The organizers of the Shamrock Folk Festival are marking a milestone this year: It’s the 30th anniversary of the annual Ferryland spree that has become a ritual of summer for many people on the Southern Shore and beyond.
The key to the event’s longevity has been the caliber of Irish and traditional Newfoundland music right from the time the festival was started by the Southern Shore Development Association in 1986 and taken over by the Southern Shore Folk Arts Council nine years later.
“Like any new venture it was humble beginnings,” said the Folk Arts Council’s executive director Keith Mooney, who can remember the very first show. “You have to acknowledge the great decision to start it on the Southern Shore. It was a great fit for our Irish heritage.”
The festival is still operating from the same venue where it started – a former ball field with a temporary stage that has since seen a series of upgrades to better suit a music site.
Mooney remembers the 1996 festival in which the area suffered a tremendous amount of rain and wind with tents blowing down and damage to the field itself. It was an ill wind with a silver lining. The damage hastened the implementation of a Master Plan that had been developed for the Colony of Avalon that included a village green in the area of the ball field. The Folk Arts Council was able to obtain funding to rehabilitate the site.
“We built up the site above the water table and constructed a new stage,” Mooney said. “That was in 1997.”
Over the years other improvements were made too, including a new fence and a concession park.
“Over the years we’ve seen a lot of great performances,” Mooney allowed, reciting a list of acts that have regularly trod the stage including the Masterless Men, Celtic Connection, Ron Hynes, The Navigators, The Punters, Stogger’ Tight and Shannyganock. That’s in addition to many local performers from the area.
“People look forward to the festival every year,” Mooney said. “Depending on the weather, you can get a large turnout of people. They come for a good time and to socialize and just to take advantage of the good weather and the outdoor music… It’s a great garden party (atmosphere). People plan their holidays around it. People have ongoing parties in their houses. For Ferryland and the area it’s an annual get together. We get a lot of visitors from the Avalon Peninsula and inquiries from all over the island and the mainland. It’s one of the longest running festivals and that garners a lot of interest in itself.”
Like all festivals, attendance is often weather dependent. Along with some rained out sessions there have been bouts of great weather. “1999, I remember, was just an exceptional year,” Mooney recalled. Last year saw perfect weather too, he added. “We’ve had it all. We’ve had tremendous crowds.”
Mooney said the Folk Arts Association has taken measures to make the festival an enjoyable family event. It’s Dinner Theatre is held in conjunction with the festival, and an art show has become an annual part of the weekend as well. This year fireworks have been added to close the event on Saturday night.
This year’s festival is set for July 25-26. Headlining the shows are Middle Tickle, The Masterless Men, Generations, Slainte, Jackie Sullivan, The Dunne Family and Sullivan & Slaney.
The festival will feature two sessions, Mooney noted, with an evening show on Saturday, July 25 and the traditional Sunday afternoon show on July 26.
“We really wanted to combine our Saturday afternoon and evening shows to bring together our family and evening audiences to hear several great acts starting off with the popular youth session,” he explained.
Beginning at 5 p.m., Saturday evening’s session will feature 12 performances and close out with a fireworks display. “We are very fortunate to have support from The Town of Ferryland and Dalton’s Home Hardware in making sure our new Saturday evening session finishes with a real blast,” said Mooney. “We want to invite our local supporters and our friends and visitors from near and far to help us celebrate 30 great years. Mark your calendar now for an event that will be the highlight of your summer.”
The weekend will also feature a Friday evening performance of this year’s dinner theatre, Outport Taxi, a special menu at the Tetley Tea Room By The Sea, the annual Art Exhibition, children’s activities, plenty of food vendors and a beer garden. A full schedule of Festival events and acts can be found at www.ssfac.com.
“There’s no nicer place than festival Park on a sunny, breezy day to socialize and have a bite to eat or a refreshment,” said Mooney. “It highlights the Irish Loop region. It’s been the biggest event in the region for a number of years on the Irish Loop and we’re working this year to have a special event for out 30th anniversary.”
MHA gives constituents something to think about
Whoever wrote the letter for Keith Hutchings to Witless Bay council did a skillful job of making the minister of Municipal Affairs sound tough, while actually doing nothing to rectify a situation that has plagued the town for the past year.
Rather than make the mayor and council deal with two alleged cases of conflict of interest in a transparent and accountable way, Hutchings has approved a process that raises more questions than provides answers. And he has done so while giving false hope to some citizens and developers who were led to believe he was going to be forceful in holding council to account.
The outcome of the letter was so skillfully disguised, in fact, that when it was first delivered to council, those who have been most detrimentally affected by last minute changes to the Town Plan made by Mayor Sébastien Deprés and councillors Dena Wiseman and Ralph Carey, actually thought Hutchings was ordering council to retake the vote on the conflict of interest allegations.
Not so. Instead, a careful parsing of the letter, and followup e-mails to his staff, confirm Hutchings has accepted the mayor’s claim that council cleared Wiseman and Carey during a vote conducted in a private meeting. That vote is problematic for several reasons, not the least of which was that it was done behind closed doors and not ratified during a public session. A rumour has arisen that at least one councillor who voted to clear Carey and Wiseman thought he was voting to do the opposite, while another councillor has publicly challenged the outcome of the vote and has called for a ‘Friendly Hearing’ for the two councillors as is spelled out in the Municipalities Act. The bottom line is that the circumstances of the vote – how it was conducted, who set the ground rules, how the motion was worded, who else spoke to council in the moments prior to the vote – are unclear and clarity in such a matter should be a first order of business.
Hutchings’ failure to ensure the matters were disposed of in a transparent and accountable way is all the more disappointing given that Witless Bay is one of the principal towns in his district. If the local MHA, who happens to be the minister responsible for enforcing the Municipalities Act, won’t ensure a proper job for these constituents, what can the rest of the people in the district expect?
This failure to maintain open and accountable government at the municipal level is the latest in a string of incompetent and damaging moves by the current government. It was one of Hutchings’ predecessors in the portfolio, Kevin O’Brien, who messed up the wording of a departmental directive to the Town of Witless Bay regarding the controversy at Ragged Beach. That boner, whether deliberate or a genuine mistake, led in part to the situation still bedeviling the council. As a result, development throughout the town is held up. One contractor estimates the town is losing out on some $200,000 a year in residential taxes from his long delayed subdivision alone.
It was the PC regimes of Danny Williams, Kathy Dunderdale and now Paul Davis, who changed the rules and set a tone of government secrecy for councils to emulate. Town councils are far less open and transparent than they used to be. It’s gotten to the point that councils no longer identify applicants who are seeking development permits on the public agenda. In effect, the province, acting through municipalities, has trampled on the right of citizens to know what is going on in their communities and who is doing it.
It’s unclear that a Liberal or New Democratic administration would do any better when it comes to ensuring openness and accountability on the part of town councils. But it’s hard to imagine they could do worse. The last 12 years of government has been one constant attack on the public’s right to know. The citizens of Witless Bay in particular and Ferryland District in general should weigh the negative impact of that when they go to the polls this fall.
By failing to make sure the council in Witless Bay followed the rules in a timely, accountable and transparent way, the local MHA has given his constituents something to think about.
Much Deserved
On a happier note, and concerning a fellow who doesn’t shrink from his duty, it was heartwarming last month to hear that Ken Williams was being inducted into Newfoundland’s Hockey Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony occurred this past weekend. It’s no exaggeration to say Williams is as much responsible for the Southern Shore Breakers’ storied history in senior hockey as any of the players who ever laced up a skate. Williams has kept not only the team, but also the rink in Mobile alive and open through thick and thin and helped ensure the operation of an important facility for the whole region. On top of all that, he is one of the wittiest and smartest fellows around and a joy to know. Well done Ken Williams.
So long Joe Croft
One of the privileges of publishing this newspaper is that you get to meet, and in some cases know, many people in the Goulds, the Southern Shore and St. Mary’s Bay. A highlight is delivery day, when you get to stop at all the stores along the route. That often entails a quick chat with some of the operators. All those weeks that I’ve delivered the paper over the past eight years, and for the three years in the late 1990s when I published The Southern Post, included a call at Joe Croft’s store in Aquaforte.
Almost always, Joe was there. A man who had a keen interest in life around him, Joe could fill you in on how the fishery was going, local history, or anything else in the area.
Joe passed away suddenly last week. Perhaps appropriately, he died in the store. Joe Croft was a gentleman and a good businessman who, with his wife Carmel, managed to keep a store going in thin times and full in a small community. That’s not an easy accomplishment. Joe will be sorely missed by his family but also by all us regulars who called at the shop.
Southern Shore’s Mr. Hockey inducted into HNL Hall of Fame
The man with a wit as sharp as a skate and a dedication to his community as thick as a Southern Shore fog was inducted amid much accolades into Hockey NL’s Hall of Fame Saturday during a gala dinner at the group’s annual general meeting and conference in Gander.
Ken Williams, the long-time manager of the Southern Shore Arena and organizational genius behind the Breakers’ senior and junior hockey clubs for many years, was described as “owning a 32-year hockey career that is overflowing with hard work, valuable contributions and a multitude of sensible decisions that have been very important to the overall success of hockey within Newfoundland and Labrador. He is simply an extremely good hockey person.”
Williams’ contribution to amateur hockey in the province extends from making it possible for generations of the youngest minor hockey players to ever try out the game to keeping the most elite levels of the sport viable through challenging times and circumstances. And he did all that with an engaging wit and style that has earned him respect and many friends throughout the province.
Williams’ hockey “career” started on Maggoty Cove Pond in Bay Bulls. He went on to play organized hockey as a junior player in the Southern Shore Junior League. But it was in the boardrooms of minor and senior hockey where he has left his biggest marks.
Starting in 1986, Williams was instrumental in helping raise the money and organize the effort to build the Southern Shore Arena. Once built, he was a natural choice to serve as its manager. Williams was elected the founding President of the Southern Shore Minor Hockey Association and remains a volunteer with the organization. He has been the HNL provincial co-ordinator for 24 years.
Williams was also instrumental in reviving senior female hockey at the provincial level and brought the first team in many years to Prince Edward Island to compete nationally. He held a director’s position on the provincial female hockey committee for several years.
In 1993, Williams played a major role in organizing the Avalon West League as its first President and served as a director of the Southern Shore Breakers Senior Club. He served as treasurer for the Avalon East League and was president of the Southern Shore Amateur Hockey Association, which encompassed both junior and senior hockey.
Williams has served as chairman of Provincial Senior Hockey and was Branch Representative on Hockey Canada. In 2006, he chaired Hockey Canada’s meetings in St. Johns, which were deemed wildly successful. He is Provincial Senior Hockey Secretary and continues as President of the Southern Shore Hockey Association.
“Ken Williams has been, and continues to be, an outstanding contributor to hockey within Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Hockey NL executive director Craig Tulk.
Students show leadership, dedication in variety of sports
With a handful of championships in everything from soccer and basketball to cheerleading, plus enthusiastic contributions in ice and ball hockey, volleyball, softball and other sports, the students, teachers and coaches at Mobile Central High School have much to be satisfied with this past school year.
Like all the school’s in the coverage area of the Irish Loop Post, the students at Mobile High are distinguished for their team spirit, dedication and in many cases, athletic prowess.
The school recently held a banquet to pay tribute to all the student athletes and their coaches who represented Mobile Central High and their repsective communities this past year. Below are the individual members who stood out in the four main categories for each team: Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player, Best Defensive Player and Most Sportsmanlike.
Boys Ice Hockey
MVP Kieran O’Driscoll; Most Improved A.J. Doyle; Best Defensive Player Jeremy Legge;
Sportsmanship Award Tyler Yard
Grade 7 Girls Basketball
MVPs Maggie Pottle and Caroline Murphy; Most Improved Rachel Lundrigan; Best Defensive Brooke Walsh; Sportsmanship Kathleen Murphy
Grade 8 Boys Basketball
MVPs Gavin Wall and Sean Wilson; Most Improved Patrick Maloney; Best Defensive Kurtis Clarke; Sportsmanship Ryan Power
Grade 8 Girls Basketball
MVP Bridget Gatherall; Most Improved Victoria Maloney;
Best Defensive Jessica Carey;
Sportsmanship Amelia O’Driscoll
Grade 9 Boys Basketball
MVPs Brendan Houlihan and Sean Wilson; Most Improved Cody Glynn; Best Defensive Gavin Wall; Sportsmanship Antonio Riberio
Grade 9 Girls Basketball
MVP Meagan Mullowney; Most Improved McKenna Walsh; Best Defensive Nikita Harvey; Sportsmanship Dayna Power
Under 16 Boys Basketball
MVP Luke Gatherall; Most Improved Kieran O’ Driscoll; Best Defensive Luke Power; Sportsmanship Jack Williams
Under 16 Girls Basketball
MVP Sarah Walsh; Most Improved Hailey Power; Best Defensive Dana Mullowney; Sportsmanship Hayley Murphy
Under 17 Girls Basketball
MVP Kendra Tobin; Most Improved Nikita Harvey; Best Defensive Janine Coombs; Sportsmanship Hailey Power
Senior Boys Basketball
MVP Jeremy Legge; Most Improved Tristan Melvin; Best Defensive Nick Power; Sportsmanship Dylan Woolridge
Senior Girls Basketball
MVP Brianna Walsh; Most Improved Stephanie Puddester;
Best Defensive Emily Walsh;
Sportsmanship Maria Sullivan
Cheerleaders
Cheerleaders of the Year Kathleen Houlihan and Caroline Murphy; Most Spirited Cheerleader Gabrielle Norris; Most Improved Junior Cheerleader Erin Walsh; Most Improved Senior Cheerleader Sarah Walsh; Most Dedicated Junior Cheerleader Meagan Mullowney; Most Dedicated Senior Cheerleader Bridget Keating
Junior Girls Hockey
MVP Jennifer Bidgood; Most Improved Chantelle Delaney; Best Defense (Baltimore Award) Christy Alyward; Sportsmanship Nikita Harvey
Under 17 Boys Basketball
MVP Tristan Melvin; Most Improved Lucas White; Best Defensive Luke Gatherall; Sportsmanship Kieran O’Driscoll
Senior Girls Soccer
MVP Chantal Armstrong; Most Improved Bridget Keating; Best Defensive Amanda Dalton; Sportsmanship Rachel Tobin
Senior Boys Softball
MVP Colin Dunphy; Most Improved Dylan Woolridge; Best Defensive Nick Walsh; Sportsmanship Trevor Hicks
Senior Girls Softball Slo-pitch
MVP Brittany O’Driscoll; Most Improved Chelsea Corrigan; Best Defensive Brianna Walsh; Sportsmanship Laura Tobin
Junior Boys Hockey
MVP Brendan Houlihan; Most Improved Ryan Noel; Best Defensive Kendall Power; Sportsmanship Devon O’Brien
Senior Girls Ball Hockey
MVP Emily Walsh; Most Improved Ericka Carew; Best Defensive Brianna Walsh; Sportsmanship Chantal Armstong
Boys Ball Hockey
MVPs Mitchell O’Driscoll and Nick Walsh; Most Improved Colin Dunphy; Best Defensive Jeremy Legge; Sportsmanship Christian Walsh
Senior Girls Hockey
MVP Brianna Walsh; Most Improved Emily Walsh; Best Defensive Keesha Power; Sportsmanship Award Chelsey Healey
Junior Girls Softball
2014 Fastpitch
MVP Brittany O’ Driscoll; Most Improved Maria Sullivan; Best Defensive Alyssa Power; Sportsmanship Hayley Power
Girls Senior Volleyball
MVP Kathleen Houlihan; Most Improved Brittany O’ Driscoll; Best Defensive Dana Mullowney; Sportsmanship Alyssa Power
Junior Girls Softball
2015 Fast pitch
MVP Jennifer Bidgood; Most Improved Meagan Mullowney; Best Defensive McKenna Walsh; Sportsmanship Dayna Power
Junior Male Athlete of the Year
Brendan Houlihan
Junior Female Athlete of the Year Meagan Mullowney
Senior Male Athletes of the Year
Colin Dunphy and Jeremy Legge
Senior Female Athletes of the Year Brianna Walsh and Kathleen Houlihan
Junior Male Academic
&Athletic Award
Adam Lake
Junior Female Academic
& Athletic Award
McKenna Walsh
Senior Male Academic
& Athletic Award
Nick Walsh
Senior Female Academic
& Athletic Award
Kathleen Houlihan
Bill Mulcahy Award
Tristan Melvin
David Emberley Award for Senior Male Athletes
Nick Walsh and Jeremy Legge
David Emberley Award
Senior Female Athlete
Emily Walsh
Mobile Central High celebrates a special year of athletic achievement
When the sports community at Mobile Central High handed out its recognition awards June 4, one special moment was reserved for the person who has been a key motivator and booster of athletic achievement at the school for the past 28 years.
For teacher and athletic director Shawn Doyle, the call to the podium and the accolades marked the second occasion in two weeks that his efforts were recognized: In late May, the School Sports Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SSNL) honoured Doyle with a coaching service award at its annual general meeting.
The Master of Ceremonies for the Monarchs’ awards presentation, Dana O’Driscoll, gently kidded Doyle before calling him to the podium where he was received by students, parents, coaches and teachers in the gymnasium with a prolonged and enthusiastic standing ovation.
“We honour him every day and genuflect daily,” O’Driscoll joked. “But our province has recognized his achievements as well… We tend to think of Mr. Doyle as ours, but he is also the regional representative for the SSNL and has served on their committee for a number of years.”
When called to the podium, Doyle was true to form and used the occasion to highlight the achievements of the students rather than himself. He started by thanking all the students for showing such good conduct during what was a long evening of presentations.
“I just want to talk about the significance of Awards Night,” Doyle said. “If your child didn’t get an award tonight, or if they did, the whole concept and spirit of Awards Night is about determination of the athlete and trying to do well. And if you did well, people should recognize that you did well and through that recognition, others will be thrust forward to try to do well in the following year. That individual effort and reward builds toward teams and teams win banners.”
Doyle said this past school year saw a number of Mobile teams win provincial championships, including the AAA Girls soccer team, the AAA Boys basketball team, the Under 17 Boys A basketball team, the tier two AAAA senior girls’ basketball team and the cheerleading squad, which won the Charity Classic at the Bay Bulls Lifestyle Centre, the provincial championship at Jack Byrne Arena in Torbay and the national championship at Niagara Falls, Ontario. The Mobile boys also won the David Emberley Memorial Basketball Tournament, which they host every year. The variety of achievement in a spectrum of different sports by a wide gamut of student athletes was nice to see, he noted.
“The volunteers here at the school are awesome,” Doyle added. “Wherever I go for a provincial meeting, I always brag about Mobile and I tell everybody who wants to have a game, pick it and come up. I don’t care if it’s 4A, 3A or 2A, we’ll find someone to play you and we’ll give you a game.”
Doyle said the other thing he boasts about when talking with school athletic officials is that at Mobile he sometimes has to turn down people who want to work with teams, because there are so many good people available and willing to help. “That’s a compliment to the program,” said Doyle. “It makes me feel bad sometimes, because you should never have to turn away help, but there are so many people who want to be involved. If you look around here today, there are 50 or 60 people involved (as coaches, managers and trainers) in the program.”
Doyle singled out the cheerleaders for a particularly great season. The team won the Charity Classic Tournament, which it hosted at the Bay Bulls Lifestyle Centre, the provincial championships at Jack Byrne Arena in Torbay and the national championships held in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
He pointed out that for the first time since he’s been at the school, this past year saw Mobile field boys and girls basketball teams in the 4A division. “If you look at our school population, it’s 119 students from Grades 10 to 12,” Doyle said. “Next year, we will be going into games against schools with 800 and 900 students.”
The ability of a school the size of Mobile’s to do that is a “total compliment” to the communities in this area from which the student population is drawn, Doyle said. “You’re doing a great job.”
Before closing, Doyle also paid tribute to the relationship between Mobile Central High and Baltimore School in Ferryland. Earlier in the evening, representatives of Baltimore made a special presentation to the school recognizing their sportsmanship at the Paddy Kane Memorial Basketball Tournament.
Pirates, raids, religious and legal tussling part of Colony of Avalon story
The Colony of Avalon in Ferryland opens for the season today. One of the earliest permanent English settlements in Newfoundland, it’s recognized as the best preserved early English colony in North America. An active archeological dig happens at the site every summer.
For those who’ve forgotten their Newfoundland history, or for those like me who moved to Newfoundland from elsewhere, here’s a little history lesson. The settlement in Ferryland known as the Colony of Avalon was established in 1621 by Sir George Calvert, Lord Baltimore. Other settlement attempts on the Avalon Peninsula pre-dated Calvert’s, most notably by John Guy at Cupids in Conception Bay and Sir William Vaughan up the shore on the southern end of the Avalon Peninsula. These gents and their colonists couldn’t handle the Newfoundland winters and became some of the first snow-birds from Newfoundland.
Calvert’s colonists were a little hardier; surviving winters, pirates, fires, disease and more. Ferryland has been continuously inhabited ever since. George and his family also joined the snow-bird crowd, but his colonists persevered.
Jump forward to 1637 and King Charles I grants the whole island of Newfoundland to one of his favourite Knights, Sir David Kirke. Charles made his bud Sir David the supreme Lord and Governor of all the territories of Newfoundland, including Calvert’s Colony of Avalon. The Calvert family was a bit ticked off about this, but eventually lost in court. Eventually Sir David and his family moved to Calvert’s Governor’s Mansion at the Colony of Avalon, kicking out Calvert’s man and setting up what was essentially the capital of Newfoundland at the time. Sir David’s wife, Lady Sarah Kirke, ran the business and lived the good life in Ferryland for many years after he died; perhaps being the first woman entrepreneur in North America.
Generally, colonization of Newfoundland was all about the fish and money. However, to his credit, Sir George Calvert is thought to have also been trying to create a haven for religious tolerance outside of protestant England at the time. It is known that he brought several Catholic priest to the Colony of Avalon. This was reinforced by the significant discovery last summer of an amazingly well-preserved copper crucifix by a MUN archeology student working the dig. The crucifix was once owned by a Catholic colonist at Avalon and served as a personal devotional item or as part of a rosary. This crucifix is one of an estimated two million artifacts recovered at the dig site – and the site has only been 30 to 40 per cent uncovered.
You can get in touch with this history by visiting the Colony of Avalon this summer for a guided tour of the dig site, the 17th century gardens, the working 17th century kitchen and the many artifacts on display in the interpretive centre. And walk on the 17th century cobblestone street – the real thing, not a re-creation. If you’re looking to get your hands dirty, you can participate in the dig under the Archeologist for a Day program. In addition to the full-day program, you can try the Dig & Dig-In program of a half-day archeological experience. The Colony is also working to dig up capital of the dollar kind to support ambitious plans for the future operation and development of the Colony leading up to 2021, the 400th anniversary of Sir George Calvert’s first colonization in Ferryland. A fundraising drive is under way for this season and is benefitting from an anonymous donor matching up to $25,000 of donations received.
For more information on the Colony of Avalon, you can contact Maryanne Boland, the Executive Director, at info@colonyofavalon.ca or 709-432-3200. And follow this season’s happenings at www.colonyofavalon.ca and Facebook.
Town plan still in air
A last minute intervention by the Minister of Municipal Affairs may have further clouded the situation regarding alleged conflicts of interest involving at least two councillors.
According to Mayor Sébastien Després, members of council received the letter from Keith Hutchings at 4:41 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, less than three hours before this month’s regular public meeting of council.
Després tried to forge ahead anyway with a vote to decide one of the allegations – whether husband and wife councillors Ralph Carey and Dena Wiseman broke conflict of interest rules by discussing snow clearing on Pond Path, a private lane leading to property they own – but couldn’t force the rest of council to go along with him.
Després argued the minister’s letter referred only to the other allegation – namely that Carey and Wiseman were in a conflict of interest when they voted on the proposed new Town Plan, which rezones their land off Pond Path to allow for housing. But councillors Ken Brinston and René Estrada disagreed with the mayor. They countered that Hutchings’ letter referred to both allegations. Brinston pointed out Hutchings has asked to meet with the council on June 15 and moved that the vote on the snow clearing allegation be deferred.
“I think it would be a kick in the face to the minister if we went ahead and addressed this situation tonight,” Brinston argued.
Després insisted the minister’s letter was restricted to the Town Plan. “I will advise council that we have been advised six times by Municipal Affairs to make a decision on the allegations of conflict of interest,” he said. “So I see no reason to defer that one.”
Brinton, Estrada and councillor Albert Murphy were not persuaded. After further argument between them and the mayor, Carey and Wiseman left the chamber so council could vote on Brinston’s motion to defer the matter. It passed 3-2 with Després and councillor Kevin Smart voting against it.
In his letter to council, Hutchings said he has received “significant representation” on the alleged conflicts of interest. “I am advised that you have now reached a decision as a council on whether a number of councillors were in conflict during prior discussions and motions associated with the Town Plan and have decided they were not in conflict at that time,” he said. “I understand that this decision was reached in the context of prior discussions and motions that were focused on newer amendments proposed by the current Council, versus discussions on the entirety of the Town Plan.”
The minister’s letter skirts the contention of councillor Murphy that the private vote which cleared Carey and Wiseman was done incorrectly and also ignores his subsequent demand that the two councillors explain their actions in a ‘Friendly Hearing’ as spelled out in the Municipalities Act. It also ignores the fact that the private decision to clear the councillors has not been moved and adopted in a public meeting as required by the Act. And by agreeing to clear Wiseman and Carey on the basis that they voted only on amendments to the Town Plan instead of the document in its entirety, Hutchings appears to be ignoring a December 9, 2014 vote of council in which Carey made the motion to submit the 10 year plan, in its entirety, to the province for registration. The motion passed with Wiseman among the councillors who voted for it.
“My intent is to now ensure that no confusion remains regarding the steps Council must now take if you wish to have the proposed town plan considered for registration,” Hutchings wrote.
The minister reminded council of “procedural errors” it made prior to submitting the Town Plan the first time and said those must be corrected before it submits it again. He also warned council that this time it must make sure no councillors are in a conflict of interest. He added that if council wants to amend the Town Plan - as Després, Wiseman, Carey and Smart opted to do before submitting it the first time - it may have to hold another public hearing.
“Given the length of time that work on the new Town Plan has taken and the numerous inquiries from residents, it is incumbent on council to move expeditiously,” Hutchings wrote. “As such, I ask that council make your determination on whether any members of council are in conflict with respect to a new vote regarding the entire Town Plan by June 21, 2015. Further, I ask that Council advise the Department at that time of whether you intend to hold a further or new public hearing, and if so the date for the hearing. In the absence of a further public hearing I ask that Council’s vote regarding whether to approve the plan to submit to the Department for registration occur by July 15, 2015. I ask for an expeditious and appropriate resolution to this issue, without which I will have no choice but to consider my authorities as Minister to address the matter.”
The latest wrinkle follows a raucous special meeting of council held May 26 in which Mayor Després tried to get council to ratify publicly the vote he said council had previously made in private that Carey and Wiseman were not in a conflict of interest when they voted on the Town Plan.
However, that voted had to be postponed because two councillors were absent and with Carey and Wiseman not allowed to vote on a matter pertaining to them, council lacked quorum. Després ordered another public meeting to be held two nights later, but again not enough councillors could attend to make quorum.
Meanwhile, the meeting with council that the minister has requested to go over the timelines for adopting and submitting the Town Plan is set for Confederation Building this evening.
Ginok Song helps new students find the artist within
As one of Newfoundland’s better known artists, Ginok Song has received a fair amount of recognition and even awards for her paintings. On Sunday, it was her students at the Petty Harbour Art School who were getting all the attention as they displayed their year’s work in the basement of St. Joseph’s Church.
The paintings ranged from portraits and scenics to the occasional still life. The basement was full as friends, family and the inquisitive perused the art, which was surprisingly good, some even excellent, given that many of the artists have only been painting for several years.
Shelly Humber, for instance, started painting three years ago after she retired as a physiotherapy assistant at Agnes Pratt Nursing Home. She paints “whatever catches my eye,” she said. Most of her works on display were scenics, including one of trees, a railway station and an old red barn.
Humber had taken up “dabbling” at painting once a week with a friend from her old job. Then Rhodie Ann Woodfine from Herbie’s Gift Shop in the harbour pointed her towards Song’s art class. “I started from there, and I love it,” Humber said.
“I’m a newbie,” she noted, admitting she couldn’t draw a stickman before she started taking lessons. She works with stained glass now too. Humber was delighted with the turnout for the school’s first show and the reaction the works were getting. The artists put a lot into the display of their paintings. Humber’s uncle even crafted a frame for one of her works from old farm board. “It’s perfect for it,” Humber said.
The oldest rookie artist, Marge Ward of the Goulds, turned 87 last Sunday. She took up painting less than three years ago, though her works look like they were done by someone with more experience.
“I talked about doing it for a long while, but I didn’t do it,” Ward said. “I kept busy at everything else. I have a list a mile long.”
Ward’s daughter Michelle Ward signed her up for Song’s class and insisted she attend. “So I came,” said Ward. “I didn’t know if I had the ability or not, but I thought I’d like to it.”
Ward isn’t particular about what she paints. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “We have fun.”
Another latecomer to painting is Connie Murphy of the Goulds. Her pencil sketch of her grandson was one of the most striking works at the exhibit. She took up painting about three years ago after she retired as a commercial banker. She had been planning to do it for years.
“I really like to draw,” she said. The portrait of her grandson was going to be special to her anyway, she allowed, but doing it in graphite enabled her to capture much more detail, bringing the character of the child into the work. “I don’t think I could have painted him so realistically,” she allowed.
Not surprisingly, Song’s students sing their teacher’s praises.
“Fantastic,” Humber said, when asked to describe her teacher. “You couldn’t ask for any better.”
Murphy agreed. “She lets us do our thing,” she said. “And she guides us. That’s the best kind of teacher to have.”
Song’s teaching has even attracted established painters such as Peter Gard, a noted writer, journalist and artist. Gard has been dropping in on her classes off and on the past two years. One of his works on display at the exhibit was a whimsical ‘evolution of the egg,’ depicting eggs dressed up in human like costumes, including that of a knight. Gard used egg-related items from his household as ideas for the egg men. The painting got an honourable mention in this year’s provincial Arts & Letter’s Competition and would likely fetch a nice price and appreciative nods at any art gallery. “It’s good to have some funny art, I think,” said Gard.
Attending class with Song is good motivation to keep painting, Gard explained. “She’s a very warm person,” he said. “I enjoy coming here and if you go to her class, it always inspires you to do something as opposed to thinking about it. I really enjoy coming to the class.”
Song’s own works are collected throughout Canada, the United Kingdom and Korea. Lately she’s turned to moody, striking portraits whose subjects and tone are reminiscent of those of the great American realist painter Edward Hopper. Her work can be viewed at www.ginoksong.com. Song was born and raised in South Korea, where she obtained a degree in fine arts, and moved to Newfoundland in 2000. She is working on a master’s degree in the humanities at Memorial University.
Song started offering art lessons in her house in Petty Harbour in 2003. About five years ago, she moved the classes to the basement of St. Joseph’s Church, which despite being a basement is above ground and catches lots of light. “This is a great space,” she said.
Song too was delighted with the turnout at the exhibit. Some of her students were even being asked to sell their work, which left them baffled about how much to charge. Eventually some of them will be able to have solo exhibitions, she said.
Teaching art serves as a way for Song to remind herself of the things she has learned over the years. “I’m learning a lot from the students as well,” she said.
Song isn’t surprised that her students’ work is so good even though many of them only started painting within the last few years. “I think most people have some kind of talent,” she said. “As an art teacher, I can teach a few things from the beginning, like how to draw and to mix colours and this leads into what they want to paint... I also try to teach different techniques so they can find what they like and develop their own artwork.”
Goulds Lions remember pal with a dog named Dougie
Lions Clubs across Canada recently held their annual Walk for Dog Guides, including the club in the Goulds, which raised some $2,582.35 as a tribute to former long time member Doug Harvey, who passed away last year.
The Goulds walk took place on Sunday May 31. About fifty people participated and walked from St. Kevin’s High School to the Goulds Lions Club. Appropriately enough, some of the participants brought their dogs with them. After the walk, folks went to Tim Horton’s for coffee.
The event, one of some 200 held across Canada, is sponsored by Purina Pet Foods.
“The Goulds Lions Club decided to dedicate this year’s Dog Walk in memory of Doug Harvey,” said Lion Pat McGrath.
“Lion Doug was an active member of our Lions Club for 36 years,” added Lion Gord Warford, who chaired this year’s walk. “He served as Treasurer, Secretary, twice as President and Zone Chairperson. He was President in 2004, when our Leo Club was formed. He helped with all projects, but was most known for calling bingo and participating in our Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guide walk. Doug was extremely busy with family and work commitments, but he always made time to help with our Lions projects. He was the recipient of the Judge Brian Stevenson Fellowship Award and the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award, the highest awards given to volunteer Lions members.”
Harvey is survived by his widow Lynn, and children Katherine, Karen and Stephen.
All the money raised by the Goulds Lions Club walk goes to the Lions Foundation Dog Guide Program, which serves Canadians with visual impairments. The program provides eligible Canadians with a trained dog guide at no cost. Since its beginnings, the program has grown to include dog guide programs for hearing ear, seizure response, autism assistance, and diabetic alert.
“We don’t know where the dog we sponsor will go,” said McGrath. “But we do have some input into naming the dog. The dog guide we sponsor this year will be named Dougie in memory of Lion Doug Harvey and trained for a person with autism.”
Dog Guides profoundly impact the lives of those with disabilities, improving their safety, mobility and independence, Warford noted.
The Goulds Lions Club pledged to raise $12,000 over three years for the program.
Helping children ages three to 18, Autism Assistance Dog Guides provide safety, companionship and unconditional love,” said Warford. “These Dog Guides provide a calming relief for children in high anxiety situations and reduce the stress commonly experienced in public places. The bond that develops between the Dog Guide and child allows for increased social interaction for the family and the child.”
The Lions Foundation of Canada operates a national training school and charity that assists people with disabilities through dog guide programs. Canadian citizens in any province or territory may apply for a dog guide, and if eligible, they will receive a trained dog at no cost to them, even though it costs approximately $25,000 to train and place a dog. The money needed to breed, train and place dogs comes solely through individual donations, service clubs, foundations and corporations. The Lions’ breeding andtraining facility is located in Breslau, Ontario. It is the largest dog school of its kind in Canada.
All the dog guides are trained with a basic set of skills, useful to all handlers. But there may be training tailored to meet the specific needs of the client. The final stages of the dog guide training involves the client meeting their dog guide. Client and dog then live and train together for two to four weeks at the Oakville Facility to prepare them for going home.
For additional information on Dog Guides, contact any member of Goulds Lions Club or visit www.dogguides.com.
Aggrieved neighbour wins appeal, for now
After a couple of years of needling and lobbying council by an aggrieved neighbour, in the end it was the Eastern Regional Appeal Board who overturned a decision by the Town of Bay Bulls to allow a garage to operate out of a premises on Northside Road.
Mayor Patrick O’Driscoll noted the town has let the 10 day period it had to challenge the Appeal Board ruling expire, meaning council will not fight the decision. He noted council has also overturned its approval of the tire changing business.
Council had initially approved the business owner’s application to operate on Northside Road back in February. At the time, it attached conditions that allowed the business owner to store tires outside his property, but in the side and rear yards only.
However the appellant in the case before the Regional Appeal Board, Doug Chafe, who lives next door to where the garage was located, maintained the business had been operating for a couple of years prior to that without having any permit. On a couple of occasions at council, Chafe complained the garage changed the longstanding nature of the street and reduced the values of neighbouring homes. Chafe further claimed some members of council were using the business for their own tire repairs and maintenance knowing full well the business did not have a permit to operate.
“I never observed it (operating),” Mayor O’Driscoll said this week when asked if the business had been operating for two years without a permit. He pointed out most of the tire changing was done by a mobile unit taken to where the customers were located or needed help.
In its decision, the Appeal Board said that while council did have discretionary authority to approve a business on the street, the conditions attached to the permit were contrary to the town’s municipal plan. It also ruled that “the town did not correctly classify the tire repair service as a light industrial use.” As a consequence, the commissioners, found, “the town did not use its discretionary authority appropriately.”
The board vacated council’s approval of the business and instructed the town to reconsider the application in accordance with its municipal plan and development regulations. Council did so, O’Driscoll explained, when it voted this past spring to rescind the permit it had issued for the business.
However, the owner of the business has reapplied to operate at 135 Northside Road. The public has until Wednesday to submit a written comment to council.
