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Harbour Grace sets date for byelection

By Craig Westcott/October 21, 2022

Harbour Grace voters will get a chance to go to the polls on December 6 if enough people come forward to make the filling of a lone open seat on council a contest.

Council voted on Tuesday to set November 8 as Nomination Day for the by-election, followed by an election on December 6, assuming more than one candidate steps forward.

The byelection is necessary to fill the seat of councillor Sharon Reynolds, who resigned last month after winning a job competition for the position of Facility Manager at the Danny Cleary Community Centre.

Councillors Gordon Wrice and Brendan Chafe said they are looking forward to seeing the vacancy filled.

“I would like to tell all those candidates who are putting their names forward all the best in the election,” said Wrice. “We look forward to working with him or her for the betterment of Harbour Grace. Let’s not lose our momentum.”

Chafe felt similarly.

“I’d like to reiterate what councillor Wrice just said and say good luck to him or her, the successful candidate,” said Chafe. “It’s going to be different times and it’s going to be nice to see a different face.”

Town Clerk – Manager Amy Dwyer will serve as the Returning Officer for the by-election, with Nancy Pike serving as the Alternate Returning Officer.

There will be no advance polls held prior to election day, but people can apply for proxies to appoint others to vote for them up to 4 p.m. on December 5.

In other news, council has set two familiar targets at the top of its priority list for water and sewer improvements next year, if it gets funding from other levels of government.

“Our committee recommends the continuation of water and sewer for the Southside, including Riverhead West from our new pumping station, and also including the LeMarchant Street water and sewer upgrading,” said public works committee chairperson Keith Skinner. 

Mayor Don Coombs clarified the first priority is the installation of water and sewer lines on the Southside extending from the Riverhead pump station and that the LeMarchant Street upgrades will be the second priority.

“Everybody clear on it?’ asked Coombs before calling a vote on Skinner’s motion.

The motion carried unanimously with the exception of councillor Randy Wrice who did not participate in the vote because of a conflict of interest.

Both priorities are a carryovers from this year’s capital works priority list with the tenders for this year’s work closing just this week.

“So hopefully with those motions we’ll see water and sewer going in to two areas of our town, Southside and a further extension to Riverhead for future development,” Coombs said. 

On a related note, the Town is offering payments of $3,000 each to two property owners for easements on their lands to accommodate the LeMarchant Street sanitary and storm sewer outfall.

“Failure to respond within seven days in writing, will result in the Town writing the Minister to begin the expropriation process,” said councillor Lee Rogers. 

“This is the process that has to be followed?” asked Coombs. 

“It is sir,” said Rogers.

That motion also passed unanimously.

Council has deferred making a decision on a quarry application pending further information from the applicant.

Councillor Brendan Chafe, who chairs the committee charged with examining the application, said more information is needed about the exact location of the operation so that his committee can complete its due diligence. 

The quarry application was referred to the Town by the provincial government. The applicant is a company called Bulldog Contracting Limited.

“It’s very important when quarry permits are done that every detail is covered for the residents and the Town for future use,” agreed Mayor Coombs. 

And councillor Gordon Stone has decided to resign his position as council’s liaison with the Conception Bay North Joint Council, a group that he also chaired in addition to his involvement with other committees of council.

“This will be my last official report, I guess, for this particular role,” said Stone. “Life has gotten in the way, and I have resigned as chair of the Joint Council. I wish I could have continued on, but I just don’t have the energy at this stage of my life to keep up with what needs to be done with that very important group.”

To stress his point about the group’s value, Stone brought his colleagues up to date on two issues being pursued by the joint council, namely the attraction of more doctors for the region and support for a new group called Inclusive CBN, which is trying to make the region more inclusive. “That’s an active group that is doing some very important work,” Stone noted.

Stone also touted the joint council’s efforts to promote cooperation between the municipalities in the region when it comes to sharing expenses and improving services.

“I wish that group all the best,” Stone said. “And I guess as a council we’ll need to appoint another member to represent Harbour Grace at the meetings.”

Mayor Coombs thanked Stone for taking on the role for the past year and helping the municipalities of the region work together more. “So, I want to thank you and your family for the time you’ve put in on it for the Town of Harbour Grace – and I wish I could say enjoy your free time, but you have no free time,” Commbs allowed. “But thank you for taking that on for a year and bringing the CBN Joint Council a bit further ahead.”

Coombs said council will appoint a new representative to the group once the by-election is over in December.

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