Upon entering the Holyrood Town Hall, you’ll be greeted by stacks of bottled water.

It’s a reminder of the predicament the town found itself in this past August when leaks in municipal water lines lowered the water pressure throughout much of Holyrood leading to temporary business closures and some residents having to go without water for several days.

During last week’s council meeting, councillor Mable Tilley said some people on social media have been questioning why the town hadn’t called a state of emergency.

“I just wanted to do a huge clarification there,” said Tilley. “The state of emergency is there for when the town cannot cope with the emergency. So, it was a no-brainer with the fire. The wildfire was spreading…. That was something that had to be done… With our water (emergency), our CAO, our public works, all our staff, all our council, mayor, we all came through this. We never had a boil order, we had enough staff, we handled it without having to have a state of emergency called. So, I just wanted to clarify the difference between a water emergency and a state of emergency.”

Councillor Bruce King also called out those spreading negativity on social media especially against staff, council, or other residents.

“You really need to think before you type,” said King. “Because some of this stuff was downright rude, it was downright ignorant, it was downright mean. And it’s almost like you think the people up here went and popped all the watermains just so we could all sit around and have a big laugh about it. People worked a long time during the crisis, or whatever you want to call it, here in this building, out in the holes in the ground, trying to get the water back as fast as humanly possible. But you can only dig a hole so fast, and you have to find the leak and you have to fix the leak, so getting on social media and barking about stuff is not going to change nothing. But it’s disheartening for the people that are out there putting 100 percent effort into everything, only to go home after a 12-hour shift and turn on social media and see Joe Blow or whoever cutting you down to the dirt. There’s no need of that.”

Meanwhile, council has approved a new emergency preparedness plan to help navigate future emergencies, be they fire or drought.

Tilley said she was “very excited” to bring the motion forward.

“It is ready to go, it has been vested through council, and it has gone back and forth to the government, and it is ready to roll,” said Tilley.

Mayor Laura Crawley said the plan will be uploaded to the Town’s website for the public to view.

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By Mark Squibb

After serving nearly four years with the Conception Harbour Fire Department, including three as Chief, John Wells, along with wife Kim, who served alongside him, have packed their bags for Chance Cove.

The department is the third that Wells has served at in his lifetime, having learned the art from his father Don.

“Firefighting is a bit of a family business,” said Wells. “My dad was deputy chief for 25 years in a wee town in Ontario where I grew up, and it was instilled in me at a very early age that if you’re the son of a firefighter, you participate. So, we used to go caroling at the old folks’ home and throw out candy during the Santa Claus parade and all that good stuff.”

Wells said that during his time at the Conception Harbour department he worked to better the department’s critical incident reporting, community outreach, and fundraising, while also working to maintain the department’s truck, which he added is one of the oldest in the province, as well the equipment and schedule training sessions for members.

Wells applauded the neighbouring fire departments in Conception Bay Centre and their fire chiefs for their camaraderie and words of encouragement over the years.

“I had so much help,” said Wells. “Everybody was fantastic in helping me adjust to the role.”

Wells encouraged others to consider volunteering with their local departments.

“Firefighting can be one of the most rewarding things that you ever do,” said Wells. “Every firefighter has every other firefighter’s back.”

That’s not to say, of course, that the position doesn’t come with challenges.

“My dad said, ‘You join up, hoping like hell you’re not going to see what you know you’re going to see,’” said Wells. “But somebody has to do it. And I’ll tell you, the mental health support for firefighters now is second to none.”

Since moving to Chance Cove, John and Kim have already been in touch with the fire department about becoming members.

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The Town of CBS is asking the provincial government for $2.95 million in federal Gas Tax money to upgrade and extend Gateway Drive in Kelligrews at the site of the new community centre which is expected to start construction next year.

If approved, it will allow the Town to use additional money other than what it had already allocated for the upgrades, which have turned out to be costlier than expected. The provincial Department of Municipal Affairs administers the federal Gas Tax money.

Council is also seeking permission to transfer savings leftover from sidewalk projects last year and in 2023 – $5,606 and $537, respectively – as well as $308,095 in savings from funds it received to upgrade the water transmission main and use the combined monies for the Gateway Drive upgrades as well.

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Repairs are underway to the Emma Hennessey Bridge at Sgt. Neg Nugent’s Park in Kelligrews.

The bridge connects the area near the softball field to the path leading to the rugby pitch.

“During those repairs there may be some days whereby the bridge will be closed to the public,” said Ward 3 councillor Gerard Tilley. “This is basically a notice for walkers who utilize that bridge to gain access to the upper trail up towards the stadium (CBS Arena).”

The work is being carried out by Eric Taylor Limited of Foxtrap at a cost of $340,150, including HST, and is expected to be finished around mid-November.

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Paradise council has approved a 133-lot subdivision off Inwood Crescent known as Adam’s Pond – Lakeview.

The lots will be developed over four phases with phases one and two consisting of 71 lots, according to councillor Sheldon Antle, who leads council’s planning deliberations.

Council approved Antle’s motion to pass the application subject to 34 conditions.

The councillor noted the application was subject to a comprehensive discussion at a committee of the whole meeting earlier the year where issues were raised about the pace of development in town, and its effects on traffic congestion.

“A lot of the infrastructure in town is receiving a lot of pressure from development as heavy equipment is going back and forth on it,” Antle said. “I think that is a conversation we need to have at some point, whether we tie that into multi-year capital works (projects) or whether we tie it into part of a review of development agreements with respect to developers using the Town infrastructure, which is then receiving extra pressure and may require remediation afterwards, and we’re the ones on the hook for that.”

Councillor Glen Carew welcomed the latest housing project, suggesting further development in the area will eventually alleviate some of the traffic congestion.

“This is the next phase of the southeast side of Lanark (Drive) bringing it closer and closer to Archibald Drive, which is great, hopefully taking some of that congestion and traffic and speeding and the like that residents have come to council on over the last couple of years,” Carew said. “With all the development going on in that area we’re pretty close to getting that connected and of course hoping that Lanark Drive can be fully completed within the foreseeable future, again in an effort to alleviate some of that congestion of contractors and delivery vehicles and the like. I know some residents are still feeling a little bit of pain when it comes to traffic, but this is another step to moving that bar just a little higher.”

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CBS council has doubled the size of its donations to the town’s two high schools.

The decision was announced during a list of donations that were approved at the September 15 public meeting of council.

This year, Queen Elizabeth Regional High and Holy Spirit High will each get $1,000 to go towards their respective scholarship and awards programs. 

“Each year we make a donation to the two high schools for their scholarship programs and their awards nights,” said Deputy Mayor Andrea Gosse. “This year we built it into our budget to increase their scholarships to $1,000 (each). We’re investing in the future.”

Council also approved a $2,500 donation to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary’s D.A.R.E program, which sees officers visit schools to educate students about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping.

“I think it is a really valuable investment in the youth in our community,” Gosse said. 

Mayor Darrin Bent agreed, noting the materials for the program are fully funded by donations from the community. Only the salaries of the officers who present the programs are covered by the RNC.

“I’m proud to have the D.A.R.E. program in the schools of Conception Bay South,” Bent added. “If there’s anyone out there who wants to donate to the D.A.R.E program, please get in touch with them. They will very happily take any donations to help improve and build upon the program here in CBS.”

And finally, council also approved a $1,000 donation to the CBS – Paradise Food Bank.

Bent said all donations to the food bank are important, including cash.

“They have rent to pay and costs like that, above the food,” said the mayor. “They have bills to pay, so it’s important that they do have cash as well as the food donations.”

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The Province announced in January that the high school will sit on some 5.7 hectares adjacent to Paradise Intermediate on Dianne Whalen Drive. Problem is, the site is zoned Open Space/Recreation and Residential.

During council’s September 15 committee of the whole meeting, councillor Glen Carew noted a school is not a permitted use in the Open Space/Recreation zone. Likewise, a school can only be permitted in a Residential zone following publication of a discretionary use notice and public consultation.

To that end, staff put forward a recommendation to rezone the land to Public Use, which would allow construction of a school.

The proposed amendment to the Town’s regulations will require a corresponding amendment to the St. John’s Urban Region Regional Plan.

Because of that, Carew explained, the Town will have to submit it to the Department of Municipalities and Community Affairs and hold public consultations.

Carew added that a road will need to be built to connect the dead-end on Dianne Whelan Drive to the rest of the community so that the area won’t be clogged by traffic from both schools.

The councillor also noted the site is above the 180-metre contour, which represents the service limit for water pressure within the town.  

“This constraint will be addressed with an interim servicing solution subject to the Town’s approval until a permanent solution is implemented through future municipal servicing infrastructure,” said the councillor.

Carew noted the site was selected based on a number of factors, including its central location and nearness to Paradise Intermediate, Dianne Whalen Soccer Complex, Paradise Park, and the Double Ice Complex.

The selection also came down to land availability – or lack thereof.

“A high school requires a site of approximately five hectares to accommodate the school, associated infrastructure, and potential future expansion,” said Carew. “Given the limited availability of vacant land in the community centre area, the proposed site is considered appropriate for a development of this scale.”

Carew said the amendment will be advertised in The Shoreline, on the Town’s website, around town, through a mail out and through the Voyent Alert app.

“There have been many hard days of lobbying and advocacy on behalf of this council, the previous council, and previous councils and staff, and so it’s been a long, long time coming,” said Carew. “Myself, and Deputy Mayor (Kimberley) Street, and of course councillor (Jennifer) Hiscock, have all grown up here having to attend high schools in other municipalities, so I’m happy to see a high school is finally – it’s not done yet – but it’s getting closer to a reality, so I’m looking forward to seeing this work start.”

It fell to councillor Sheldon Antle at council’s public meeting last week to formally move the motion to start the rezoning.

“Anything that we can do to clear any hurdles from a municipal level on the development of the new high school here is Paradise, I’m pleased to move them forward,” Antle said. 

He then followed with a second motion, this one to waive all associated fees related to the amendments and associated permits that the Province will need to build the high school.

“Hopefully, we’ll get to see the end result of this,” Antle said. “It just goes to show that things can get done. It takes a long time. Advocacy is so important. So, when we check this box, then we move on to our next box, and start getting further conversations on infrastructure and remediation of traffic in Paradise.”

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Despite being one of the oldest team sports in North America, lacrosse is a sport many in this province are unfamiliar with.

That could be changing, thanks to a newly minted youth league in Paradise.

“We’ve judged it to be a pretty successful season,” said Sean Fitzgerald of the Paradise Minor Lacrosse League’s inaugural season, which wrapped up in August. “It’s not a very well-known game in the province or the town itself, but we had between 80 and 90 kids who took part and four different age divisions, and everyone seemed to have a good time, so we deem that a success.”

Fitzgerald said the provincial lacrosse body, Lacrosse NL, of which he is an associate director, tried to kickstart a youth league about a decade back, but never had use of a dedicated facility. That changed once the Town of Paradise laid a lacrosse turf field at the Double Ice Complex as part of its commitment to hosting lacrosse during the 2025 Canada Summer Games.

“Paradise is the perfect town for lacrosse, because there are a lot of young families and a lot of young kids,” said Fitzgerald. “And the Town was excellent at making the floor time available to us and helping us with whatever we needed to get started.”

The Town also allowed the association to rent the field at a reduced rate, which Fitzgerald said was a huge help.

This past summer’s minor program was open to youths younger than 10 and up to age 19. Many in the U19 program were members of the Canada Summer Games team. The U13 and U15 divisions had the most players.

The program was open to players from the entire region, and many youths from CBS and Mount Pearl participated. One player came from as far as Whitbourne.

Fitzgerald said many of the kids had some exposure to lacrosse during the Canda Games and wanted to try the game themselves.

“A lot of the preconception about lacrosse is that it’s an extremely rough sport,” said Fitzgerald. “And that’s not really the case. It’s no rougher than hockey.”

He said that, like hockey, some folks on social media focus on the “rock ‘em, sock ‘em stuff,” which “is not how the game is really played.”

One challenge for players was finding the right equipment. While hockey gear could be substituted in a lot of cases, some equipment, such as the stick, is specific to lacrosse. Fitzgerald said retailers were good at getting equipment shipped in, while other pieces of equipment could be purchased online.

The club is already looking ahead to next season.

Fitzgerald said the club is hoping to introduce U7 and U9 divisions and run development camps over the winter and ‘Try lacrosse’ days in the spring. The club is also looking for more volunteers.

Fitzgerald played lacrosse in the 1981 Canada Games, and in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before returning to Newfoundland in 1996. He helped form a men’s league in 2010 and continues to play to this day.

“It’s a highly skilled sport,” said Fitzgerald. “It takes a fair amount of practice to get good at it. You have to spend hours by yourself figuring out how to pass, how to catch. So, there’s a real sense of accomplishment once you can play. And the physicality of the game has always appealed to me. There’s no gliding, you have to run. Its sprinting for the 60-minute game. It’s fun is all I can say… If anyone wants to try, we’ll give you a shot and show you how to play.”

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Police responded to a report of dog attack inside a Paradise home around 1:15 a.m. on Saturday morning, September 26.

The first officer to arrive on the scene found an injured man outside the home suffering “significant injuries” after having been bitten by two large-breed dogs that had followed him outside during his attempt to flee the home.

The officer was able to position himself between the dogs and the injured man until additional officers arrived but was bitten in the process. It was then that the dogs fled the area resulting in a search involving multiple officers and a drone.

Just after 2 a.m., police issued a warning over social media advising of a dog attack in the area off St Thomas Line and Ashlen Crescent and asking residents to remain inside.

Police found the dogs around 5 a.m., and they were safely caught with the help of the owner.
Both bite victims received medical treatment for their injuries.

The man who had been minding the dogs for the owner received severe bites to his face and head and ear requiring hundreds of stitches. Police would not confirm information The Shoreline received that both dogs are pit bulls.

Police did confirm the man was in the home lawfully and that both dogs are still with the owner.

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Spaniard’s Bay councillor Darlene Stamp wants the town to set up a business advisory committee.

Stamp made a motion to do so at this month’s public council meeting, which marked her first session back on council since being acclaimed in a by-election.

Stamp said council should prioritize strengthening businesses, tourism, and economic growth in the town. She asked that staff research if there are any what funding programs available to the Town, as well as for local businesses, what business services are needed, and how council can help existing businesses and attract new ones. Stamp said Spaniard’s Bay should also work with its neighbours in trying to develop business growth.

“I’d like to propose that we set up an advisory committee which includes members of the public with business expertise and just see if we can start promoting our town, promoting some new business to grow here,” she added.

Stamp asked whether the committee should include a representative from council, and whether the public should have a role in conducting the research.

Councillor Ann Marie Singleton said the idea needs further discussion.

Town Clerk Vanessa Higgins told council that a woman looking to help people with their businesses had recently left her business card and flyers at the town hall.

“She said she’ll even set up a day and come in and do a day seminar or something,” said Higgins. “If you guys are interested in doing that, she could sit down with you guys maybe and go over her program. I’ve got her direct number.”

Stamp said the woman might be able to help the Town find a grant to support the work.

Councillor Debbie Newman seconded Stamp’s motion that council start the review and reach out to businesses. The motion passed unanimously.

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