addition to a number of comments on the Town’s social media page.

“The Town would be remiss to not consider the social media tone around this proposal,” said Wakeham. “However, we would prefer that comments be formalized and submitted to awakeham@townofbaybulls.com or hand delivered to the Town Office at 2 Southside Road by 4:00 pm on November 6.”

Concerns raised by residents include a potential spill of hazardous material and possible impacts on the tourism industry.

Witless Bay sets date for nominations

By Mark Squibb

Voters in Witless Bay will be heading to the polls again this fall.

Witless Bay council has set November 5 as a Nomination Date for anyone interested in vying for an open seat on council. Should enough candidates step forward, a by-election will be held on November 27.

The by-election is pending ministerial approval to delay the date of the contest, which council also requested at last week’s council meeting.

“This is just a formality,” said Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Aspell. “Legislation requires that a by-election be held within three months of a seat becoming vacant. We have had two Nomination days, Justina Nawaz was acclaimed at one, and the second we had no candidates. But because the legislation requires a by-election within three months, the formality is to ask the minister for permission to delay it.”

Nawaz was acclaimed to council in June, filling one of three vacant seats at the council table. Councillor Margaret Swain was booted from council this winter but then re-instated this summer after she appealed the decision and lawyers for the Town advised she had been dismissed without cause. That left one seat up for grabs.

All motions passed unanimously, except that Mayor Trevor Croft and councillor Swain were not in attendance.

Broncos qualify for Provincial Championships

The Baltimore Broncos Senior Girls softball team have qualified for the provincial AA softball championships after winning the School Sport Newfoundland and Labrador (SSNL) regional Qualifier Tournament held September 26-29. Baltimore also hosted the tournament. In the back, from left, are Janna Reddy, Shyanne Rossiter, Jane Coady, Rachel O'Brien, Gracie Doyle, Julia Kavanagh, Isabella O'Leary, Brooklyn Jordan, and Allie O'Brien. In the front, from left, are Allissa Caddick, Emily Kavanagh, Addison Mayo, and Ava Gibson. The AA provincials will be held in Twillingate, Oct. 24-27. Baltimore School photo

Witless Bay Chief sees value in teaching children fire safety

By Mark Squibb

When was the last time you tested your smoke alarm?

“A lot of people have smoke detectors, but not everyone checks that their smoke detectors are up to date,” said Witless Bay Fire Chief Jack Gatherall. “A 25-year-old smoke detector from when you purchased the house is not sufficient.”

The theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week is ‘Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You,’ and members of the Witless Bay Fire Department are visiting local schools, including day cares, to instill that message in younger audiences.

“We’re trying to target the young kids and make sure that they get the information,” said Gatherall. “This year’s theme is a little bit more advanced than previous themes, like ‘Hear the Beep While You Sleep,’ but kids are smart, and if you tell kids they have to check their smoke alarms, they will check those smoke alarms. They’ll certainly get on mom and dad to check those smoke alarms.”

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends you install a smoke detector in every room, and that you check your smoke detectors every six months. You can check a smoke alarm by pressing and holding the test button on the alarm.

Gatherall added that if anybody has a question about their smoke alarms, or fire safety in general, they can phone the town hall, email firechief@townofwitlessbay.ca, or message the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department on Facebook.

The department boasts 30 members, and Gatherall said that as the region grows, the number of emergency calls has increased. Most calls, as is common across the country, are medical calls.

“Our department takes an ‘all hazards approach,’” said Gatherall. “So, we respond to pretty much any type of emergency: anything from a hazmat incident to a residential structure fire to a water rescue and everything in between.”

He said anybody wishing to join the department may submit an application.

“We’re always actively recruiting; however, we’re trying to take our recruitment in bunches,” said Gatherall. “So, if anyone is interested in joining, they can certainly submit an application and when we reach a certain number of applications, we’ll take in a group and go through a proper training process.”

From left, Witless Bay Fire Chief Jack Gatherall, firefighter Josh Glynn and firefighter Stephanie Croft get ready to perform a rope rescue training exercise. Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department photo