Holyrood by-election draws three eager beavers

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Holyrood voters will find three distinct choices on the ballot when they go to the polls Tuesday to fill a vacant seat on council.
Jared Trask is the youngest person running, but expressed confidence his MA in Behavioural Neuroscience and experience in “stakeholder management” will give him the tools to help run the town.
Trask said his education gives him a good lens for dissecting concerns, and analyzing how things impact the community and its residents.
“It gives me a good idea and a good chance to hear everyone’s voice and be able to come up with new and innovative solutions that haven’t necessarily been done in the past,” he said.
Trask said his post-secondary experience also involved managing people and projects involving governments, advisors, and granting agencies.
Trask said he has been fortunate to work with startup rodent prevention firm Ecobloc, which has given him experience in collaborative research projects between the technical and business ends of things.
“It’s a combination of communications and administration skills coming together,” he said. “I think this would be a good next step in my journey,” he said.
Trask has lived in the community for 10 years, and volunteers with the Holyrood Heritage Society.
“I started really getting involved more, with the town and the people in the town,” he said.
Regarding the town’s organizations and community spaces such as the Star of the Sea, Holyrood Heritage Society, and the Royal Canadian Legion, Trask said he would like to bring these groups together in a way that benefits the community.
“I think it would be really great to get all those people together on the same page and work together as a community to come up with solutions,” he said.
The candidate said he also wants to drive new business, avoid raising taxes, and increase water and sewer infrastructure. He said he’s also taking a look at the Holyrood Marina Park Corporation, which he added residents have expressed concerns about.
“I have a strong track record of getting things done, academic work and otherwise,” he said.
“You need someone to commit or make that happen… that ability and that reason is why people should vote for me.”
Fellow candidate and hair salon owner Jolanna Browne said she’s been hearing the concerns of Holyrood residents from the closeness of her stylist’s chair for over 20 years.
She said she would make for a good voice and contributor to both council and the community because of her love for Holyrood and its people.
“I care about Holyrood, I care about people, and I care about the small things that people want,” Browne said.
Her focus as a councillor, said Browne, would be issues that affect people on a day-to-day basis, such as Holyrood’s recreation and other amenities, lifestyle, and opportunities for residents.
“Twenty years ago, there seemed to be more amenities in Holyrood than there is now,” said Browne.
She describes herself as tenacious and willing to keep going until she gets answers. Browne said she’ll call whoever it takes to get the information she needs.
“I don’t have a fancy university degree, but I do have a degree in listening to people and learning,” she said.
Browne said there is a lack of snow clearing on the bridge near the roundabout, which is an important pedestrian thoroughfare. She said walking on the road is especially dangerous when vehicles are coming out of the roundabout nearby.
“Our bridge is never cleared for pedestrians to walk,” she said. “It cuts our town in two… There are seniors here, we don’t really have much transportation options here.”
Browne said she would like to see more support for recycling, as well as a park for families in North Arm. Water and sewer is also on her mind.
“We have places in Holyrood that don’t even have water and sewer,” said the candidate. “I wish the infrastructure and basic needs were a concentration here in the town. The basic needs need to be taken care of first, our roads, our water and sewer, our way of life.”
Holyrood’s third candidate, Mabel Tilley, is a familiar face in town, despite having only moved to the community in July.
A longtime member of Central Avalon Ground Search and Rescue, which is based in Holyrood, Tilley and her family moved from Kelligrews, she said, to make a difference in a town she had already been a part of for over 20 years.
In addition to facilitating training with the fire department and working on the town’s safety protocols, Tilley has played a role in community events such as Crystal Carnival and Squidfest. Now, she’s looking to deepen her role in the community, citing honesty, integrity, and hard work as her core values.
“I’m here to help in whatever way I can,” she said.
Tilley works with 900 volunteers in the search and rescue field, and is looking to transfer her skills in dealing with “large issues and large groups of people” to municipal government.
Tilley said she would promote both healthy living and emergency preparedness as a member of council. She’d like to see more walking trails, and more opportunities for residents to come together outdoors.
After having been on the ground for Hurricane Fiona and a forest fire in Grand Falls, Tilley said she knows how quickly things can take a turn for the worst.
“The town’s emergency preparedness plan is very important,” she said. “That’s something I will be strongly promoting to make sure everyone has peace of mind knowing that a plan is in place… Mother nature is nasty.”
In addition to concerns about water, sewer, and the state of Route 60, Tilley said she wants to support Holyrood’s seniors in meaningful ways.
“A lot of our population here is seniors,” she said. “It’s very important to have programs and services for seniors. It’s good for their physical and mental wellbeing.”
Tilley said she would use her seat on council to give a voice to the community.
“Teamwork is the best way to go. If you work as a team, you can pretty much conquer any battle,” she said. “I’m not going into council saying I’m going to solve all the problems. But I’m definitely a voice, there to work with the council to get what’s best for the community.”
Polling stations for Holyrood’s byelection will be located at the Hubert A. Keough Municipal Building on 34 Salmonier Line Tuesday, February 27th from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Advance polling stations will be open on Saturday, February 24th.