Witless Bay Community Credit Union fundraiser

There was a mouth-watering aroma outside the Community Credit Union in Witless Bay one day earlier this month as the branch held its annual fundraiser in support of local schools. Among those dishing out the barbequed grub were, starting in the front row, from left: Parker Sparkes age 11, Mason Sparkes age 5, Jackson Courtney age 11, Theresa St. Croix, and branch manager Valerie Weir. In the back are ‘chefs’ Jimmy Boland, left, and Len Courtney, both from the Knights of Columbus. Craig Westcott photo

Fitness centre naming contest drawing to a close

By Craig Westcott

The Bay Bulls Lifestyle Centre is getting a new defibrillator.

Deputy Mayor Ethan Williams made the motion to approve the purchase during last week's public council meeting.

"This arose because the current model that we have into the centre has been discontinued by the manufacturer," said Williams. "So, an update was required."

The cost of the new unit is $1,945 plus HST. A defibrillator is a portable machine that can administer a shock to the body to restore a normal heart rate in the case of a cardiac arrest.

In other news affecting the lifestyle centre, Williams noted that a naming contest for the building’s fitness is getting close to wrapping up.

"We introduced the contest to put a new name on the fitness centre, and we have received all of the submissions now," he said. "So, the voting process will begin shortly for that."

The winner will get free membership in the fitness centre for a month.

Busy fall for roadwork around Petty Harbour

By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tyler Waugh

A stretch of road that connects the Goulds to Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove is primed for some TLC in the near future, and not a moment too soon based on talk at a recent council meeting.

Ferryland MHA Loyola O’Driscoll announced August 4 that two projects in his district had recently been approved, including 3.8 km of road rehabilitation on Route 11 (Petty Harbour Road) between Crocker’s Road and the second intersection of Old Maddox Cove Road.

“I am expecting work to begin soon, and I look forward to seeing these important projects get underway,” said O’Driscoll.

That stretch of road had drawn the ire of several members of the Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove Town council in June.

“It’s getting ridiculous now, it’s almost a hazard,” said Mayor Ed Dyke, proposing that council draft a letter before learning that the project was already being prepared for tender.

The tender process for Route 11 was combined with rehabilitation roadwork for around 4.7 km of Route 10 in Bay Bulls stretching from the municipal limits to Ryan’s Lane.

The tender – valued at $6,673,681, plus HST, was awarded to Municipal Construction Ltd. of Paradise. Farrell’s Excavating submitted a bid of $6,884,796 and Nortech Construction bid $7,220,552.00.

Meanwhile, Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove decided its own paving patchwork tender on Aug. 10, with Formac coming in at $27,062 and CW Parsons Paving at $27,427. Both quotes were a couple thousand dollars above what the Town had hoped to pay.  

Town manager Mandy Dinn pointed out factors for why there were only two bids received namely that companies are in the prime of the roadwork season and a contract of this size is not a priority for most contractors.

Deputy Mayor Irene Stack conceded the work had to be done, even if the costs came in over budget. She made the motion to award the tender to Formac and the motion passed.

Mayor Dyke pointed out that priority areas have been identified in the community.

Dinn said the work should be done in the coming weeks.

Aquaforte council unsatisfied with response to road safety concerns

The Town of Aquaforte continues its push for immediate action by the Province to address safety concerns for a stretch of highway that has claimed three lives in three years due to moose collisions.

Town council wrote in an August 5 letter to Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Barry Petten that the current government and previous administrations have neglected ongoing safety concerns along Route 10 in its area of the Southern Shore.

Town manager Aaron Croft said advocacy has been ongoing for many years but ramped up in summer 2023 after a moose collision killed a single motorcyclist near Aquaforte. The urgent need for moose mitigation was renewed this past June after two Bay Bulls residents were killed when their motorcycle collided with a moose, again just outside Aquaforte.

“Three lives have been lost here already. Near misses involving moose occur daily. Families, workers and visitors continue to travel a highway where the risk is well known, well documented through social media, and steadily increasing,” council wrote in the Aug. 5 letter. “Our community feels strongly – and increasingly – that both the current government and the previous administration have neglected this portion of the Southern Shore. Despite repeated warnings, lived experience, and clear evidence of danger, our section of Route 10 continues to be excluded from the very measures that are being promoted as provincial safety priorities.”

Council had written Minister Petten, Premier Tony Wakeham and Ferryland MHA Loyola O’Driscoll after the June 2026 fatalities and received a response from Petten, on behalf of the premier.  

Petten outlined brush clearing tenders awarded on Route 10 between Tors Cove and Brigus South, as well as upcoming tenders for areas between St. John’s and Witless Bay, as well as Brigus South to Cape Broyle. Petten wrote that additional clearing projects along Route 10 will be reviewed and added to project plans for future years.

The minister also highlighted the Province’s expenditure of $6.5 million on moose fencing and brush clearing along high-risk highway sections, with a total of 22 projects in 2026 covering 400 kms of provincial highways.

But Aquaforte council said the response as unacceptable, all things considered, and pointed out much of the brush clearing outlined for Route 10 was taking place in areas where brush clearing had taken place only a few years ago.

Council stated the Province must take immediate steps to include the Cape Broyle to Cappahayden corridor in its mitigation plans. Croft said he believed the last meaningful brush clearing in that region took place as far back as 2008.

Aquaforte is calling for expanded brush clearing, but also a ‘meaningful’ increase in moose hunting licences in the area.

“Brush cutting is essential, and we fully support its continued use as a mitigation tool. However, it is only one part of what is required. The moose population along Route 10 has grown significantly in recent years, and without a corresponding increase in moose licences the risk will continue to escalate,” Aquaforte council wrote in its response to Petten. “Reducing vegetation without reducing population density is an incomplete strategy that leaves our residents exposed to unacceptable levels of danger.”

Croft said the Town does not have jurisdiction to perform work along a provincial highway and that, even if it did, towns of its size do not have the financial capacity to fund any meaningful brush clearing efforts.

Witless Bay douses plan for new regional fire hall

By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tyler Waugh

Witless Bay councillors say they see the merits of a new regional fire hall, but ultimately the cost of one is too rich for their blood based on the latest feasibility study.

Deputy Mayor Justina Nawaz said whether to move ahead with the project was something discussed at length with Fire Chief Jack Gatherall and the fire committee, as well as with council as a whole.

“We are looking at two different options that are both over $7 million and even with funding as a 70/30 split (with the Province) it would still cost us almost $2.5 million and everyone feels we are just not in a place to spend that money,” Nawaz said.

Councillor Ralph Carey moved to deny the cost overrun and not proceed to the next stage of the development, renovation or construction of the new regional fire hall at this time due to financial constraints.

Carey also pointed out there is no way to ensure any potential cost overruns will not become the responsibility of the Town of Witless Bay.

“Somebody has to be on the hook. Given that it’s a regional facility that serves here to Bauline and beyond we really can’t risk our financial future on something that could run tremendously (over budget),” Carey said. “What if somebody decided to, say for instance our neighbours to the south, throw tariffs on something and the price of something goes through the roof?”

Carey’s motion to kill the project passed unanimously.

In 2022, Witless Bay council accepted $2.4 million in cost-shared funding from the provincial government for the construction of a new fire hall and agreed to pay its share of the project, which at that time was $815,640. That funding was based on a 2019 feasibility study.

In order to obtain a more accurate, updated estimate of the construction cost, council ordered a new feasibility study in August 2024 at a cost of $27,666, plus tax.

Witless Bay Fire Department revamps response system

By Tyler Waugh, The Irish Loop Post/Local Journalism Initiative

The Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department has worked with NL Health Services and NL 911 to implement a new 'triage' style response system aimed to take the load off the volunteer team of firefighters.
Fire Chief Jack Gatherall told council at its July 22 public meeting the department responded to 107 calls between January 1 and June 30 and while that is still a busy stretch, it's actually a big drop from previous years in part due to this new system.
"For serious, life-threatening medical emergencies where every second counts, our trucks and crews are still out the door immediately,” Gatherall said. “Following this new criteria actually helps get the department turned out and responding faster to higher priority medical calls. For lower priority medical calls, where the fire truck isn't actually needed, we now stand by. This saves our volunteers from unnecessary late night wake up calls and runaround for lower acuity calls. This helps cut down on volunteer burnout and the retention of membership."
Gatherall said the membership is reporting a 'huge' boost in morale as a result.
He said the system also better ensures that department resources are where they need to be.
"The department in 2025 had multiple instances for as many as three calls at the same time, in which responders had to pull away resources from a serious incident such as a fire or car accident, to respond to a medical emergency, which really didn't require a fire department level of response,” Gatherall said. “This adjustment in protocol is normal and is followed by most larger departments."
He told council the department recently focused on extricating victims from vehicles during two weeks of training. Gatherall said extraction scenarios vary from wheels on ground, to vehicles on their side and resting on their roofs, to wrecks with blocked access or heavy physical obstacles, as well as those rolled into a ditch and wedged in tight.
"This course is all about giving our membership hands-on skills that they need to safely respond on vehicle accidents, to make the training as realistic as possible," Gatherall said, noting 10 vehicles had been secured for the training. "It's tough, heavy work. But these are the exact skills that save lives when the seconds count. A huge shout out to our members for putting in the hours to keep up the rescue skills."

The department did lose two members in June, including one of the four new women recruits who recently joined, and Gatherall said the department continues to actively evaluate recruitment and retention to deal with what he called an ongoing nationwide challenge for volunteer departments.
"(The) challenge of modern day firefighting balance in shifting employment demands, family life, and a heavy time commitment required for modern fire service remains a hurdle," he said.
Council approved three fire department expense requests at the July 22 meeting, including new tires for the 2012 Dodge Ram truck, a $1,000 request for uniforms and other attire, and $3,300 for advanced first aid training.
Gatherall said that training will take place in six sessions over three days.

Petty Harbour keeping an eye on short-term rentals

By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tyler Waugh

Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove council conditionally approved a business application for a short-term rental at its July 27 public meeting but also noted it added another unit to an increasing inventory.

Deputy Mayor Irene Stack said the application would bring the total number of AirBnB listings in the community to 10 or 11. She said there is no cap, but reminded council that discussing a cap had been in consideration if the number of short-term rentals started to rise.

“It’s just something to keep in mind,” Stack said.

Municipalities across the country are under pressure to limit AirBnBs because they take housing stock off the market in the midst of a national housing crisis.

Councillor Kayla Parsons, who presented the application to council as head of the planning review committee, said the application for 111 Main Road has an intended maximum occupancy of six people and available onsite parking for four vehicles.

“The proposed occupancy seems consistent with available parking,” Stack said, adding that conditional approval was recommended with conditions that the location maintain a minimum of four parking spots with no obstruction of the road or neighbouring properties, and that the business not expand beyond the maximum occupancy of six without additional approval.

The conditional approval passed unanimously.

Council also wrestled with a written request to park a trailer on a vacant lot on Motion Bay Road Extension while the landowner builds a home on the lot. Parsons told council that based on her research of regulations, the request would be considered a ‘development’ that would require an official permit. She added that if an official permit application should come forward as suggested, the rules are somewhat ambiguous, but she believes it is left to council's discretion and believed it appropriate to issue a temporary permit for up to two years.

"This intent appears to be temporary," Parsons said, pointing out the trailer would be for private use, not commercial use.

Council directed staff to communicate with the lot owner - the specific lot address was not provided - and advise that an application is required.

Council also conditionally approved a trio of applications related to 124 Motion Bay Road – one to excavate with the intent to install additional drainage, one to build a fence and deck, and one to level a driveway and install a walkway.

Council also approved, in principle, an application to subdivide 66-70 Old Maddox Cove Road for residential development, with final approval conditional and including a subdivision review.

Two other applications, one to pave a driveway at 12 Long Run Road and one to excavate at Lot 4 Old Maddox Cove Road, also received conditional approval.