Talented athletes, dedicated coaches and volunteers get their due in Carbonear

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Carbonear celebrated its athletic talent last month with the annual Parks and Recreation Commission Awards.
The event took place June 23 at the Carbonear Swimming Pool.
Jonathan Lambert was named the recipient of the Roy Howell Award for his contributions in sports and recreation.
Carbonear councillor Danielle Doyle described Lambert as an award-winning educational leader with more than 20 years experience advocating for the academic, physical and cultural health of youth and the community through innovative and inclusive supports. Presently, he serves as the vice chairman and past director of the Wood Buffalo Sport Connection and is the national men’s basketball convenor for the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association.
Former bowling, baseball, and softball champ David Kennedy was inducted into the Commission’s Hall of Fame. Kennedy is a former member of the commission, as well as a past recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award. He has competed at many sports events, including the NL Summer and Winter Games and the Men’s Masters Nationals. Kennedy has also served as volunteer, coach, and manager with various sports teams.
The Junior Male and Female Athletes of the Year were Jasmine Wheadon and Ben Bailey. Wheadon has medaled at regional and provincial figure skating competitions, including winning gold at the Newfoundland and Labrador Winter Games and the Atlantic Canadian Skating championships. She has also competed nationally. Bailey has rowed and medaled in three regattas and is a member of the CeeBees U15 Rec 1 Hockey Team, the junior high school hockey team, and the U15 AA CBN Bulldogs Baseball Team. Last year he competed at the U15 Atlantic Baseball Championships.
The Senior Female Athlete of the Year is Brooklyn Shortt. A member of the Carbonear Collegiate Female Hockey Team, the Carbonear & Bay Roberts Women’s Fastpitch Softball Team, and the U17 Selects Female Softball Team, Shortt was also named to the U20 Newfoundland Female Softball Canada Games Team. Shortt competed at the Eastern Canadian U19 Female Fastpitch Championships and the National Female Championships.
Drew Deering is the Senior Male Athlete of the Year. Deering has played high school hockey, ball hockey, softball, and soccer. He is a member of the U23 Intermediate Fast-Pitch Softball League and the Carbonear Islanders Softball Team. Deering has also been a member of the U18 AAA Osprey Hockey Team, the U17 NL Selects Provincial Softball Team, and a member of the U20 NL Selects Provincial Softball Team.
The Team of the Year is the Carbonear Advanced Auto U23 Fastpitch Softball Team. The team was runner-up in Intermediate League fastpitch softball, and won a provincial softball tournament in Placentia.
Kelly Mullins was named Female Volunteer of the Year. Mullins is a swimming coach with Special Olympics and volunteers at the Marsha Button Memorial Swim Meet every year. Since her son Luke was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Mullins has been an advocate for inclusive communities and is a member of the Town of Carbonear’s inclusion committee. She is also a passionate advocate for autism awareness. Mullins volunteers during community clean-up days, with the Carbonear Collegiate Auction Committee, and for national fundraisers like McHappy Day and Miracle Treat Day.
The Male Volunteer of the Year is Phil Hurley, who began volunteering shortly after moving to Carbonear over 30 years ago. He started with the Conception Bay Folk Festival, with which he volunteered for over a decade. He also served on the town’s special events committee, was a leader with the Carbonear Scouts for a couple of years, and has held positions on the Parish Council, including chairperson. He is also a student assistant. Hurley has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for over 30 years, and much of his volunteering has been as a member of that organization. That role sees him collecting items for the O’Shaughnessy House, providing school supplies to needy families, winter coats to children through the Coats for Kids project, selling daffodils for the Canadian Cancer Society, and organizing cemetery cleanups.
The ceremony concluded with the awarding of the 1992 Summer Games Scholarship, which has academic, community sport, and volunteer elements to it. Due to the success of the 1992 Games, an annual scholarship valued at $500 was created, and is awarded in both Harbour Grace and Carbonear. The Carbonear recipient for 2024 was Ethan King.