Tim Murphy, left, was the fastest runner in the 2026 edition of the Kelligrews Soiree 8K Road Race sponsored by Time Horton’s finishing in a time of 29 minutes and 34 seconds.

The Lamaline native has run nearly every year in the event – he finished in second place last year and in 2024. “It got warm,” said Murphy, describing the weather conditions this time around. “The humidity and the hills on this course make it a challenge,” he added.

Murphy took the lead and held it right from the starter’s horn. Another perennial top finisher was Britney Fitzgerald, right, of Foxtrap, who placed third overall and was the fastest female of the day. This was Fitzgerald’s fourth or fifth time finishing as the fastest woman. Her time was 32 minutes and 42 seconds.

The race’s second-fastest finisher was Holyrood native but now St. John’s livyer Brad Hickey, who ran it in 32:09. It was his first time running the Soiree 8K.

Fellow event newcomer Josh Cole of CBS placed third in the men’s division and fourth overall, crossing the finish line at 33:22.

Kate Butler, 13, of the Villa Nova Junior High running team, placed second in the female division.

Patty Symes of Foxtrap, who placed second in the Gander Marathon earlier this summer, was the third female and ninth fastest finisher overall. Not bad for someone who had run the Tely 10 just one week before. Symes came in at 35:20.

Some 169 people registered to run the race with about 145 to 150 showing up for the starter’s horn at 8 a.m. Registration was down slightly this year, which one organizer surmised was probably due to the race coming just one week after the Tely 10 race, which was held earlier in the season than normal.

The post Mix of new and familiar faces dominate field at Soiree 8K road race appeared first on The Shoreline News.

Of all the wonderful Kelligrews Soiree events, the dog party at Sgt. Ned Nugent’s Dog Park is a favourite among our four-legged friends.

“Any time you get pets and people together, it’s a good thing,” said Andy’s Pet Town owner Rosanne Dunn, who is sponsoring the event. “Our customers love the party. They look forward to it every year. They look forward to meeting other people, and most importantly, have their dogs meet other people, and meet other dogs.”

Andy’s Pet Town has been supplying free treats and prizes to party pups for nearly a decade now.

“We like to give back anytime we can,” said Dunn. “Over the years we’ve supported a lot of pet charities like the SPCA and Heavenly Creatures, just to name a couple.”

The shop also donates to charities such as Wheels for Wishes and CNIB Guide Dogs.

This year’s party will take place on Monday, July 6, at 6 p.m. Costumes are welcomed.

The post Dog party always a hit at Soiree appeared first on The Shoreline News.

 The self-published mystery novel, which released in April of this year, was inspired by—though not based on—two incidents in his family’s past.

The first was the disappearance of his fifth-generation great-grandfather in Labrador in 1884. Initially believed by all to have drowned, his body was discovered on a narrow pathway between two Labrador communities in 1897.

“Family folklore has it that his remains were identified by a belt that he had been wearing,” said Lundrigan.

The book was also inspired by the accidental shooting of his uncle-in-law in 1926 in Labrador. He died of gangrene, and his body had to be preserved in salt while it was brought home.

“So those things got me thinking about what might a mystery, what might a murder even, look like on the Labrador coast,” said Lundrigan. “So, I chose the 1950s as a timeframe, and I consulted with the RCMP and they put me on to some retired RCMP officers, one in particular who had served in Cartwright during the 1950s.”

He also consulted with his father’s cousin, Nigel Smith, who worked on coastal boats in Labrador his whole life.

“I used these individuals and other research to make this story as authentic as I could,” said Lundrigan.

In The Bakeapple Marsh Murder, a cranky fisherman who owns two boats in Labrador gets into a fight with his crew. The next morning, embarrassed and irritated, he refuses to go fishing with them and goes bakeapple-picking instead. Hearing ducks overhead, he raises his gun to shoot one. A shot does ring out, but it is the man himself who collapses and dies.

“And the rest of the mystery is what the book is about,” said Lundrigan.

The Bakeapple Marsh Murder can be purchased at various businesses, including: Clarke’s Country Corner in Upper Island Cove; Riverhead Irving in Harbour Grace; Powell’s Supermarket in Bay Roberts and Carbonear; Legge’s Restaurant in Heart’s Content; Cole’s in St. John’s and Corner Brook; Chapters in St. John’s; Mainly Mags in Gander; Summit Retreat in Steady Brook; and Jersey Room Craft Shop in Woody Point.

Lundrigan published The Bakeapple Marsh Murder independently, but said that Flanker Press wants to publish his next novel. Lundrigan has plans for two more books, one of which will be a fictionalized version of Coombs’ Days, a tragedy that occurred on February 3, 1868 when a terrible snowstorm struck unexpectedly and a number of residents from Upper Island Cove were killed. Victims included several members of the Coombs family, which is how the tragedy came to get its name.

“There were approximately 30 people who perished on the road between Heart’s Content and Harbour Grace,” said Lundrigan, who added that he will likely write about the tragedy form a Upper Island Cove point of view. He plans to create a fictional protagonist, but the rest of the characters will be based on real people involved with the incident.

Lundrigan says that, after doing more research for the book, he plans to begin writing the Coombs’ Day book in earnest in this fall. He hopes it will be out by fall 2027.

Originally from Upper Island Cove, Lundrigan currently lives in Spaniard’s Bay. Now retired, he held many jobs over the years, most often as an educator or civil servant. His first book, Love and War: The True Story of William and Edith Lundrigan, was published by Flanker Press in September 2023. It chronicles the lives and love story of his parents, William and Edith.

William, a resident of Upper Island Cove, served in the British Royal Navy during WWII. While overseas, he met Edith of Essex, England. The two fell and love and married, living in England for a few years before settling down in Newfoundland.

William stopped working when Lundrigan was a child, much to Lundrigan’s confusion. In his eyes, his father seemed fine, and his friends’ fathers were active in the workforce. Lundrigan admits he felt somewhat resentful about this when he was younger. However, as he got older, he began to notice patterns and wonder about his father’s mental state.

“He was quite normal in many ways,” said Lundrigan. “He was a great father, other than the fact that he wasn’t working, of course. He was a great father, cared for us, we were all close to him and so on. But in the 1990s I started to see evidence that he sort of withdrew from many of the things that he had been involved with in life.”

On Christmas of 2000, something happened that made everything click into place for Lundrigan. His nephews wanted to try out his new TV sound system by playing a war movie. Lundrigan warned his father beforehand, and William said it was fine. However, when the sound of torpedoes came from the speakers, William fell to his knees. He went outside, then had someone bring him and Edith home.

“It was then that the reality came smacking me completely in the face,” said Lundrigan. He realized his father was suffering from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder. After speaking to his mother on the topic, he learned that William suffered night terrors, and could not attend war memorial services because they were too emotional for him.

Lundrigan decided that, after he retired, he would write the story of his father and mother. He did just that. Lundrigan used the writings of his late parents, information from his siblings, and his own research to write Love and War.

After writing the book about his parents, Lundrigan decided to turn his hand to fiction, leading to The Bakeapple Marsh Murder.

The post Author Robert Lundrigan shares journey and discusses newest novel appeared first on The Shoreline News.

It is not uncommon to see Carbonear residents out and about with their furry friends in tow.

At the most recent council meeting, however, folks were reminded to not let their dogs wander free.
Mayor Sam Slade reminded residents during the June 24th meeting to keep dogs tethered or on a leash when they are outside.

“This helps ensure the safety of your pets, other residents, and the community,” said Slade. “Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.”

Slade said the town has received a couple of complaints involving dogs recently.
This has become an issue in other communities as well.

Earlier this year, Clarke’s Beach council resolved to contact the RCMP after residents and leashed dogs in town were attacked by untethered dogs. In January, several people were injured by a pair of loose dogs in Pouch Cove, with one elderly man requiring surgery for nerve injuries.

Slade also reminded residents to pick up after their dogs, as well. He said that there were doggy bags located along the boardwalk encircling Carbonear and Rossiters Ponds. He implored anyone walking their dogs there to use said bags to pick up their pets’ waste.

The post Keep dogs on leash, says Carbonear mayor appeared first on The Shoreline News.

The Town of Holyrood is still awaiting provincial government approval for the towns 2024-2034 municipal plan.

“The town plan approval process through the Department of Municipal Affairs is slow at the moment due to the departmental requirements to focus on St. John’s Regional Plan,” explained councillor Sandra Crawley during June 2 public meeting.

Crawley added that council had sent a letter to Minister Chris Tibbs asking for consideration and department approval of the plan.

A number of other municipalities are also waiting for the province to greenlight their municipal plans.

A spokesperson for the department confirmed that as of May 28 there were 49 new municipal plans under review. Four had been completed.

The post Holyrood awaiting government greenlight for municipal plan appeared first on The Shoreline News.

During the June 9 meeting, Spaniard’s Bay council adopted an asset management and climate equity policy.

“The purpose of this asset management and climate equity policy is to affirm council’s commitment to responsible stewardship of the town’s infrastructure and to provide a coordinated, cost-effective, and sustainable framework that guards staff in managing municipal assets so they can reliably deliver the services needed today and for future residents,” explained Mayor Tammy Oliver.

Oliver went on to say that the policy aims to systematically identify, assess, and manage risks such as climate change, thereby protecting public safety, reducing municipal exposure to liability, and ensuring equitable service outcomes. The town will account for known climate hazards when designing, maintaining or replacing infrastructure, paying attention to areas that are at risk of higher exposure or could reduce adaptive capacity. Climate hazards that will be considered will include, but are not limited to, high winds, extreme precipitation, flooding, and wildfires.

“We’ve already had the assessment done of the asset management, and we’re about to receive the final report on our climate equity,” said Oliver. “So, we’re combining the two, which they do overlap, and this will allow council to re-evaluate our five-year plan moving forward in regards to our infrastructure.’

Councillor Sherry Lundrigan moved that council accept the asset management and climate equity policy. Councillor Ann Marie Singleton seconded the motion.

The motion was carried unanimously.

The post Spaniard’s Bay adopts infrastructure policy appeared first on The Shoreline News.

HockeyNL recognised some its most outstanding members at the 2025-2026 annual general meeting and award show in June, including many from the Avalon peninsula.

Mike O’Brien, who played a key role with Southern Shore Amateur Hockey, was awarded the Gerry Taylor Memorial Junior Council Meritorious Award. Even since the Southern Shore joined the St. John’s Junior Hockey League in 1998, he has remained a dedicated volunteer.

Colby Mitchell of the Paradise Minor Hockey Association was awarded the Brian Wakelin Executive of the Year Award. Mithcell has volunteered with the association for over a decade and currently serves as president.

Dean Whalen, who has officiated hundreds of games over the decades, including senior hockey and Herder games, and has served as Referee in Chief for Cee Bees Minor Hockey Association for the last 20 years, was awarded the Ray Bowe Award of Merit.

Nathan Bakogeorge with the Cee Bees Minor Hockey Association and Jayden Denty with the Glovertown & Area Minor Hockey Association were named the 2026 Minor Hockey Scholarship recipients. Lima Best of the Southern Shore Senior Breakers was named the recipient of the 2026 Jim Stirling / B.F. Lorenzetti Scholarship.

Brian Lambert with Goulds Minor was awarded the Ron Healey Memorial Award. Lambert has been a major part of Hockey NL’s officiating program since 2000. He has officiated both senior hockey and Herder games, and has also officiated at events such as the Telus Cup, Para Hockey World Tournament, Allan Cup, AHL, and ECHL.

Other winners included Deer Lake Red Wings Treasurer Paul Payne (CJ McCarthy Memorial Award), Gary Pardy of Exploits (Female Hockey Promotion Award), Hockey Canada Master Coach Developer Stephanie Delaney (Joe Byrne Development Award), Robert Williams with the Green Bay South Minor Hockey Association (Minor Council Meritorious Award – Central Region), Jodi Blackwood with the St. John’s Minor Hockey Association (Minor Council Meritorious Award – Eastern Region), Sherry Chubbs with the Lake Melville Xtreme Minor Hockey Association (Minor Council Meritorious Award – Northern Region), Dave Ingram with the Clarenville Area Minor Hockey Association (Minor Council Meritorious Award – Tri Pen Region), Stephen Peddle with the Deer Lake Minor Hockey Association (Minor Council Meritorious Award – Western Region), the Clarenville Area Minor Hockey Association (Minor Association/Community Club of the Year), and Tracey Hatcher (Gold Stick Pin).Meanwhile, Terry Hart, John Drover, Dale Sullivan, Nick Aylward, Janet Reddy, Chris Bartlett, Charlie Kearsey, and the late Bern Tobin were all inducted into the Hockey NL Hall of Fame.

The post Hockey NL hands out the hardware appeared first on The Shoreline News.

The Town of Paradise won’t be constructing a swimming pool anytime soon.

After two years of debate and discussion and a $74,000 consultation study, the town has decided to shelve the project – for now, at least.

In 2024, the town committed to a pool feasibility study in response to public demand, and in 2025 hired Stantec to complete the feasibility study at a cost of $74,897, HST included.

That study, presented to council in December, found that a new swimming pool would cost between $46 and $67 million dollars, based on a number of factors including size and location, and that residents would be on the hook for an additional $100 per household per year to help cover the operating costs.

The official recommendation of staff, brought forward by councillor Jennifer Hiscock during last week’s committee meeting, was to keep the project “under consideration.”

“As a council, we’ve definitely done a great deal of engagement on the pool project and its feasibility, including the most recent consultation study at the Double Ice Complex, where Stantec presented its report, and while attendance was lower than expected – I believe we had 12 residents  show up, and of course there’s been a lot of engagement on social media – but it wasn’t at a loss,” said councillor Jennifer Hiscock. “Where we were able to chat with those residents and hear their concerns and listen to their questions.”

Hiscock added that the town would need funding to move ahead with the project.

“This is a massive project, and an investment that’s taken a lot of council’s headspace and a lot of discussion,” added councillor Sheldon Antle. “There’s a discussion around wants versus needs, and what it is that we can have. I know the increases that residents would have to see in regard to their tax bills, and what they can take on as an additional burden.”

Antle asked what work would be done on the project before the next budget is dropped.

“Will we be actively, or continuing, to explore funding opportunities, regional partnership, grant opportunities, to see whether or not this will come to fruition at some point?” asked Antle.

“At this point, there will be no further work regarding the pool until council agrees to moves the pool feasibility study further,” said Hiscock. “The next step will be for council to determine whether this project can be advanced for further budget considerations.”

Deputy Mayor Kimberley Street said she hoped staff might find funding for the project, and added that the town has already undertaken a number of other recreation projects, including work at both Paradise Park and Elizabeth Park and the Avalon Dragon’s Boathouse on Paradise Pond.

“I think, for me, I would support a pool in the future budget, but those other things I just mentioned should be addressed first,” said Street. “We committed to this in the current strategic plan, to do this feasibility study, and I guess maybe we should dive deeper into the creation of the next strategic plan, is kind of where my head is at right now.”

Councillor Tommy Maher added that while he was supportive of a swimming pool, that swimming pool would come with a large price tag.

“I think right now, we should maybe focus, council and staff on coming up with some regional funding,” said Maher. “We can’t support this alone and we can’t really depend on the taxpayers to fund it. Right now, we need funding. That’s why we need to keep pushing and looking where we can, and reaching out where we can to find something for this… the sad thing is, the longer we wait, the more it’s going to cost.”

Councillor Glen Carew said that many would benefit from a swimming pool, however the town is already committed to a number of infrastructure projects, with more on the horizon.

“We just don’t have that kind of money, considering we need to be able to do all the other things like flush toilets and turn on taps and drive on roads,” said Carew. “As much as I’m in favour of a pool, I’m not in favour of burdening residents with the cost of that pool in this moment in time. I’d love to be able to find a way to partner with another municipality if possible, or find federal funding, and continuing on with that (looking for funding). But of course, staff have other projects and council  have many other things that we need to focus on, and I believe staff’s recommendation here is valid. Let’s put this aside until we can find a way to allocate, or find funding, or find a reasonable way to get this project off the ground.”

Mayor Patrick Martin, meanwhile, concurred, noting that the town indeed has a number of other costly projects already in various stages of work.

In the meantime, staff will keep Stantec’s report on the website.

The post Paradise shelves swimming pool for time being appeared first on The Shoreline News.

Kathryn Atkin of Conception Bay South was among the 12 seniors recognized by the provincial government as a 2026 Senior of Distinction.

 A founding board member of United Way of Avalon, now United Way Newfoundland and Labrador, Atkins served as chair and remains involved in the Community Investment Program. She also served as chairperson of the Drug Abuse and Resistance Education Program of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary for 22 years and has been a dedicated Rotarian since 1995.

Atkins spent 10 years as executive director of Shallaway Youth Choir and has also assisted with the not-for-profit Hope and Homes for Children International.

 She currently serves as board chair of local non-profit Connections for Seniors and has been honoured several times for her volunteer efforts, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Mark Brown Community Builder Award from United Way, the Elizabeth Laurie Community Impact Award from the Conception Bay Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award for her unwavering dedication to both Rotary and her community.

Other seniors recognized include E. Fred Cram of Old Perlican, Mary Ennis of St. John’s, Pheobe Farr of Carter’s Cove, Amy Farrell of Marystown, Barry Fordham of St. John’s, Alfreda Hopkins of Old Perlican, Mildred Lavers of Port Saunders, Glenn Ford Ploughman of George’s Brook-Milton, Sevtap Savas of St. John’s, Herman Augustus Walters, of St. John’s, and Malcolm “Max” Winters of Happy Valley-Goose Bay (posthumous).

The post CBS woman named a senior of distinction appeared first on The Shoreline News.

The Town of Conception Bay South is pleased with changes made by the provincial government to its Multi-Year Capital Works Funding (MYCW) program.

Under the new program, funds will be awarded based on population, which members of council say will prove to be a benefit as the town continues to grow.

“The new government has developed a new program,” said Deputy Mayor Andrea Gosse, who, during the June 16 public meeting, moved that council accept $6,333,948 in 2027-2031 MYCW funding. “They have devised a plan, and a formula. We never ever knew really – we had a set amount of money, but nothing attached to why we had that money. No matter how much we grew, our funding didn’t grow. So, this one is population-based, which is great to see, because a community like Conception Bay South, with the growth that we’ve experienced over the last number of years, our funding should grow. This funding is very important for us to do our municipal work, our water and sewer work, and different projects throughout the community.”

Mayor Darrin Bent also applauded the changes.

“For years upon years upon years we were getting less money than municipalities with less population and less infrastructure, even by half of us, and it never made any sense,” said Bent.

The mayor said council – and councils of days gone by– petitioned government to upgrade the program.

While Bent spoke highly of the new model, he allowed that the new plan was not “absolutely perfect,” and that some timelines may need to be adjusted. He also suggested that the funding amounts were based “old dollars.”

“What you got for $100 in 2015 is not what you get for $100 anymore,” said Bent. “And that needs to be looked at as well. But I will say, and I voiced it to them, that we are very pleased that there has been recognition that the program was a but antiquated and needed upgrading. We’ll work to mitigate some of the issues that we do have. There’s, I think three or four, and we’ll work together with them on this. But finally, our funding ahs jumped to, at least the proper level of order of communities within the province

He said that in previous funding allocations, the town had typically received about $5.4 million. For example, in 2024, the town accepted $$5,582,448 in 2023-2026 MYCW funding.

Council, less councillor Joshua Barrett, who was absent from the meeting, accepted the motion unanimously.

A provincial government spokesperson has since confirmed for The Shoreline that the program has undergone a review, and that changes have indeed been made.

“A recent review of the Multi‑Year Capital Works (MYCW) Program identified several issues affecting transparency, effectiveness, and long‑term planning,” read the release. “The review found that the program’s structure did not support equitable distribution, efficient project delivery, or effective forward planning, and lacked clearly defined eligibility requirements.”

As a result of the review, funding eligibility is now limited to municipalities with populations greater than 10,000 that do not receive Municipal Operating Grants. Municipalities that meet the criteria have been offered placement in the 2027–2031 MYCW funding program. Funding has been calculated at $233.12 per person, based on 2021 Census data, and is contingent on sufficient provincial funding in the 2027–28 budget.

The spokesperson confirmed that government informed 22 municipalities in writing that unspent
funds previously allocated needed to be spent within project timelines, as funding will not be carried over.

Besides CBS, other municipalities contacted regarding expiring MYCW funding included Bay Roberts, Carbonear, Clarenville, Corner Brook, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Holyrood, Labrador City, Lewisporte, Marystown, Mount Pearl, Paradise, Pasadena, Placentia, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, Springdale, St. John’s, Torbay, Victoria, and Wabush.

Additionally, funding periods will be increased to four years from three, and municipalities will have to self‑administer MYCW and all other federal and provincial municipal infrastructure projects. Any unclaimed funds will revert back to the provincial government after March 31, 2031.

The post CBS applauds upgrade to MYCW funding program appeared first on The Shoreline News.