Property owner says potential Frog Pond fix in the works

By Mark Squibb

Nearly four years after road work disrupted a natural underground spring feeding the much-loved Frog Pond in Conception Bay South, property owner Randy Bell said a potential fix is in the works – though he has his doubts whether the solution will work.

“Stantec has agreed that when they repave Frog Pond Road, which they’re supposed to do this summer, they’re going to put plugs in,” said Bell. “I don’t know where the plugs are going and what’s going to happen, but I’m doubtful about anything, because right now the pond is bone dry.”

The beloved gully dried up in 2022, following Town-contracted water and sewer work completed in August of that year.

A year later, in July of 2023, the Town hired Stantec Consulting at a cost of $30,000 to assess the pond and investigate why it dried out. The report confirmed that the water and sewer work on Frog Pond Road diverted runoff and underground sources of water for the gully, but offered no solutions.

Those solutions were instead promised at a later date.

Given the accumulation of winter snow and ice run off, Bell said the pond was full at the end of May, but slowly began draining away. After about two or three weeks it was totally empty.

While water levels in the pond have varied over the years, Bell says it had never gone dry until recent years.

“For years that pond has had water in it,” said Bell. “It’s never been bone dry like it is now. Water was coming in from somewhere, and it seems to have stopped.”

He said the problem is two-fold; an underground spring appears to have been diverted, so less water is entering the pond, and water that does enter is draining away.

When asked, Bell said it was “ridiculous,” that it has taken so long for the problem to be rectified, and that residents in the area are still asking him, “What’s going to happen to the pond?”

“I never thought, four years later, we would be sitting here saying it’s still not fixed,” said Bell. “I thought they would have come up with a solution quicker than that.”

And if the plugs don’t work?

“If they can’t fix it, they can’t fix it,” said Bell. “I’ll guess I can do something with that property… where do you go from here?”

The Shoreline sought a follow up with the Town, and was told by communications staff that the Frog Pond is on private property and staff are communicating directly with the property owner.

The property has been in the Bell family since 1943, and Bell said ‘the Frog Pond’ was clearly marked on the deed of sale.

The same deed of sale, said Bell, marks the pond as having existed since the 1800’s.