Latest ambulance incidence shows lack of progress on serious issue, says O’Driscoll

By Mark Squibb
December 1, 2023 Edition

 

Ferryland MHA Loyola O’Driscoll is once again ringing the alarm bell over what he calls inadequate ambulance service in Trepassey.

O’Driscoll said a resident called him last week after the driveshaft fell out of an ambulance on route to St. Shotts to pick up her mother. A second ambulance had to be dispatched from St. Mary’s, more than an hour away on a good day.

O’Driscoll said the first ambulance had clocked over 475,000 kilometres on its odometer.

Following the complaint, O’Driscoll said he called the Department of Health and Community Services to inquire about the rules and regulations regarding mileage, upkeep, and inspection requirements. He said the word from government is that ambulances are good for 10 years and up to 500,000 kilometres, and that inspections are required every six months or so.

Fewer’s Ambulance, which serves Trepassey and the neighbouring communities of Portugal Cove South, Biscay Bay and St. Shott’s, gave the Province notice back in January that it would be pulling the ambulance out of the region in July as the business in that area was no longer profitable.

Owner Bob Fewer told media at the time that he would commit to remaining in the area until government took over.

O’Driscoll, meanwhile, said that one ambulance to serve Trepassey is simply unacceptable, especially when the nearest ambulance service is an hour’s drive away.

“I think they need to put a second ambulance back in Trepassey,” said O’Driscoll. “If an ambulance leaves Trepassey and drives to St. John’s, it’s a two-hour drive at a minimum. And you may have to keep your client in your ambulance until they get checked in, so who knows how long they would have to stay, depending on the type of emergency. So, by the time they return, it’s definitely been five or six hours without an ambulance service.”

O’Driscoll said the issue has been ongoing and is a serious concern for people in Trepassey and the neighbouring communities.

Trepassey residents also raised alarm when the area’s only doctor retired back in 2022. That position has yet to be filled.

“It feels like they’re forgetting the rural areas,” said O’Drsicoll. “First it was doctors, and now it’s the ambulance.”

O’Driscoll said he has raised the issue in the House and in public, and feels frustrated with the lack of movement.

As to last week’s mechanical mishap, O’Driscoll allowed accidents happen and that even well-serviced and maintained vehicles experice hiccups now and then, but that it’s still a concern.

“When things like this happen, it gives residents a little more doubt about the system and how it works,” said the member. “When the ambulance arrives, people expect it to be in good working order. And it’s on government to ensure that that happens. And it’s concerning, it really is.”

The Irish Loop Post contacted Fewer’s about the incident but did not receive a response by deadline.

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Craig Westcott.

No tax increase for Bay Bulls next year

By Mark Squibb
December 1, 2023 Edition

 

Bay Bulls council has approved a balanced budget of $4.3 million that will see no residential or commercial mil rate increases in 2024.

Council approved Budget 2024 at a special council meeting held last Friday night, a meeting that was called late Wednesday afternoon.

Town staff say a copy of the budget will be made available to the public once it has been reviewed by the Province.

Staff did note a number of ‘highlights’ from the budget, including that monies have been earmarked for Phase 2 of the Long Pond Walking Trail. The provincial government will cover 60 percent of the project cost and the Town will use federal Gas Tax funding for its portion of the project. Northside Road will also see upgrades and measures taken to deal with coastal erosion. The town will pay 10 percent of those costs with the remaining being shared between the provincial and federal governments. Money for a new outdoor rink has also been set aside for next year.

Council also approved a number of incentives to help residents save some money in the new year, including a 12 percent discount for property owners who pay their taxes in full by May 31, an interest-free payment plan for residents and business owners willing to make a payment arrangement with the Town to pay their bill in full by November 30, a new home construction incentive program that provides new homeowners with a zero property tax bill for the first year of occupancy, and a one-year tax exemption for new businesses.

The budget is up considerably from Budget 2023, which came in at $3.19 million.

The commercial and residential mil, as noted earlier, will hold steady at five mils and 14.75 mils respectively.

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Craig Westcott.

Mobile students smoke firefighters, Mounties in the gym

By Mark Squibb
December 1, 2023 Edition

 

Mobile Central High School students, members of the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department, and local RCMP officers had good fun for a good cause last week at the first ever Fallen First Responders Cup.

The action saw the firefighters and Mounties from the Holyrood and Ferryland detachments RCMP square off against the students both for bragging rights and to collect food items for the local food bank.

The students bested the first responders 12-5, with Mobile netminder Alex Gentry earning the MVP award.

“It’s all in good fun, but we’re hoping to come back stronger next year,” said Fire Chief Jack Gatherall. “The kids were happy, and the fire department got smoked, we’ll say, but we had a good time.”

Gatherall said that he and Auxiliary Cst. Shawn Lewis had at first discussed holding an ice hockey game between the firefighters and the police officers but opted instead to hold a game of ball hockey. They then thought to invite the high school students to participate.

“It was a good way for the RCMP and fire department to connect with local youth in the area,” said Gatherall. “We are all about spreading positivity. I want people to see the fire department as an inspiration. It’s nice to see a fire department that’s active in its region.”

Gatherall hopes the Fallen First Responders Cup and food raiser will become an annual tradition.

In the meantime, the department is teaming up with the Knights of Columbus for a ‘Pack the Fire Truck’ event for the food drive and will participate in the annual Kinsmen Club Santa Claus parade this weekend.

“It’s a busy time of year to be a volunteer,” said Gatherall.

As busy as they are volunteering in the community, members of the fire department are first and foremost, emergency responders. As of November 1, the department has answered 137 medical calls, six structure fires, 10 motor vehicle accidents, 10 alarm bells, a chimney fire, three brush fires, an electrical fire, four extra service calls, seven vehicle fires, and one water rescue.

 

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Craig Westcott.

Witless Bay Fire Department asks for change to coverage area

By Mark Squibb
November 24, 2023 Edition

 

Witless Bay council has been asked to amend the coverage area of the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department.

Councillor Ralph Carey moved at last week’s meeting that council defer the motion pending a meeting with Fire Chief Jack Gatherall. Councillor Jacob Hayden seconded that motion.

“Basically, we’ve read through the proposal, and we just have a few questions we want to ask,” explained Hayden. “So, we’re looking forward to getting his full input on this and sitting down and having a discussion.”

The motion to defer passed unanimously. No details were offered as to whether the department wants to expand its coverage area, or reduce it.

The Town has invested heavily in the department in recent years. In May, 2022, council agreed to accept a cost-shared funding offer from the provincial government and move ahead with the construction of a new regional fire hall proposed by the former council. Construction will come in just shy of $3 million dollars, with the Town expected to pay $815,646 over the next decade.

The Town hired its first full-time fire chief in 2021, and has also allocated money for fire department operations, volunteer recruitment and training, new equipment, and new training grounds.

The department serves Witless Bay, Bay Bulls, Tors Cove, Bauline, Mobile, and Burnt Cove-St Michaels-Bauline East.

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Craig Westcott.

Bay Bulls council approves new donation policy

By Craig Westcott
November 24, 2023 Edition

 

The Town of Bay Bulls has adopted a new policy to guide staff on how to handle donation requests.

"The Town of Bay Bulls is a big supporter of community groups and organizations," said Mayor Keith O'Driscoll in introducing the policy at last week’s public council meeting, which was held, as usual, by teleconference.

Under the new policy, O’Driscoll said, community groups can apply for an annual one-time donation to support their activities and programs.

"Council will allocate an annual amount each year in the budget process to support community groups and organizations," said the mayor. "The purpose of an annual donation program is to ensure that all donations are made in an equitable and fair manner to all eligible groups and organizations. The primary focus of the donation policy will be to provide financial assistance to community groups and organizations for the purposes of community initiatives and community programs. These guidelines will provide staff the means to process donation requests."

Earlier in the meeting, before the new policy was passed, council agreed to donate $250 to the Mobile Central High Scholarship Fund. The money is to be disbursed as five cheques of $50 each to accompany specific awards. 

Council also agreed to donate $300 to the Kidsmas and Town tree lighting event.

"It's a great event and I'm glad to see it's going ahead again this year," said councillor Jason Sullivan.

"It's been growing every year, I think, since it's started, and it's great to see," agreed Mayor O'Driscoll.

Later in the meeting, council voted to provide a $200 donation to the Ferryland RCMP detachment for its Kids Ride On Program.

And finally, council also agreed to cover the cost of some 50 vegetable hampers for the Dean Patrick Cleary Council of the Knights of Columbus’ Christmas Hamper Program.

The motion was made by councillor Sullivan who estimated the value of the donation to be some $600.

The motion was seconded by councillor Ethan Williams and passed unanimously.

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Craig Westcott.

Witless Bay says yes to Santa, no to Miss NL

By Mark Squibb
November 24, 2023 Edition

Witless Bay council handed out a number of donations during last week’s council meeting.

Council first approved a donation of $200 to the Mobile Central High School Scholarship Program.

Next, council approved a donation of $250 for the Knights of Columbus Christmas Hamper program.

Council then voted to donate $750 to the Kinsmen Club for the Santa Clause Parade, which will be held on December 2.

“This is wonderful kick off to the Christmas season,” said councillor Jacob Hayden of the parade. “This will go towards the prize for the best float and loot bags for the children.”

And though council was quick to approve a number of requests, there were a few organizations that didn’t receive council ’s blessing.

Council denied a request for support to the Miss NL Pageant as it isn’t a locally based cause, though councillor Ralph Carey allowed council would maybe consider supporting it next year.

Council also denied a request for community sponsorship for the 2024 East Coast Trail Association’s Trail Raiser Fundraiser, but didn’t close the door on the association entirely. Carey said council hadn’t budgeted for the donation this year, and the Association could feel free to apply again in 2024.

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Craig Westcott.

Province greenlights new Irish Loop trail

By Mark Squibb
November 24, 2023 Edition

 

The provincial government’s Department of Environment and Climate Change has given the go ahead for construction of a 4.1-kilometre multi-use trail linking Cape Pond Road to Horse Chops Road.

The Bay Bulls to Bauline Athletic Association (BBBAA) registered the project in October 2022, and government approved the Environmental Protection Plan on November 9 of this year.

The trail, which will be wide enough to accommodate both foot traffic and motorized vehicles, will tie into existing trails in the region.

 “This will be fantastic for the region,” said Bay Bulls Mayor Keith O’Driscoll. “It will provide a trail basically right from Bay Bulls to Cappahayden.”

BBBAA chairman Scott Penney said his group has partnered with the Southern Shore Trail Association on the project, and commended the efforts by that group to improve trails in the area.

“We believe that this is a regional project, and that’s what we’re about,” said Penney. “We’re not about one community, we’re about the region.”

Penney said trails attract people to the area, and they bring their wallets with them.

“Some of the trails are better than some of the roads in the province,” Penney joked. “And the volunteers that pulled this off and did fundraisers should be commended. We’re just glad to be a part of it. These are the things that build communities.”

O’Driscoll noted that at this year’s Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador conference, one of the sessions touched on the importance of community trails.

The BBBAA last week also donated $20,000 for the upgrading and maintenance of the trail network.

O’Driscoll said that getting the approval was the biggest hurdle, and now it’s a matter of straightening away the paperwork and getting the work underway.

 

 

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Craig Westcott.

O’Brien welcomes more signs of land development in Bay Bulls

By Craig Westcott
November 24, 2023 Edition

 

Bay Bulls council appears to be conducting an increasing amount of business outside the council chamber and via e-mail with ratification of its decisions at public meetings afterwards.

At the regular public meeting held last Wednesday, councillors ratified four motions they had previously approved privately via e-mail.

The first was for a change order involving site preparation work on the new outdoor rink.

Deputy Mayor Jason O'Brien made the motion to ratify an e-mail vote held on October 18 that approved an additional $7,875 plus HST to be spent on the project.

O'Brien's motion was seconded by councillor Jason Sullivan and passed unanimously.

The second ratification, for an e-mail vote held October 26, authorized staff to make a limited call to engineering companies to bid on providing prime consulting services for phase two of the Long Pond Trail.

The third e-mail vote that had to be ratified concerned replacement of the Town Hall's water filtration system. Deputy Mayor O'Brien declared a conflict. The e-mail vote had accepted the lowest compliant bid on the work, which came from Great Island Water. The company was hired to replace and upgrade the water filtration system at the Town Hall at a cost of $2,485 plus HST.

The fourth e-mail vote that had to be ratified publicly to make it legal concerned the appointment of new councillor Ethan Williams as the Town's representative on the board of the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre.

In other council news:

Four development applications were approved for construction. Two were for new residential properties at 69-71 Solomon Close, and 130 Island Cove Road. The approvals are subject to the Provincial Department of Digital Services and Service NL also giving approval for the well and septic disposal systems for the homes. The third application was for a residential accessory building at 12-14 Solomon Close. 

The fourth application was for a Crown Land application on Winnonish Drive. It involves 1.03 hectares of land to be used as a distribution line by Newfoundland Power.

Council also agreed to move forward on a Municipal Plan Review for lands situated at 213 - 215 Southern Shore Highway, 213 to 295 Southern Shore Highway, 295A Southern Shore Highway, and 297 and 299 Southern Shore Highway. The application is to change the zoning from Rural to Mixed Development. The motion to seek the review was made by councillor Williams and seconded by councillor Sullivan.

"It's good to see more proposed development of land for the town," said Deputy Mayor O'Brien.

 

The Town itself is applying to the Provincial Crown Lands Division to obtain a grant for land located behind the soccer field on Cemetery Lane West. The land will be used to make an extension to the recreational grounds.

On a related note, Martin Land Services has won the contract to provide surveying services to allow a Municipal Plan Amendment at Station Road Park and for the proposed extension to the recreational grounds. The company will be paid $3,700 plus HST. Councillor Sullivan declared a conflict of interest on the vote because he owns land in the area.

Meanwhile, council has walked away from awarding a contract to supply and install a handrail at the recreational grounds because it received only one bid to do the work and the amount was deemed too high.

Councillor Sullivan made the motion to defer it for now. He suggested the Town contact more companies to make sure it is getting the best pricing.

"Hopefully we're going to reach out to some other companies that does fabrication to get a feel for the prices," said Deputy Mayor O'Brien.

"I think that (sole bid) seems steep, but we'll see," said Sullivan.

Neither the bidder’s name nor the bid amount was disclosed during the discussion. Sullivan's motion passed unanimously.

And finally, council has rejected an application from a business seeking to get a remission on its taxes. It wasn't clear from the wording of the motion if the owner was looking for cancellation of all the taxes, or part of the amount.

Deputy Mayor O' Brien moved to deny the request but added the Town can look at a modified relief plan on interest charges for 2024. The motion was seconded by councillor Williams and passed unanimously.

"I just think this is a bit of a big ask for a business," said O'Brien. "I know a lot of people are probably having troubles, but there are probably many businesses in similar situations. I think this one is too much to ask of us at this time. We'll help where we can with interest relief, I think, but that's probably the best we can offer at this time."

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Craig Westcott.

Swain gets deferral on Ragged Beach reserve vote

By Mark Squibb
November 24, 2023 Edition

An important step in the confirmation of a 75-hectare land reserve near Ragged Beach was deferred last week.

The Province announced the land reserve in September to restrict development of Crown Land to reduce light pollution and protect seabirds inhabiting islands in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve.

The creation of the reserve requires a change to Witless Bay’s Municipal Plan. A motion to ask the Province to start the process to make that change, which includes a public hearing, approval from all other municipalities on the Northeast Avalon, and an amendment to the St. John’s Urban Region Regional Plan, was up for a vote but newly elected member Margaret Swain asked her colleagues to defer it.

“I haven’t had enough time to study this to where I would feel comfortable voting on it,” said Swain, who was acclaimed to council on November 1. Last week’s meeting was her first on council since being acclaimed.

Councillor Jacob Hayden seconded Swain’s request.

“This is Margaret’s first meeting, and she really only got in with us last week, so I have no issue giving her the time to get caught up on everything,” said Hayden. “There’s a lot of paperwork to go through, we’ve had several meetings about all of this over the past four months, and so I have no issues with her getting caught up.”

Councillor Ralph Carey said the amendment is about ensuring the Town’s map and the Province’s are in agreement.

“What this is, is that the St.  John’s Urban Regional Plan and our plan have to coincide,” said Carey. “One can’t say chalk and the other say cheese.”

Carey’s motion is to “rezone Crown Land in the Ragged Beach Dark Coast area from Residential and Rural to Conservation.” It’s unclear whether that would stop all development of any privately-owned land in the area.

When the Province announced the Crown Land Reserve, it indicated willingness to make exceptions and work with private landowners who have previously established rights.

Contacted by the Irish Loop Post, Witless Bay’s chief administrative officer Jennifer Aspell said there is only one reserve in effect, that being the provincial one. She added the Town is reviewing the 2013-2023 Municipal Plan and Development Regulations and public consultation will be part of the process.

 

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Craig Westcott.

34th Annual Firefighters Ball

November 24, 2023 Edition

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Craig Westcott.