CBS ward contenders hoping to knock off incumbents
By Craig Westcott
Roland Anthony and Robert Sharpe may have their work cut out this election, trying to unseat popular incumbents on Conception Bay South council, but that doesn’t appear to be deterring them.
Anthony is challenging incumbent Gerard Tilley in Ward 3 which stretches from the west side of the Foxtrap Access Road to the east side of Legion Road in Kelligrews.
Anthony said his decision to run stretches as far back as 1992, when he first experienced flooding problems at his Red Bridge Road home which he blames on a number of quarries in the area.
“We didn’t get any help from council at that time, and even today it doesn’t feel like we have a voice,” said Anthony. “We’ve been plagued with quarries for the last 35 years. There’s flooding, there’s blasting, there’s industrial traffic.”
Anthony said the presence of Sgt. Ned Nugent’s Park and sport fields make Red Bridge Road an especially ill suited place for quarries.
Anthony has twice launched petitions against the development of quarries in CBS.
He’s also calling on council to complete a water study for Red Bridge Road, and said, if elected, would prioritize the protection of local rivers.
Anthony said he would also like to see those homes not hooked into the town’s water and sewer system hooked up as soon as possible.
The Town estimates about six percent of properties are not hooked into system and is working its way through a priority list.
Anthony would also like to see more public transportation options, such as a bus service, and more affordable housing, while also keeping the mil rate as low as possible, especially for seniors on fixed incomes.
“I feel seniors have already paid enough,” said Anthony. “I’d like to see no taxes for seniors. And for low-income earners as well. With everything so expensive, it’s nearly impossible.”
A retired welding instructor, Anthony said he can dedicate himself to council full-time.
“I am aware of the issues in the ward, and I’m very approachable,” said Anthony. “I think I can add a fresh perspective to council, and I have a good response time. I think we need to give the residents of Ward 3 another choice for representation. Not saying anything against Gerard Tilley, but we need another choice.”
Across town, in the east end, retired CBC technician Robert Sharpe is seeking election in Ward 1.
Sharpe said he was persuaded into running by the provincial government’s Make Your Mark campaign.
“I said to myself, ‘I can do that,’” said Sharpe. ‘I’ve got the background, and I’ve got a set of skills that I think I can use to support people.”
Sharpe said early in his career with the CBC he was asked to run for union president – “Simply because no one else had the interest,” he allowed.
“I took on that role, and embraced it, and really liked it,” said Sharpe. “I liked the idea that you could have an effect on the workplace. I stayed with it and was continuously elected for over 30 years, and went on to the national level, and by the time I retired I was vice-president of the Canadian Media Guild.”
A resident of Ward 1 for over 30 years, Sharpe and his wife Sharon have raised two sons, Jake and Josh, in CBS.
Sharpe said he made the decision to run for ward councillor rather than Councillor-at-Large on the belief that residents with concerns would be directed to ward councillors before at-Large ones.
“That’s what I want,” said Sharpe. “I want people to call me if they have a problem in their ward. I feel like I know this area, from the Flume Line to the Manuel’s River Bridge, I’ve walked every inch of it. I want to see the Town grow at large, I know the trails, and I know CBS pretty good, but I feel a stronger connection to my area of the town.”
He said the main concerns within the ward that need to be addressed are residential matters, including safe roads.
Some of those roads, he added, need to be upgraded.
“Some of our roads are old,” said Sharpe. “When Spruce Hill, for example, was put there, it was put in for a small town. Now we’re the second largest municipality in Newfoundland and Labrador. We’re not a city, but we’re bigger than the City of Mount Pearl and we’re bigger than the City of Corner Brook. We’re the second largest municipality, and a lot of the roads were built for smaller communities. They need to be upgraded, and we need (traffic) calming measures.”
When not campaigning, Sharpe likes to exercise and chase after grandson Gavin.
Sharpe is competing against incumbent Shelley Moores.
“I know how to negotiate, I know how to make things happen, I know how to get answers, I know how to bring people together, and I know how to represent them,” said Sharpe.