Clarence Molloy has retired after 50 years serving as mayor.
By Mark Squibb
After 50 years of municipal service, former Portugal Cove South mayor Clarence Molloy has handed over the chain of office.
“I’m 79 years old, so I’ve put in my term,” said Molloy. “But I’m still here to help. The community just had a big dance in my honour, celebrating 50 years. We had a band, and it was a lovely time.”
Molly first put his name forward for elected office in 1975.
“What happened at the time was that the council here in Portugal Cove was having problems, and there was a couple of people after resigning,” said Molloy. “So, we didn’t have a council, and for some reason people started to say that if we didn’t get a council the government would get Trepassey to take us over. I know that that would probably never happen, and I don’t know where it came from. And you know what small communities are like. We got along and we helped each other out, but the way it was, even playing hockey with Trepassey back in the old rink, we had to beat Trepassey. And it was sort of the same thing. People said that we got to get a council.”
Molloy, who was driving a taxi at the time, said he put his name forward and the rest, as they say, is history.
“We had the first meeting, and they wanted me to be mayor for some reason,” said Molloy. “At that time, we were a community council. The government changed it to a town council years ago. But back then you were considered a community council. You had a chairperson, and a vice-chair and a secretary and whatever else. You weren’t considered mayor and deputy mayor, but you were. It was the same thing. You were considered chairperson of the community."
Molloy said there were times over the years when he considered not putting his name forward again, but a drought of candidates forced him to reconsider. Other years, elections came in the midst of big projects council had undertaken and Molloy stayed on to see the projects through to the end. He did all that while driving his taxi and delivery van back and forth to St. John’s every day.
The council, said Molloy, was initially formed in 1963. One of the first orders of business was the installation of a waterline in the town so that folks would not have to rely on their wells.
“And it was all done with picks and shovels,” said Molloy. “There were no backhoes back then in ’63. Everyone in the community was hired to go to work.”
Molloy recalled that back in the day one could simply walk into Confederation Building and stroll into a Minister’s office and have a chat and request funding for different projects.
“You probably wouldn’t be able to do that now,” said Molloy. “Everyone is barred off.”
During Molloy’s time as mayor, the town gained a fire department, fire hydrants, and garbage collection, and rebuilt its community centre. Molloy was also an active figure in the more recent battle to keep the Holy Rosary Church a community building, a battle that was won thanks to am anonymous buyer.
Molloy said that when he put his name forward for re-election 2021, he had already decided it was to be his last term on council.
“I said that this would probably be my last time,” said Molloy. “I told people that I wouldn’t be running again. So, I had my mind made up, but then I almost went in again because they only ended up with four members.”
Those four members are William Hartery, Rowena Nichol, Keith Stampe and Michael Ward, who were acclaimed to council in September.
Genny Coombs, Elaine Nichol, Charlene Power, Lucas Ward, and Cynthia Power were acclaimed during the October 28 by-election, making for a complement of nine council members.
Meanwhile, the Town of Portugal Cove South will be naming the community centre after Molloy.
Given his 50 years of service, it only seems fitting.
