Get a number, says Slade, please

Mark Squibb
December 1, 2023 Edition

For the second meeting in a row, Carbonear council has raised the issue of civic addresses — or more specifically, the lack of civic address numbers on residential properties.

“There’s some concern in the Town of Carbonear about civic addresses,” said Deputy Mayor Sam Slade during this week’s meeting. “While you might not think it means anything, if you’re a firefighter, or an ambulance driver, or whatever the case may be, minutes mean everything. So, I would like to ask residents of the Town of Carbonear to please out that number on your house. It could mean a life.”

Councillor Chris O’Grady said the Town’s municipal enforcement officer has been visiting homes that do not have their civic number posted.

“A person in my neighbourhood asked me if I could put the number on her house for her, because she’s a senior citizen who lives alone,” said O’Grady. “So, I said yes, I would do it for her. But it’s obviously working, because the same day (the enforcement officer visited) she went and bought a number.”

Councillor Danielle Doyle raised the issue during the previous public meeting as the Town had received a letter on the subject. During that meeting, Doyle said that she was at the Carbonear swimming pool one evening when an ambulance was called, and the ambulance had trouble finding the building.