Witless Bay pool close to reopening

By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tyler Waugh

The Witless Bay outdoor pool has been closed for construction this year, and Council wasn't able to give a definite timeline for re-opening what they are calling a new and improved amenity.

Councillor Ralph Carey suggested during the July 22 public meeting that the pool could be open for business in as little as two weeks, but Deputy Mayor Justina Nawaz was more cautious about the timeline in response to a question from the Irish Loop Post at the end of the meeting.

"Thankfully, the project is actually ahead of schedule. While we don't have a definitive date for opening it yet, we are thankful and glad to say that it will be open before the summer's out," Nawaz said.

The pool upgrades were included as part of a larger flood-mitigation project at the recreation grounds at a total cost of just under $1 million, with the Province covering 90 per cent of that total and the Town on the hook for the other 10 per cent, or around $100,000. The flood mitigation included a complete redoing of waterflow and drainage in the area.

"In previous years we've had really severe flooding in the area, so much so that it covered the entirety of the recreation grounds and was spreading across the road," Nawaz said, adding that it's work that the Town needed done and that, when the Town wrote up the proposal, it included a component of redoing the pool entry to make it wheelchair accessible as well. “We have residents and children in the community that do require wheelchairs and were not able to easily access the area. So doing everything in one project has been very good for us to not only mitigate the flood issues but also improve the area for residents."

Carey provided a more specific update on pool progress during his public works report July 22, outlining how the pool is now painted and the change rooms cleaned. He added that while the flood mitigation project is ongoing, it is nearing completion.

"We want to thank the residents for their patience and understanding with this construction and, obviously, with that construction there was road closures and delays in that part of the area," Carey said. "This pool, to the best of my knowledge, will be one of the only ones in the area that is an outdoor pool that is wheelchair accessible with a ramp put in."

New Witless Bay CAO to start this week

By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tyler Waugh

The months-long search for a new chief administrative officer for the Town of Witless Bay is over, council announced at its July 22 public meeting.

Deputy Mayor Justina Nawaz said a letter of employment has been signed and the new administrator is set to start the first week of August. Nawaz and council would not reveal the name of the new CAO or details on the person’s professional background saying they will leave that to the new recruit once the person is in the position.

Witless Bay has been without a CAO or Town Manager since the departure of Jennifer Aspell, who held the position for three years before leaving May 12 to take the position of chief executive officer at the Newfoundland Construction Safety Association.

Councillors said they are excited to get the position filled so that they can work on some dormant projects, including the municipal plan process, and a proposal for project management services to increase tourism. Councillors were interested in moving forward with that latter proposal, which was on the July 22 agenda as an action item, but deferred it until the new CAO is in place and up to speed.

The Town used contractor Higher Talent to work with council's hiring committee to find the new administrator

Some Southern Shore towns have gone weeks without garbage collection

By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tyler Waugh

The Eastern Regional Services Board (ERSB) is scrambling to fulfill waste collection for its communities on the Southern Shore after a contractor bailed just a couple weeks into a four-year contract.

Provincial Ready Mix Inc., was awarded a 48-month contract in April to provide waste collection, including recycling. Worth a little more than $1.4 million, including tax, the start date was supposed to be July 1.

ERSB CAO Steve Tessier told The Irish Loop the company gave notice July 14 it is no longer going to provide the services.

“We’re chalking this up to an unfortunate situation with a contractor. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused to customers and know the impact this has had … We know it’s been frustrating,” Tessier said, adding the board is close to a short-term solution.

“We are looking at getting services for the next 10-13 weeks while we go back out and do a more complete RFP (request for proposals) process for a long-term solution,” he said.

Tessier said there was incomplete service provided to some communities initially with missed routes and missed homes, and there was no service the week of July 13-17.

The Town of Ferryland posted to its social media on July 10 that garbage not picked up on July 7 was to be picked up on July 14. However, it posted again on July 20 about garbage collection delays and shared an apology message from the ERSB.

Some residents had stated on social media that they've gone a couple weeks without service.

Provincial Ready Mix could not be reached for comment.

Some communities, such as Cape Broyle and Bay Bulls, transitioned away from ERSB waste collection starting July 1, opting instead for service through a private contractor.

City awards contract for $19 million Goulds firehall

By Tyler Waugh / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Work is now under way that will see a new state-of-the-art firehall ready for action in Goulds in early 2028.

St. John’s Council announced earlier this month that it had awarded a contract for the project to Olympic Construction and that work will begin immediately.

“This new fire station will support fast, effective emergency response for residents in the Goulds and surrounding area. It ensures firefighters are well-equipped and supported to serve the community quickly and safely from a modern, efficient facility built for today and the future,” said St. Johns Mayor Danny Breen.

The new station is funded in part from a $12,705,832 grant from the federal government, with the remaining costs covered by the City.

Located at 371 Main Road, the new Goulds Fire Station will provide firefighters with a modern, functional facility featuring three drive-through apparatus bays, kitchen and living areas, sleeping quarters, training facilities, and administrative space.

The St. John’s Regional Fire Department currently man the Goulds Fire Station with City-paid firefighters during weekdays until 4 p.m., with volunteer coverage in the evenings and weekends. However, with the opening of the new facility, service will expand to a full-time, 24/7 career firefighter operation. It will mean the end for a proud brigade of volunteers who have been serving the area for over 50 years.

“Goulds volunteer firefighters were informed of this change when the new station was first announced in 2019 and have been supportive of the transition,” stated a release from the City of St. John’s.

Once the fire station transitions to full-time status, it will serve the entire region as part of an integrated emergency response system, the release added. In plainer English, that means firefighters at the Goulds station may get called to fires in other parts of St. John’s, should the need ever arise.

“It will no longer be limited to its immediate area but will operate alongside the other seven stations to provide coordinated coverage and support across the region,” said the release.

According to the City, the new station will reduce operating and maintenance costs, deliver up to a 90 per cent reduction in space heating demand, and achieve an estimated 30–40 per cent reduction in total building ownership costs.

The station has been designed to Passive House Standard, a globally recognized energy standard that uses high-performing insulation to reduce thermal bridging, an airtight building envelope, high-performance windows, heat recovery ventilation, and passive solar heating and cooling. The engineering designs services were completed by Stantec Architecture Ltd.

“The awarding of a contract and beginning of construction is exciting to see and moves us another step closer to having a state-of-the-art new firefighting station in the Goulds,” said Avalon MP Paul Connors.

Celtic rockers Derina Harvey Band offer new takes on old favourites

By Tyler Waugh / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Derina Harvey Band (DHB) will double down as headliner of the 41st Annual Shamrock Festival being held July 25-26 in Ferryland.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for the Edmonton-based Celtic rock band as four members hail from Newfoundland. Even more so for singer Derina Harvey, whose father, Ron, hails from Admiral’s Cove and her mother, Sheilagh, from Witless Bay.

“I was fortunate to visit the Southern Shore throughout my childhood and teen years. In later years, it was so very special for me to bring my children here to create lifelong memories,” she said. “They are all grown now, but I have pictures of them dancing on sunny (and foggy) afternoons at the Festival Park in Ferryland to the music of live East Coast traditional bands, just as I had done in my youth.”

Other DHB members include Steve Pinsent on drums, Ed Smith on bass, Scott Greene on guitar, and fiddler Jessica Blenis, who is from New Brunswick.

The group offers a fresh take on traditional folk songs, as well as a few originals, and earned the fans’ choice award for Entertainer of the Year at the 2024 East Coast Awards for what Harvey calls an ‘electrifying kitchen party’ vibe at their live shows.

Harvey herself has been acclaimed for her powerful vocals with accolades that include a Contemporary Singer of the Year Award at the 2025 Canadian Folk Music Awards.

In May of 2023 the band released its third, full-length album titled “Waves of Home,” which features eight original tracks and three re-imagined folk songs.

“When I’m songwriting about ‘home’ — its breathtaking beauty, the kindness and strength of the people — trying to capture its indescribable yet unmistakable magic and charm would be impossible without spending those precious moments with family and friends on the Southern Shore,” Harvey said, adding that the title track from Waves of Home is an invitation to all to come explore and fall in love with the beauty, the music, the landscape and the people of Newfoundland. “Coming back east to Newfoundland and Labrador, an area teaming with talent and legendary musicians we look up to, is both inspiring and rejuvenating,” added Harvey.

DHB will be featured at the opening night dance July 25 at the Arts Centre and take the stage again at Ferryland Festival Park for an all-ages event the next day.

The Shamrock Festival’s weekend lineup also features The Ramblers a visit from Lord & Lady Baltimore, a youth session, a Tribute to Ron Hynes, The Masterless Men and Down Forward.

There will be a beer garden and food truck on site.

Advance tickets for the 19+ dance on Saturday night are available at O’Brien’s Value Grocer & Ultramar in Cape Broyle, Ferryland Foodland, Riverside Restaurant & Lounge in Cape Broyle, and the Tetley Tea Room at the Folk Festival Centre. Doors open at 8 p.m.

The Masterless Men keep putting the shine in Shamrock Folk Festival

By Tyler Waugh / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Brothers Wilf and John Curran were born and raised in Ferryland and the well known Newfoundland musicians have always seen the Shamrock Folk Festival as a bit of a homecoming event.

The Currans have been a festival stage mainstay for more than three decades, first as a duo and now as founding members of The Masterless Men, who return for the 41st Annual Shamrock Festival with a July 26 performance.

“It’s special to us, it’s where we are from,” said Wilf. “The festival has always been something that would be a call to come home for summer holidays. It’s a great chance to connect with old friends and there are always parties. The boys in the band always enjoy it because they were made to feel right at home and made to feel part of the community, too. It’s going to be a great show, rain or shine, either indoors or outdoors.”

The Masterless Men were formed in 1991 and now includes Maurice (Mock) Greene on bass, Dave Lush on banjo and harmonica, and fiddler Greg Walsh. The band was originally called Colcannon, after the traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes and vegetables. The boys honed their craft in the concert halls and taverns of St. John’s and the Irish Loop.

But the name needed to change after a performance in Florida drew the attention of a U.S. performer who claimed rights to Colcannon.

“He said, ‘I don’t want you guys coming to the U.S. using that name anymore. So, we needed a new name,” Wilf said. “The media got hold of the story and the CBC did a couple of call-in mornings and people made a bunch of suggestions.”

The Masterless Men is a nod to the Irish Loop’s rich history, referring to a band of Irish men in the 1750s who defied the tyranny of their British masters. They were a thorn in the side of the British and lived under the threat of hanging for more than a century in the mountainous area of wilderness around Butter Pot.

The band pays homage to that heritage with lively performances of Celtic music, with a little country thrown in from time to time.

The band released its first album, “Ode To Age”, in 1993 which was followed by “Breakin’ New Ground” (1996), “Back on Track” (2000), “On the Run” (2002), “Bramble and Rose” (2008) and the compilation called “20” in 2011.

Wilf left the band for a while before rejoining them in 2017 after Chuck Lewis became ill and later passed away. He said Lewis and former longtime member Perry Dawe will always be a big part of the band’s legacy.

He also praised the festival organizers for all the work that goes into hosting this community celebration.

“It’s a lot of energy and a lot of preparation that goes into the weekend. There are great volunteers up there,” Wilf said. “You get people pulling their campers up a week in advance. People bring their lounge chairs around the permanent stage, it’s a nice one. It’s special there.”

The festival kicks off with a dance on July 25 with opening act The Ramblers and headliner the Derina Harvey Band. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets are available in advance and at the door.

Performances resume the next day outside at Ferryland Festival Park starting with a set by Lord & Lady Baltimore at 1:15 p.m., followed by a youth session (1:30 p.m.), a tribute to Ron Hynes (2 p.m.), The Masterless Men (3 p.m.), the Derina Harvey Band (3:50 p.m.) and Down Forward (4:40 p.m.).

Mistaken Point celebrates 10th anniversary of heritage designation

By Tyler Waugh / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Mistaken Point earned the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designation as a World Heritage Site a decade ago, a rare distinction shared by only 18 other sites in Canada, and as plans are finalized for a July 17 event to commemorate the anniversary, folks are reflecting on the work that went on behind the scenes to make it happen, and the impact that designation has had on the community.

Former Portugal Cove South mayor Clarence Molloy, who held office when the UNESCO designation was announced, still remembers the day he got the good news.

“It was a Sunday. I remember mentioning it to Father Peter (Golden) and I think he said something church. It was a big deal for us,” said Molloy. “We thought it would bring a lot of attention and draw lots of visitors. It’s had a big impact not just for us, but the whole southern shore.”

Carol Ann Devereaux said her son, John, bought the Edge of the Avalon Inn 11 years ago with the belief that the designation would be confirmed. The business has expanded from 15 beds and 13 rooms at that point to four buildings with 40 beds.

“The only reason it’s even operating right now - and doing so well - is because of that designation. It’s one of the biggest draws for the area, we get people from all over the world,” Devereaux said, adding that about 75 per cent of clients are drawn in by Mistaken Point.

She said that the tourist traffic has not only prompted growth in the Avalon Inn, but has also been the catalyst for the creation of at least 10 AirBnB locations nearby - all of which are booked solid from June through September.

She said while the impacts were immediate, there is one change in visitor inquiries 10 years later.

“At one point we would have to promote the fact that the Mistaken Point UNESCO site was nearby. Now most of the inquiries we get are calls where the first question from them is about Mistaken Point. The word is out there now, and it’s promoting itself,” Devereaux said.

The story of Mistaken Point’s designation begins with the discovery of fossil beds by geologist Shiva Balak Misra and field assistant Paul Thompson that were the first record of Ediacara-type fauna in the Western Hemisphere.

The fossils had been hidden in plain sight, with locals aware of ‘strange markings’ in the rock, but by the 1980s Mistaken Point had been recognized as housing the oldest metazoan fossils in North America and the world’s most ancient deep-water marine fossils.

A five km coastal stretch was provisionally established as a reserve by the provincial government in 1984 and then granted a permanent designation in 1987 as a fossil ecological reserve.

Molloy recalled how preserving and promoting the site became a labour of love for several dozen volunteers over the years.

“Originally, it was a lot of residents working to try to promote it,” Molloy said, adding that pursuing the bid for a UNESCO designation included scientists and the government. “There were so many people trying to get this underway.”

The Mistaken Point Cape Race Heritage Inc, a not-for-profit organization established in 1998, has been a driving force behind Mistaken Point. Their mandate focuses on preserving, protecting, developing, and promoting the natural, historic, and cultural resources in the area.

The push to earn the designation became official on July 17, 2016 - almost 50 years after the official discovery of fossils.

Mistaken Point remains an active research site and houses an interpretation centre with official tours every day from mid-May to mid-October.

The anniversary event will take place July 17 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Portugal Cove South Town Hall. The event will include official remarks, cultural presentations, musical performances and a light reception.

For the latest info on the anniversary celebration, please visit https://www.facebook.com/mistakenpointnl. To learn more about Mistaken Point, please visit https://mistakenpoint.ca/discover/

Aquaforte calls out lack of 'moose mitigation'

By Tyler Waugh / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Town of Aquaforte has called out the provincial government for what it calls a continued lack of action on brush cutting and moose vehicle mitigation along the Southern Shore Highway.

The June 24 letter, sent to Premier Tony Wakeham and Ferryland MHA Loyola O’Driscoll, as well as the ministers of Transportation and Forestry comes after two Bay Bulls residents were killed when their motorcycle collided with a moose on the evening of June 23.

“Another two lives were tragically lost a few nights ago as a result of a moose-vehicle collision. This follows a fatal moose accident in our community only a few years ago. Our residents are devastated, and our Town is once again reeling alongside families affected by these preventable tragedies,” reads the letter written by Town Clerk/Manager Aaron Croft on behalf of council.

“The absence of meaningful action by the Provincial Government on brush cutting and related safety measures along this highway is, at this stage, nothing short of negligent. Moose sightings on this stretch of road are constant, and daily reports of near misses have become routine. The danger is well-known, well-documented and entirely unacceptable.”

A little more than three years ago another person died on a nearby stretch of Highway 10 in Aquaforte when a motorcycle collided with a moose.

The letter did thank the Province for assistance provided to date but expressed concern and “profound frustration” that the situation has now escalated beyond what the community can reasonably tolerate.

The Town is asking MHA O’Driscoll to advocate for immediate, decisive action.

While the council is expressing frustration over years of inaction when it comes to brush cutting in the community, O’Driscoll and his Progressive Conservative colleagues only took over government in November, following 11 years of Liberal administration.

“We cannot afford another needless tragedy,” reads council’s letter. “Our residents deserve safe roadways, and the families affected deserve to know that their losses have prompted real change.”

Some campers wearing out their welcome in scenic Petty Harbour

By Tyler Waugh / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove council will erect signage advising visitors there is no overnight parking allowed at the scenic viewpoint lookout in response to an increasing number of campers on site.

The Town’s chief administrative officer, Mandy Dinn, brought it to council’s attention at the June 29 public meeting that the lookout has regularly been full of overnight camping traffic. She noted that overnight camping was not the intended use for the scenic viewpoint, adding that campers hamper safe daytrip visits.

“The purpose of the lookout was for getting cars to pull in safely off the road rather than being lined up and getting pictures at the side of the road,” Dinn said, adding the spot has even been mentioned on a camping-related page on Facebook.

“I did notice this morning, actually when I drove past, four campers lined up in a row,” she said. “It was virtually impossible for a car to pull in safely.”

Councillor Nancy Bungay said that right now nobody can use the space to stop and enjoy the view. She suggested the Town put up signs informing campers that there is no overnight parking at that location, similar to other spots in Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove and other communities across the province.

“There’s been six campers in there over the weekend, every single night and every single day of the week now,” Bungay said.

Mayor Ed Dyke cautioned that if you are going to make a rule, you need to be able to enforce it.

However, council agreed that signage should discourage overnight camping among those who respect the rules.

Council then passed a motion to install the warning signs.