Goobie says Holyrood still working on major deal
By Mark Squibb
Holyrood Mayor Gary Goobie says 2024 was a very busy year for council and staff, and 2025 is going to just as busy.
Goobie said he’s proud that staff and council have implemented a number of recommendations identified in the operational review completed by consultant Pat Curran over the last year, and is happy the Town was able to hold the line on residential and commercial mil rates, reduce or eliminate several rates and fees, and cut a salary position, which council accomplished by a restructuring at the town hall that saw the duties of the Director of Planning and Marketing and the Chief Administrative Officer rolled into one following the retirement of longtime CAO Gary Corbett and the promotion of Marjorie Gibbons. And while the Curren Report recommended the Town reduce it’s debt service ratio to 12.6 percept by 2026, Goobie said council and staff have already managed to reduce the ratio to a comfortable 11 percent.
“That puts us in a very good position fiscally, because your debt service ratio has an impact on your borrowing capacity,” said Goobie, noting the less the Town owes, the more it can borrow, if necessary.
Goobie said he was also pleased to see Phase 2 of the Salmonier Line waterline extension completed in 2024 on a 90/10 cost shared basis with the provincial government. Phase 3, which will connect the waterline to Island Pond in preparation for a new water treatment facility, will be undertaken this year.
“Once that’s completed, we will have free flowing water that will provide the necessary water capacity for future residential and commercial growth and development for years and years to come,” said Goobie.
Development of Holyrood’s replacement water tank is also expected in be completed this year. Civil Engineering work has been completed and the Town hopes to issue a request for proposals for construction soon.
Many households are currently run off artisan wells, which require regular maintenance at high cost. Dry conditions in summer also cause the wells to run low, resulting in water conservation orders and even bans.
Goobie said upgrades to the sewage treatment plant, which was constructed in the 1970s, should be ready to go to tender this year. The first phase of the three-part project is valued at $2.2 million, cost -shared with the Province on a 90/10 split.
Goobie said that age, increased demand for sewer services, and new federal guidelines regarding wastewater facilities necessitate major upgrades to the plant.
Goobie said a draft concept plan for a new community centre has been completed, and public consultations will begin later this year.
“This is not a recreation centre, this is a community centre, a centre for the community, and it will serve the needs of all residents, from toddlers right to seniors,” said Goobie. The difference, he added is that a recreation centre is geared towards sports and recreation while a community centre is geared towards community events and gatherings. The option to rent out for the building for special occasions may also be available for residents. Eventually, council may be able to build onto the building to accommodate more recreation options, he allowed.
While a site for the new centre hasn’t been officially selected yet, the mayor said the recreation park just up from the police station on the Salmonier Line would be an ideal location.
Earlier this year, council accepted 2023-2026 multi-year capital works funding from the Province in the amount of $908,060 to help offset the cost of building the new community centre.
On the economic front, Goobie said the Town has been working behind the scenes on a deal that will be big for Holyrood.
“We have been working diligently on some ambitious and exciting initiatives that will continue this year,” said Goobie. “I am not in a position right now to provide details because of the sensitive nature of it, and we have legal involved and other players involved, but we have been dealing with this huge opportunity for the last few years, and we are making progress.”
Goobie said with the way things are proceeding, 2025 will prove to be a pivotal one in the process, and the deal will benefit folks in Holyrood for many, many years to come.
Goobie said council has been working diligently to petition the provincial government to upgrade Route 60 through Holyrood, including hosting an in-person meeting with the Minister of Transportation Fred Hutton at the town hall, and will continue to petition Bell Canada for improved cell service.
“We have a bright and prosperous future, and in keeping with our budget theme, we are a ‘Community of Choice,’” concluded Goobie.
When asked whether he intends to run for the mayor’s chair again in the upcoming municipal election this fall, or perhaps set his eyes on running provincially or federally instead, Goobie only said he would leave the discussion of politics for another day, as he wanted to focus on the Town of Holyrood in the interview.
