A public hearing last week on a proposed ATV bypass in the back country of CBS almost turned into a rally to take back the old railbed in town from walkers and allow trikes and side-by-sides on it again.
The idea was touted several times to wide applause during an hour and 20-minute session that saw some 150 people, mostly ATV enthusiasts in attendance.
However, that notion contrasted sharply with the tenor of most of the written submissions from CBS residents who appear to be growing increasingly frustrated by the prevalence of dirt bikes and ATVs on their roads.
The hearing was supposed to focus solely on proposed amendments to the development rules to allow ATVs on a future bypass route on the south side of Peacekeepers Way. Commissioner George Trainor has 30 days to report on the hearing to council, which will then vote to accept, amend or reject his recommendations, before sending the proposed changes back to the Province for its approval.
While a sizeable minority of people at the hearing shared worries about increased ATV use interfering with walking trails, they were overwhelmingly outnumbered by the ATV supporters whose demands seemed to increase the longer the hearing went on.
Fred Rose, who moved to CBS about two and half years ago, seemed to speak for many of the ATV advocates, though he was not in favour of taking back the walking trail which runs the length of CBS.
“I’ve got a lot of years of experience on ATVs,” said Rose. “I lived in Gander where I could hop from my house onto my ATV and go wherever I wanted… But I’m not surprised that people would come out against this, because that’s human nature, that’s the way things happen… I don’t disagree with the walking trail the way it is right now. I think it’s a great idea. I would not be in favor of changing anything along the waterfront that we have now. We’ve got all kinds of trails around here… There’s lots of ways that we could bypass it… Maybe we could connect up the trail with CBN. Maybe we can connect with the one to the Southern Shore… Let’s go up around the back, find ways to come down to the restaurants and things like that. Develop it, get some economic benefit for the town, and get some government money to help you do it.”
Walter Quinlan, who lives near the Kiwanis walking trail in Kelligrews, warned the crowd they wouldn’t give him as hearty a round of applause as they had given Rose.
Quinlan said he was initially very opposed to the ATV bypass until he talked with Mayor Darrin Bent and read in The Shoreline that the route will be separate from walking trails.
“So, I’ve kind of come around,” said Quinlan. “I don’t care that you guys want to have a trail. My concern was having interactions while walking or driving my car. I want no interactions with ATVs. I’ve had about 20 in my lifetime. They’ve all been negative. I’ve almost been knocked down, my dog has almost been knocked down, I’ve been cursed and sworn at, I’ve had to dive into snowbanks to avoid a head-on collision while I was cross-country skiing. I’m not saying any of you people here would do anything like that, it’s just that my experience with ATVs on trails has been very negative.”
Quinlan said ATVers represent about 2.5 per cent of the population but are responsible for about five per cent of deaths involving motorized vehicles every year.
“My hobby is golfing. It costs me $3,000 a year to golf,” said Quinlan. “Your hobby would be using the ATVs. I don’t think I should have to subsidize your trail. I don’t think the council here should spend any money on the trail. I think you should do what cross-country skiers do. They make their own trail. They put their own money in, and they maintain a trail themselves… With that, I wish you the best of luck. I hope you all stay safe.”
Born and bred CBS resident Joe Fagan came out hard in support of connecting CBS with the rest of the ATV trail across the island, which follows the line of the former Newfoundland railbed.
Fagan said CBS is the biggest municipality in the province, next to St. John’s, and would have no problem drawing volunteers to maintain the bypass.
“With regards to the current trail down there, the walkway, I understand people don’t want to take that for ATVs – the Town made their development policy many years ago, they did a great job getting that walkway up to use,” he said.
But Fagan said it’s unfortunate there is a break in the provincial ATV trail at CBS, arguing the government has made the trail a priority by designating it a provincial park for ATVs. ATV tourism is a growing industry, he added, and CBS is missing out. As for ATVers who are causing problems on town streets, Fagan said those things occur because the riders have nowhere else to go.
Retired teacher John Elkins, an ATV enthusiast who moved to CBS four years ago, said he is delighted with the walking trail along the coast, but added ATV users need a trail too.
Elkins said he would like to see his tax dollars used to build the bypass, but suggested young people should be drafted into volunteering to help build and maintain it. That would help defray the need to use Town funds, he allowed.
“Students need volunteer hours as part of their Career Education course,” said Elkins. “This might be something that young people here could be involved with in helping make the trail for themselves and for their future.”
Jerry Vey, who grew up in CBS, was the first of several speakers to call for the old railbed through town to be reopened to ATVs. Vey claimed the Town committed back in 2012 to building a bypass before banning the machines on the railbed.
“The T’Railway should be re-opened until the Town comes up with an alternate plan for the bypass route,” Vey demaned to hoots and applause from the crowd.
But lifelong CBS livyer and ATV user Roger Jefford counselled against that idea.
“We’ve got one of the most beautiful walking trails in any part of the world,” said the Kelligrews resident, who is old enough to recall navigating the woods with a pony, long before ATVs became common. “I understand why the people on the ATVs would like to take that over.”
But Jefford argued that’s not reasonable. He also countered the argument that CBS should follow Gander and other towns that allow ATVs, pointing out those areas have much smaller populations, are relatively isolated, and still have the luxury of the old railbed running through them intact.
“I’ve seen the development of ATVs in this community,” Jefford said. “It brings a lot of enjoyment to a lot of people, young and old.”
But they also cause problems, he argued.
“I live on Tilleys Road South and any time of the day or night you can see ATVs,” he said. “Some people respect the law, they travel at the proper speed, but there are others who just wing by and pay no attention to stop signs, or red lights. I’ve witnessed one accident where a young man on an ATV put a car off the road into the ditch because of his recklessness. A lot of you people have kids, but you very seldom see kids out on the streets anymore and one of the main reasons is the ATVs speeding back and forth the highways. It’s very dangerous. I’ve got two grandchildren, one is six and the other is eight, and they can’t ride their pedal bikes or their scooters on the streets.”
Jefford said allowing people in CBS to ride ATVs up public streets to get to a bypass road would cause total chaos.
“I’ve got nothing against ATVs,” said Jefford. “But you have to do it right… And for those who say we’ll take over the walking trail – I don’t think that’s to be recommended. I’ve walked on the old track when the ATVs were allowed there, and it just doesn’t work.”
Krista Webber, who sits on the ATV Advisory Committee working with council to build the bypass, also tried to dampen any prospect of ATVs returning to the T’Railway, though she admitted to having bought a home near the old rail line in CBS because she thought she could just hop on her machine and ride wherever she liked.
“It sucks,” Webber said of not being able to drive ATVs on the walking trail. “But the big importance of this meeting is not to open the railbed, unfortunately. I know, it sucks, it does, but I think that ship has sailed and we’ve just got to concentrate on doing it somewhere else. That’s all we can do. If there’s a way we can change people’s minds about the railbed, then wonderful, I’m all for it 100 per cent, but it’s not going to happen… And I’m saying that when we do get this trail, be respectful of it.”

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Things are a lot more colourful in Carbonear thanks to the mural outside the Conception Bay Regional Community Centre that was unveiled last week.
Mayor Sam Slade and council pulled the curtain, so to speak, on the gigantic series of paintings within a painting created by Alberta artist Lewis Lavoie.
The artwork is part of the national Global Roots project, which sees Lavoie take small paintings and arrange them into a larger piece. He also gets residents to paint mosaic tiles which are collected digitally and put together to make a Mural Mosaic. His newest mural is comprised of tiles painted by people all across Canada, including residents from the town of Carbonear.
The mural’s reveal took place on June 1.
Mayor Slade said he was proud of the town’s partnership with Global Roots. “It brings our community together with the rest of Canada,” he said, thanking Lavoie and his brother, Paul for travelling to Carbonear to help with the unveiling.
“To everyone who participated in this project, and those who are going to be participating in future mural projects, I thank you on behalf of council and staff,” said Slade. “Thank you for actively helping our town showcase its unity, diversity and beauty. The power of art and the connection it produces will now be on display in our wonderful town.”
Lavoie told the crowd gathered for the unveiling that the mural is called Back to Nature.
“In every one of these murals that we’ve done in this series, there’s a young girl in there and she’s got her Canada goose with her,” he said.
He noted the murals also always include a big tree. “The reason why I do a big tree is because our First Nations have this saying about, ‘We’re all connected by the roots’.”
Lavoie said he is delighted the mural is in Carbonear. “This is, in my opinion, one of the finest towns in all of Newfoundland,” he said. “It’s my vision of what a Newfoundland town looks like.”

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By Robert Ferriman

“A Night To Remember “
(For All the Passengers” )
By Robert Ferriman

On April 15, 1912
somewhere out at sea
Sank the great ‘Titanic‘
in all her majesty,

Sending out an ‘S.O.S.’
to any ships around
‘Titanic‘ in big trouble                          
she’s run herself aground,

Many lives were lost
on that fateful night
As the doomed ” Titanic “
silently slipped from sight,

Collided with an iceberg
she’s slowly going down
‘Keep on taking water’
fearful all may drown,

The ‘Carpathia‘ would respond
to her urgent cry
‘Your message is received’
read do you comply,

As she slowly sank
into the churning sea
Came the strainings of
‘to abide with thee‘, 

‘Keep your spirits up’
no further will delay
Making for you now
help in any way,

Taking with her passengers
beneath the rolling waves
some carried away forever
to waiting watery graves.

Your message is received’
just in over wire
‘Spirits are holding up’
water is much higher,

Many years have passed
since that fateful night
When the doomed ‘ Titanic‘
silently slipped from sight,

‘Copy your last message’
she’s going rather fast
‘She’s steady taking water’
fearful she won’t last,

114 years ago today
a tragedy was born
One we’ll long remember
and will always mourn.

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Murder at Mosquito Cove by Bay Roberts author Patrick Collins will hit the stage in Toronto in April. The true crime novel tells the story of the murder of 16-year-old Elfreda Pike, and the investigation that followed it. Judy Ask photo

Collins’ true crime tale headed to Toronto stage

By Mark Squibb

Patrick Collin’s true crime story Murder at Mosquito Cove will hit the stage this spring.
The true crime novel tells of the murder of 16-year-old Elfreda Pike in Mosquito Cove, now Bristol’s Hope, in January 1870, for which there are no lack of suspects.
“This girl was loved by a lot of people,” said Collins. “She was working in Harbour Grace part-time, even though she was still in school, she was helping out with the regatta, she read in church, things like that, so she was well-respected, and it was an outrage when she was killed.”
The crime itself would not be solved for another 50 years.
Collins published the novel in 2013, and said the story has been well-received. The Bay Roberts author said he has since heard from distant relatives of Pike acknowledging the work. He credits St. John’s author Jack Fitzgerald with first identifying Pike’s killer in his true crime publication Ten Steps to the Gallows, published in 1981.
Following the publication of the novel, Collins made a visit to the site where Pike was murdered. A sign now indicates the site as such.
Collins had initially sold the rights to a Canadian movie production company, but plans for a movie fell through, and the rights were sold back to Collins, who decided to rewrite the story as a stage play.
“I felt the story was still compelling enough that people would be interested,” said Collins. “I had some people read it for me, people like Terry Andrews of TaDa! Events and Clar Doyle of Beothuk Theatre and they felt it should be a one-act play, so over the winter I rewrote it as a one act play.”
Collins said the play sat on the shelf for two years before one day, out of the blue, he received a call from Bay Roberts native Liam Dawson, co-founder of Toronto-based theatre company Walnut Productions.
Collins sent Dawson a copy of the play, and within days the two struck a deal.
Interestingly enough, Collins had adjudicated a high school drama festival years earlier in which Dawson had earned the best actor award.
“I’m so grateful for Liam for the work he’s done on this project,” said Collins. “I can’t believe it’s going to be on stage.”
The play will run from April 10th to April 19th at the Alumnae Theatre Company on 70 Berkeley Street, Toronto. Tickets are on sale at eventbrite.ca.

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Development is continuing at a steady clip in Holyrood with council approving 19 permits at its most recent public meeting, including one for a crematorium at Dunphy’s Funeral Home located at 366 Conception Bay Highway.
Deputy Mayor Michelle Woodford, who chairs the Town’s planning and development committee, said the Town has been reviewing applications for everything from single family homes to subdivisions.
The crematorium is a discretionary use and was given approval in principle. Woodford noted the application was advertised for public comment.
“No comments were received by the deadline date, and therefore we didn’t have to hold a (public) briefing,” said Woodford. 
“We’ve done our due diligence, gone through the process, it was advertised, no feedback, so we’re all good,” added Mayor Gary Goobie.
In other development news, council approved a home-based business at 36 Woodford’s Station. Woodford noted the zoning there is Residential Medium Density. The application was advertised for public feedback and no comments were received.
Also approved were applications to build single houses at 636 Conception Bay Highway, 56 Duff’s Road, and 153 Conception Bay Highway, the latter of which includes an apartment. 
Council also approved the phase one concept plan for a proposed subdivision at 110 to 166 and 122 Conception Bay Highway. That’s in the east end of Holyrood near the Murray’s Peak Hiking Trail.
“This conditional approval is subject to the developer providing engineered plans and entering into a development agreement, both of which are to the satisfaction of the Town,” said Woodford. “This is the initial stages of the two-step program that we implemented with our subdivision bylaws.”

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The Town of Carbonear is buying billboard space in Toronto again this year in the hope of attracting tourists from the mainland.
The news came during the June 25 council meeting when councillor Malcolm Seymour reported on the activities of the recreation, special events, culture and tourism committee, which he chairs.
Seymour moved that the Town purchase two billboard commercials and a full-page ad in the monthly periodical Canada Travel and Lifestyle for the price of $4,500 plus HST. The motion was seconded by Deputy Mayor Sam Slade.
The billboards that will show the advertisement are located in Toronto. Carbonear took out one such billboard ad last year, and this year was offered an additional ad for the same price.
Mayor Frank Butt asked if there are any statistics on how the town is benefiting from the advertisements.
Seymour said the Town’s economic development and tourism officer, Kerri Abbott, has statistics, but she was absent from the meeting. However, Seymour, added, the statistics are very good. He said the advertisements were well done, and his committee members look forward to having them again. “It’s great for our visitors, tourism, and everything, so hopefully we can keep it,” Seymour said.
“It was felt that we’ve got a lot of people trying to stay within Canada,” said Chief Administrative Officer Cynthia Davis, “and if visitors are coming to Newfoundland, at least Carbonear would be visible because it would be on some of these billboards and in this magazine. So, the hope was that, if they came to Newfoundland, they’d make a point of wanting to come see Carbonear because they had seen some of these ads.”
Butt allowed he was confident he would run into somebody who had seen the advertisement.
The motion to approve the purchase passed unanimously.

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You won’t get the hard sell from Tony Wakeham. The PC Leader, who was campaigning in Conception Bay South June 7 with MHA Barry Petten, seems content to focus on bread-and-butter issues that he says will put more money back in people’s pockets.
“For all intents and purposes the election is called, we just don’t know the start date,” said Wakeham.
The Memorial University-educated economist and former head of Labrador – Grenfell Health Services said wherever he travels, people are raising several common issues, especially health care.
“It comes up in discussion all the time,” said the Placentia native and married father of two. “The cost of living is a major concern for people. And crime. Safer communities – that’s becoming a real issue. In the past we lived in communities where we watched crime on TV and we’d go down the road to see our doctor. Now, we have crime in our communities, and we’ve got to see a doctor on TV. There’s something that’s mixed up in this system of ours that we’ve created over the last number of years and we’ve got to turn that around.”
Access to primary health care is a big concern for many, Wakeham said. And in those places that don’t have a family doctor, he thinks it’s wrong that people have to pay to see a nurse practitioner.
“Nurse practitioners have stepped up and opened up these clinics, and I go to see a nurse practitioner,” said Wakeham. “They’re providing a great service to people, but for a lot of people, having to pay anywhere from $35 to $65 a visit, that shouldn’t be. It’s about, how do we work with the nurse practitioners to maximize their skill set to enable them to set up clinics, if they want, and for people to be able to go there? That’s something that’s a priority for us. We’ve said that nobody should have to pay to see a nurse practitioner and we intend to make sure that we do something about that as soon as we form government.”
Wakeham also wants to reimburse people who have to travel to St. John’s for health services at the Health Sciences or St. Clare’s Hospital.
“I’ve seen throughout my travels a gradual erosion of service,” said Wakeham. “It’s not like the Liberals are closing anything, but they’re taking it out slowly by slowly.”
That erosion of health care throughout the province is driving more people to St. John’s for services, Wakeham argued, putting more pressure on St. Clare’s and the Health Sciences Centre.
“Maybe if we had a better system outside (the overpass), we’d be able to relieve some of that pressure,” Wakeham said. “It’s no secret that I believe that when people have to travel for medical appointments, they should be reimbursed a hundred per cent for their travel. I think that is part of what we should deliver as a province and a government. I know it can be done, and I intend to do it.”
As in any provincial election, voters oftentimes base their choice on who they like as leader, no matter who the local candidates are. So how does Wakeham see himself compared to the new Liberal Premier, John Hogan?
“I believe that what you see is what you get,” said Wakeham. “I believe in openness and transparency and that we need more of that. That’s what I stand for and that’s what I will continue to fight for. I will always ask myself the question, if I’m going to introduce a policy, ‘how will that policy impact people?’ When we make decisions, if we stop and ask ourselves that question before we go and do something, maybe we won’t wind up with things like the sugar tax and having to turn it around three years later and get rid of it. I believe in planning… I think what you’ve seen the last number of years is a lack of planning that has resulted in additional costs for things. We now have a hotel in St. John’s that we’re leasing for three years because we didn’t have a plan to deal with affordable housing or homelessness. We have a similar situation now in Corner Brook going on where another hotel has been rented. None of these were tendered or RFPed or anything like that. They just rushed to do something. It was reactionary. And when you’re reacting instead of planning, you’re going to spend more, and it’s going to cost you more and you don’t always get the best results.”
Wakeham said he also wants to help people deal with the cost of living.
“I think there are things we could be doing differently,” he said. “For example, we tried to get the Liberal government to commit to a 20 per cent increase in the senior’s benefit. They refused to do that. We did convince them to turn around and index it to inflation. There are a lot of programs that we (the government) offer, but we’ve never looked at them from a point of view of, how do they help people? Because that’s ultimately what it is. It’s not necessarily about spending more money, it’s about making different choices.”

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Town vehicles in Spaniard’s Bay are already equipped with global positioning systems, GPS, that allows managers to track their positions. Now council may look at adding dash cams to the vehicles as well.

The idea was presented at the February 25 council meeting by councillor Darlene Stamp, who said while she wasn’t prepared yet to make a motion calling for that move, she did want her colleagues to consider the pros and cons.

“I’ve done some preliminary work,” said Stamp. “You can get dash cams that are hardwired into vehicles, and that will be both the dash cam and the GPS built in.”

Stamp said the Town could install it in all of its vehicles, or just in some, such as the bigger trucks and loader. The dash cams could be used for security and improve driver safety, she suggested.

“If there’s any moose around those vehicles those cameras automatically kick in, so it’s the same as having a camera in your car,” said Stamp.

Stamp said dash cams could also help resolve incidents that occur in the community, giving the example of damage occurring during snow-clearing. If an incident occurred in the view of a dash cam, the town manager could review the footage.

Stamp said the Town pays for the GPS units through a subscription, and it would be advantageous if it could get both dash cams and GPS for the same cost. She asked her fellow council members if it was something they would like to consider.

“It’s a great asset for anywhere with fleet management to have those type of systems in your vehicle,” she said.

Mayor Paul Brazil noted the Town is subscribed to GPS through TELUS.

Stamp said she believes the company also offers a combination of GPS and dash cam. It was decided that Town staff will contact TELUS to inquire whether they offer a built-in dash cam, if it can be integrated with the GPS units Spaniard’s Bay already have, and what the price of it would be.

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