Don’t let her sweatshirt fool, Leah Drover is no Grinch. The 12-year-old celebrated her birthday on December 7 by collecting donations for the Bay Bulls community food sharing pantry. Leah’s brother Max was only too happy to help out.
Trepassey mayor says town is ready to face the challenges
By Mark Squibb
Wanda Waddleton was named Mayor of Trepassey on October 15, and less than a month later, was baptized not by fire, but by hurricane force winds and heavy rains when Hurricane Melissa hit in early November.
The storm caused severe damage to the town’s breakwater and cut off the Lower Coast for several hours.
“It was a challenge believe me,” said Waddleton. “But the biggest challenge is getting the government to realize the residents in rural areas shouldn’t be forgotten.”
The breakwater had been damaged in successive years prior and was still in need of repairs when Hurricane Melissa hit, deteriorating the structure further.
Waddleton said residents were thrilled when the newly minted PC government announced it would tender repairs, and are excited to see work commence.
That contract, valued at $1.6 million, was recently awarded to Rock Construction Company Ltd., with work expected to begin in January.
Waddleton said the completion of the breakwater remains the town’s biggest project in the coming year, but council has other ideas on its agenda as well, including the implementation of a town plan, emergency plan, and a new set of by-laws.
“We’ve been talking about this since I went on council four years ago, but I have stated that we are going to complete these plans this year,” said Waddleton.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for council, Waddleton allowed, is to spend within its means, given the cost of services and the need for expensive infrastructure repairs, coupled with a limited tax base.
“We only have 420 residents, so our tax base is very limited, and most of our infrastructure, like our water lines and sewer, is in great need of repair,” said Waddleton. “Culverts are collapsing underneath roads. And all of this is costing the Town a lot of money. But our biggest ongoing challenge is our snow clearing, which is costing us upwards of $100,000 a year. Plus, garbage collection is up to $83,000 a year. With 420 people, most of whom are seniors, it’s very hard to face these challenges. We’ve been trying to get government to come on board and see if they can help with snow clearing. But it’s been an ongoing challenge. It’s a challenge that comes up every meeting. And we don’t want to increase taxes because we can’t really afford to do that.”
The Town’s budget, said Waddleton, is usually shy of $600,000.
Challenging as it may be, Waddleton, who had just completed a four-year term as councillor, and had previously served as mayor back in the early nineties, said she’s up to the task.
Longstanding, outgoing mayor Rita Pennell secured a council seat but opted to serve as a councillor this time around.
“I have big shoes to fill,” said Waddleton. “Rita has been a strong voice for the people of Trepassey. She’s in her 35th year of municipal politics this year, not always in the capacity of mayor, but as a member of council. But I feel like I’m capable of doing the job at hand, and I’ll do everything in my power for the people of Trepassey. As mayor, my main job is to run our town in an efficient and cost-effective way, but also to be there to obtain whatever funds are available for the betterment of our town. I’m working with an awesome council, and together, I feel we are up to the task we face in the next four years.”
Going the distance as father and son
Keith and Eric Hutchings at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon earlier this year.
By Mark Squibb
For many, having someone register you for a 42-kilometre run as a Christmas gift might seem like a cruel joke.
But when Eric Hutchings did just that back in 2023 and registered his dad, former Ferryland MHA Keith Hutchings, for the 2024 Toronto Waterfront Marathon, he did it with the best of intentions.
“He opened it and said, ‘Holy smokes, I have to run a marathon in 10 months,” laughed Eric.
The annual marathon is held in October. When Eric ran it in 2023, Keith, who in his youth had been a runner, flew to Toronto to cheer him on.
“I could see there was an itch, and that it was something he wanted to do,” said Eric. “He’d even say, ‘I always wanted to run a marathon.’ So, I did the marathon, and he was super happy that I did it and he was super proud of me. And I was thinking that it takes a lot for a person to commit and sign up for a marathon. That’s the hardest step. So, I thought that if I got him his (registration) for Christmas, the race wouldn’t be until the following October, and this would probably be all the motivation he needs.”
Father and son ran the marathon together in 2024, and again in 2025.
“That was pretty amazing to share that experience with him,” said Keith. “He was obviously in a different speed category. But I had gone up to watch him run his first marathon, so I was there to cheer him on his first marathon, and then he was there at the end, with my wife and my daughter. So, it was amazing to complete a feat like that with him and to have that experience. It was a memory we’ll share forever.”
Eric shared a similar sentiment.
“It was an awesome experience,” said Eric. “I remember growing up playing hockey, and even when he wasn’t coaching me anymore, I would look at the stands to see if he was there. Once I saw he was there I was like, ‘Alright, I’m good to go, let’s play the game.’ So, it felt like it was the reverse of that. I finished and I was tracking him along and I got to see him cross the finish line. That was a really cool experience, to give him a big hug and say congrats when he finished and tell him how proud I was of him for taking on that journey and at his age doing a marathon for the first time. It was cool to be able to coach him along the way and give him advice, and to see him do it and be happy with his time, it was an awesome, awesome time.”
Eric began running in 2022. He admits that growing up he always found running boring. Keith, meanwhile, was a competitive runner in his younger years who always dreamed of one day completing a full marathon.
“I’ve always wanted to complete a marathon, so last year was just about completing it,” said Keith. “So, after I did that, I said, well, maybe I should do it again and see what it would be like to do it a second time.”
This year, both men managed to improve upon their previous year’s time. Eric, 27, completed the marathon in 3:39:09. Keith, 58, completed it in 4:29:14.
“The big thing is to start small and just grow your distances,” advised Keith, who did much of his distance training along the Witless Bay Line. “Don’t get into a situation where you’re doing a lot of miles initially and you’re getting sore and uncomfortable. Pace yourself in terms of building up your pace and your distance. I’ve learned that doing a lot of miles is not always best. It’s more about quality than quantity. Give your body time to rest… A lot of it is mental. It’s about overcoming the barrier of thinking you can’t do it.”
The course itself is flat, and, as the name suggests, runs along the waterfront in downtown Toronto. The marathon doubles as a qualifier marathon for other world marathons.
Looking ahead, the pair are considering doing a marathon elsewhere in the coming year, but have yet to make a final decision.
Meanwhile, if you’re considering picking up running in the new year, Eric has a few tidbits of advice.
“Just get out there and get moving,” said Eric. “With each run that you do, you’ll slowly build your confidence in yourself. The hardest thing is putting the shoes on and getting out there and getting moving. You just have to trust in yourself that you can do it, and believe you can, and commit to it.”
The Colony of Avalon’s big year
By Craig Westcott
One of the many events, milestones, celebrations and other big fetes laid aside because of the Covid-19 outbreak was the marking of the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Colony of Avalon.
It was in 1621 that George Calvert, better known to history as Lord Baltimore, sent a team of 12 men across the ocean to Newfoundland to build a colony that would not only capitalize on the island’s rich fishery, but also proposed to serve as a safe haven for Englishmen who wanted to continue their religious faith as Roman Catholics.
So, in the years leading up to the 400th anniversary of the founding, in 2021, there was considerable excitement and speculation in Ferryland as to how to best mark the occasion. Then came Covid with its social distancing and dampening of the world’s tourism industry.
Four years later, the Colony is on the verge of making up for that missed opportunity, thanks to several important events this past summer that the people who run the Colony hope will spur tourism to the archeological site for years to come.
The first was news that the Colony had made Trip Advisor’s list of the best places to visit on the planet.
“We were over the moon,” said Renee Houlihan, who took over as executive director of the Colony’s operation this past summer. “We were almost incredulous that we would receive such an award. Basically, Trip Advisor awarded us a Top 10 percent of places to visit in the world. And that put us up in the category of the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, or the Crystal Caves down in the Caymen Islands. These were the other top finishers. So, for us to get that up in Ferryland at the Colony of Avalon was absolutely mind blowing.”
Houlihan figures the Colony won the distinction in part because it’s small.
“You’re not going to Stonehenge in England where you have 500,000 tourists on top of you.,” she said. “One of the beautiful things about the Colony of Avalon is it’s so peaceful and quiet, so you have space to take it all in. We don’t have the throngs of people like these other tourist attractions have. So, for every single person who comes though it’s a very intimate connection from our tour guides. And our tour guides are local. So, they just don’t get the history of the past 400 years, they also get to meet the local people who live in Ferryland and who grew up in Ferryland adding another layer to the experience. They love the accent, the twang, they love hearing them talk, there’s just a lovely Irish lilt in Ferryland. So that’s a huge award for us.”
The second big thing that happened was the discovery of wampum beads at the dig site. Houlihan described it a once in a lifetime find.
“They’re little, tiny beads made out of Quahog (mollusk shells) and whelk,” she explained. “We know they weren’t made here, they were made on the mainland by an indigenous woodland tribe. We found seven, they are absolutely beautiful, they’re from the early 1600s, possibly the 1500s, and they’re the first ever find of wampum beads in all of Newfoundland and Labrador. They are so tiny and delicate and exquisite. To look at the craftsmanship of the beads that were made out of shell, I don’t think AI (artificial intelligence) could replicate how delicate and beautiful and intricate the artisan made these gorgeous beads. They came out of the earth like they hadn’t been down there a day. They shone.”
Wampum beads were used by many North American Indian tribes, especially in the 1600s and 1700s, often for important ceremonial purposes such as signifying treaties, trade deals and other important matters.
“We had coverage from the Smithsonian, we had coverage from Archaeology Magazine, which has a million subscribers, we had coverage from archaeology.ca, these are all down in the ‘States, and (CBC Radio’s) World Report covered it too,” said Houlihan. “So, it’s a big, big deal for the province.”
Houlihan said the wampum bead story got 200,000 views on the Colony’s webpage.
“We noticed immediately an upswell of inquiries as to when we open next year from people wanting to come to Newfoundland and see these beads,” she said. “We’re also working with an Indigenous tribe to come down and do a ceremony of blessing and to welcome them back. They believe the Creator gave those back to us, and they will come and do a blessing and that will be a beautiful story in itself.”
The third boon for the Colony was a visit by a Winnipeg-based television crew, who spent two days in Ferryland filming a segment for the show Fishing for History, which airs on Prime and Apple TV.
“And they found artefacts of their own, which they were thrilled, because sometimes on the show they don’t find anything,” said Houlihan. “But we have so many artefacts, we have more artefacts than any other archaeological site in North America. We have nearly three million right now. That’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”
Unlike many archaeological sites, the Colony of Avalon hasn’t been built over too much.
“Geographically speaking, the topography is almost identical to what it would have been back in the 1500s or 1600s,” said Houlihan. “So that’s exactly why it’s so well preserved. We haven’t poured concrete over it... It hasn’t changed (too much). The cobblestone streets are there, and you can walk exactly where Lady Baltimore walked.”
Houlihan and the crew of 17 who work at the Colony are pretty optimistic about next year’s tourism season. There are plans to make a Haunted Hike part of the regular fare, like the ‘Archaeologist for a Day’ program, which allows tourists to put on their Tilley hats and dig for artefacts.
“I think the award and the wampum beads gave us some street cred,” said Houlihan. “People believe Trip Advisor. I think we’re fantastic, but people believe in Trip Advisor.”
Calum Brydan was the archaeologist who unearthed at the wampum beads at the Colony of Avalon historic site in Ferryland this past summer. Photos courtesy of the Colony of Avalon
Wampum beads.
The Colony of Avalon's chief archaeologist, Barry Gaulton, left, addresses a camera crew from the Apple TV show Fishing for History.
Trepassey breakwater repairs expected to start next month
By Mark Squibb
The new year will bring a new breakwater to the people living on the Lower Coast of Trepassey.
“We’re ecstatic,” said Mayor Wanda Waddleton. “The residents of Lower Coast have been living in fear when we have storms, because the road gets blocked off, and it’s blocked off for five, six, or seven hours… When we have high waves and winds, what comes in over that breakwater would frighten you.”
Newly minted Minster of Transportation and Infrastructure Barry Petten, along with Ferryland MHA Loyola O’Driscoll, announced back in November that government would soon be tendering major repairs to the breakwater, with the intention of starting construction in the fall.
That tender has since been awarded to Rock Construction Company Ltd., in the amount of $1.6 million, and construction is expected to begin in January.
RJG Construction, Southern Construction Ltd., Farrell’s Excavating Ltd. and Coady Construction & Excavating Ltd., submitted bids in the amounts of $1.8 million, $2.2 million, $2.6 million, and $2.8 million, respectively.
Project estimates at the time of the announcement hovered around the million-dollar mark.
The announcement came on the heels of a major storm which caused significant damage to the breakwater, which was already awaiting repairs for damage incurred back in 2024.
Waddleton said residents felt ‘forgotten’ by the previous administration, and that she’s glad to finally see the project moving forward.
“They’re going to put in new armour stone, fix the seawall, and put in cribbing to support the seawall to help save the road and infrastructure going down to the Lower Coast,” said Waddleton. “This is what we wanted done in the first place.”
Petty Harbour balances next year’s budget without tax increases
By Mark Squibb
Although most municipalities don’t pass a budget until early or mid December, the Town of Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove were on the ball ahead of the others again last month and approved a balanced budget of $1.3 million for 2026 that will see no tax increases.
Residential and commercial property taxes will hold steady at 7.2 and 10 mils respectively, while the commercial business tax will remain at 13 mils.
The new tax structure will introduce a new by-law violation fee. Those who go afoul of it will be charged $50 for the first offense and $100 for the second offense.
The budget also included an increase in councillor remuneration based on the Town’s two percent fixed revenue regulations. All told, $25,600 has been earmarked for council renumeration to be shared among the members, along with $2,000 for travel.
The Town has budgeted $672,820 for general government, the biggest single expense category. General government includes everything from salaries, benefits, supplies, and insurance, to professional services and general maintenance.
The next largest expense is transportation services in the amount of $303,000, most of which is for snow clearing at $188,000. Other expenses include vehicle maintenance and street maintenance.
The Town has budgeted $94,642 for protective services, most of which – roughly $80,000 – has been earmarked for fire protection.
Environmental health, which includes water supply, sewage disposal, and garbage collection, has been budgeted at $112,260.
The Town has budgeted $34,500 for recreation, and $11,000 for planning.
Council expects to bring in $767,492 in residential property tax and $40,216 in commercial tax, along with $22,680 in vacant land tax. The Town also anticipates $180,380 in residential water tax, $7,800 in commercial water tax, and a combined $86,294 in business tax and utility tax.
Council approved the budget unanimously during its November 10 public meeting.
Petty Harbour- Maddox Cove Christmas Events
Ellee, 5, and Nolan, 3, Williams were happy to buy a couple of raffle tickets from their nanny, Jackie Connolly, at Petty Harbour- Maddox Cove’s Christmas Tree lighting and raffle. The community has a big Christmas event lineup, including a breakfast with Santa, adult dinner and dance, and Christmas bingo. The town’s festivities will wrap up with the Christmas parade on December 14. The parade will start at 2 p.m. at the gravel pit and run along down to the Ron Doyle Volunteer Community Center.
Santa Claus coming to town this weekend
One of the many groups that participate with a float in the annual Kin Club of Witless Bay Santa Claus Parade is the Mobile Central High School council. The parade features groups from throughout the north end of the Southern Shore, from Tors Cove to Bay Bulls, and is always well-attended by spectators along the parade route in Witless Bay. Agnes Westcott photo
By Mark Squibb
The Witless Bay Area Kinsmen Club is hosting its 45th annual Santa Claus Parade this weekend.
While it may be easy to take the annual parade for granted, it doesn’t happen without a lot of work, and maybe just a little Christmas magic.
Kin Club member Chris Swain said that initial planning begins about six weeks before the parade, when Kin Club members begin to call a host of people and businesses, including Town staff, St. Bernard’s school, and the big man himself.
Once a date has been set in stone and the school gym booked for the after-parade lunch, Kin members reach out to a number of volunteers outside the Kin Club who help with everything from directing traffic to serving lunch.
Even after all that, there’s still lots to do in the week leading up the parade. 50/50 prizes and raffle tickets need to be secured, hot dogs need to be purchased, award plaques need to be finalized, and Santa’s sleigh needs to be given a final inspection to make sure it’s road ready.
“We have a spreadsheet and over the six weeks we just gradually check things off as we’re going, making sure everything is done as it’s needed,” said Swain.
The parade is “100 percent” a community effort, he noted, adding the Knights of Columbus help with the raffle, while members of the Witless Bay Days Committee help sell 50/50 tickets. Other volunteers help dish out hot dogs and drinks to hungry paradegoers. There are also volunteers who walk the parade to keep an eye on things and make sure no one is in trouble.
“Making sure that everybody is safe is the number one priority for us,” said Swain, who reckoned there’s upwards of 30 volunteers on the ground for parade day. Hundreds, meanwhile, participate in the parade itself.
“We have great support from the towns (Bay Bulls and Witless Bay) and from the (Tors Cove) local service district,” said Swain. “And we have people coming for the parade, people supporting our raffle, people offering to help, and all that kind of thing. And all the different organizations, minor hockey, Mobile High School and the Girl Guides and Brownies, they’ll all enter a float or walk, and the local cadet marching band will be there. So, it’s really a regional event that just so happens to happen in Witless Bay.”
Swain has been involved in the parade one way or another the last 20 years, and said the time and energy spent organizing it is always rewarded on parade day.
“For me, it’s worth it when you walk up through Witless Bay and see the kids – and adults – and see how happy they are,” said Swain. “Everybody has a smile on their face, everybody will give you a handshake.”
The Kin Club boasts about a dozen active members, and a number of volunteers waiting in the wings. Swain said the club is always looking for new members
This year’s parade will begin at Dean’s Road at 10:30 a.m. Following the parade, folks are invited to head down to St. Bernard’s School for a hot dog lunch, raffle, and meet and greet with Santa.
Deans Road will be open only to one-way traffic from 9:30 until 11, and folks are asked to enter by the Community Credit Union.
Bay Bulls seeking funds for new woodchipper
By Mark Squibb
Bay Bulls council is hoping the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) will pitch in to help cover the cost of buying a new woodchipper.
The Town is applying for cost shared funding through the MMSB Community Waste Diversion Fund 2026 to buy a woodchipper to help reduce organic waste.
The Town estimates the woodchipper could cost upwards of $10,000.
Councillor Jason O’Brien said organic waste is charged at a rate of $4.50 a tonne when it is dropped at the Robin Hood Bay Landfill. That waste could instead be mulched and reused as garden fertilizer.
Town Manager Ashley Wakeham said residents would leave their waste at a drop-off location and would not use the woodchipper themselves. She noted, for example, that folks could drop off their Christmas trees to be mulched.
Through the program, the MMSB will provide a maximum of $25,000 in funding for local waste diversion projects.
Some of the projects approved in the most recent round of funding included installation of surveillance cameras at common dumping areas in Placentia at a cost of $4,401, and a $15,000 recycling promotion blitz in Mount Pearl.
Bay Bulls hoping to hire at least three students next summer
By Mark Squibb
While there’s still another six months or so of winter to struggle through, the Town of Bay Bulls is already looking ahead to it’s 2026 summer season.
During last month’s meeting, Deputy Mayor Ethan Williams moved that the Town apply to the 2026 Canada Summer Jobs Program for funding for three student positions. One of those positions will be a tourism chalet worker, while the other two will be outside recreation and maintenance workers.
Depending on the chalet’s hours, the tourism chalet position may be split between two students.
“This program is a great benefit to us, as a town, but also to the students,” said Williams. “I was one of those students years prior. And anyone I’ve spoken to who has held a position has had high praise for being able to spend the summer working for the community, and it seems to really bring young people into the community. So, I’m glad to see that we’re applying again.”
Mayor Keith O’Driscoll concurred that the program is great for both students and the community.
The motion was approved unanimously.
