Blades and Caps square off Tuesday in opening match of Don Johnson Cup

Mount Pearl last hosted the Atlantic Junior B hockey championships in 2003 and last won the cup in 1986. The 35th iteration of the Don Johnson Memorial Cup will be held at the Mount Pearl Glacier from April 23rd to the 28th. From left are Blades’ members Sean Rodgers, Lucas White, Andrew Stamp, Evan Kennedy, and Jacob Payne.

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After finishing the regular season in the St. John’s Junior Hockey League as the most winning team, the Mount Pearl Junior Blades are vying now for the top spot in the 2024 Don Johnson Memorial Cup as they fight for Atlantic-wide bragging rights on their home turf.

The Blades are hosting the Atlantic Junior B hockey championships this year which will bring the top teams from the four eastern provinces to the Glacier for some top caliber competition.

The Blades kick off the tournament on Tuesday night against familiar faces St. John’s Junior Caps, who bested Mount Pearl during the St. John’s Junior Hockey League Championships just this month.

Director of Media with the Don Johnson Host Committee Nicholas Hillier is hoping for a full house when the two hometown heroes square off on opening night.

“Mount Pearl and St. John’s were neck and neck in the regular season and seeing them two as the representatives (of this province) just goes to show the quality of hockey that the Don Johnson is going to put out,” said Hillier.

The tournament is named for a hockey organizer widely regarded as one of the key builders of amateur hockey in Newfoundland. The late Don Johnson was first elected president of the Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association, the predecessor of Hockey NL, in 1966, and was president of the Canadian Hockey Association from 1975-1977.

Hillier said everybody from the Blades’ players to management and coaching staff are hoping to make good after getting knocked out in the semi-finals of the league playoffs this year.

“They’re hungry for a bit of redemption,” he said. “They put a good game of hockey on the ice all season… They had a bit of heartbreak, faced a bit of adversity. We’ll be looking to go home with a bit of hardware in terms of the Atlantic Junior Championships. The opportunity to host Don Johnson doesn’t come every year. Newfoundland and Labrador only gets it once every four years.”

Hillier has observed a spike in attendance at local junior games leading up to the cup, and hopes it continues for the Atlantics.

“A sold out rink on Tuesday night is going to be our number one goal,” he said.

Community awareness of the tournament is also top of mind for the host committee.

For those unable to attend the games, the action will be well documented with a strong presence by broadcasters, videographers and photographers capturing all of the excitement.

The games will be viewable online, and social media will be keeping up with all of the big plays.

“Our social media content is going to be really high quality, every goal is going to be on our social media, we’re going to be updating live the whole week,” said Hillier.

Two years ago, The Blades lost 2-1 in the semi-finals to the Kent Koyotes who would go on to win the cup that year. The Blades will get another chance for redemption when they face-off against the Koyotes on Thursday Night.

“That’s going to be a really fun game to watch,” Hillier said.

A member of Johnson’s family will be present to open the tournament on Tuesday night with a ceremonial puck drop.

“You're putting five of the best teams from Atlantic Canada on the same ice surface over a week,” said Hillier. “This is going to be the best hockey on the island right now. For ten dollars it’s going to be a great night out.”

The 2024 Don Johnson Cup will take place at the Glacier from April 23rd to the 28th.

Aker bringing agenda of topics to Urban Municipalities meeting

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Mount Pearl Mayor Dave Aker will be bringing a common message for government when he attends the Urban Municipalities Committee Meeting in Pasadena this weekend.
The committee is a subgroup within Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador and represents towns and cities in the province with a population of over 3000 people. It meets quarterly.
Aker, along with the mayors of 22 of the province's largest municipalities, will be sharing with MNL their comments and concerns in hopes of directing the parent group’s lobbying efforts on their behalf.
Obtaining and maintaining an adequate workforce to deliver municipal services is among Aker’s chief concerns, as well as acquiring funding for City operations.
“We’re all looking for more funding, we need more funding to pay for operating costs which inflation has ultimately made very, very much more challenging,” he said.
A discussion about how MNL can support urban municipalities in new ways is also on the agenda.
Aker also intend to brief his colleagues on his city’s efforts to update the City of Mount Pearl Act. He said the years-old current Act is proscriptive in outlining what the City is able to do, and needs to be updated to enable more autonomy. That will require enabling legislation from the provincial government in the legislature.
“What we’re hoping is the new Cities Act will speak to legislation that enables larger communities like Corner Brook and Mount Pearl to do our business without having to go to Municipal Affairs and always consult,” he explained. “We have very good professional staff. We have enough scale that we can muster all the resources required, including financing, debt management, all of those things that make a municipality operate effectively.”
Mount Pearl’s recent acquisition of $6.1 million dollars under the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund will also be discussed at the meeting.

Frosty - the biography

Memories of the Frosty Festival is a breezy read while giving an informative look at the carnival’s 40-plus year history. Sports and competitions, pageants, food, volunteers, and even the face of Frosty himself are all given treatment within its pages. Chad Feehan Local Journalism Initiative Reporter photo

New book charts the history of Mount Pearl’s annual winter festival

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Frosty Festival has been uniting the community of Mount Pearl with entertainment, food, sports and dance since 1983, offering residents a nearly two-week long soiree during winter's coldest, darkest months.
Now, the story of the Frosty Festival has been told from its earliest beginnings in Memories of the Frosty Festival, a new book compiled and published by Admiralty House Communications Museum.
The trip down memory lane takes readers from 1983 to 2023, shedding light on the events that comprise the festival, the people who make it happen, and what it means for the people of Mount Pearl.
Frosty Festival Chairperson Megan Winter, who has been volunteering with the festival in some way or another since 2003, said the volunteers who make it happen often forget they are in the process of making history, which the book does a great job of preserving.
“To be able to produce a book that really focuses on the story of the festival going back to ’83, it really captures the essence of what the festival is,” she said. “For a lot of people, the festival is nostalgic. It’s full of great memories and it’s a source of great pride for the people of Mount Pearl.”
Memories of the Frosty Festival sets the scene by detailing the origins of the city itself, when it was just a tract of land given to Commander James Pearl in 1829. Jump to the early 1980’s, when engineer and politician Neil Winsor raised the idea of holding a winter carnival in the town.
A committee was formed soon after, and as can be read in the book, the rest is history.
From February 4th to the 12th, 1983, the first “Frosty” featured 43 events, and was sponsored by all the major community groups in the town, including the Cadets, Lion’s Club, Knights of Columbus, United Church Men’s Club, Mount Pearl Soccer Association, Ladies Auxiliary, and the Legion.
Since then, Frosty Festival has changed in some ways and stayed the same in others, according to the needs and wants of the community.
The vehicle parade of the 80’s would not last long, but would eventually become a nighttime pedestrian parade of lights at the festival’s 35th iteration.
Trivia night would balloon from a modest 12 teams to 45, and the annual Kentucky Cup hockey game between Mount Pearl Senior High and O’Donel High has a colourful interest all its own, so colourful in fact, that organizers had to scrap the contest.
“You look at your events, you modify them, always evaluating what the community wants and what the people want,” Winter said.
The festival's titular mascot Frosty has been through numerous incarnations, beginning with a visage curiously similar to Bonhomme of the Quebec Winter Carnival, before giving way to various other costumes throughout the decades.
Admiralty House Museum Manager Megan Webb has been working on the book since starting her role with the museum in January of 2023, taking over from previous museum manager Sarah Ryan. Webb said the book started out as an oral history but evolved into its final form after finding success in collecting stories, photos, and memorabilia from the community.
“There was such a wealth of information and so much interesting history to be celebrated that it was decided to compile it into a book so it could be enjoyed by many people,” she said.
For Webb, the book is a way to give back, and preserve individual stories from the festival that might not otherwise be told.
“A lot of the community of Mount Pearl, from my experience, really seeks that nostalgia,” she said. “That’s one of the reasons why people have been enjoying the book because it really embodies that sense of nostalgia.”
Memories of the Frosty Festival can be found at the Admiralty House Communications Museum in Mount Pearl.

Easter Bunny and Friends

Before he made his Sunday morning rounds, The Easter Bunny hopped his way into the Reid Centre on Saturday to treat neighborhood children to a special breakfast and brunch. In addition to a hearty feast, participants enjoyed an afternoon of Easter themed-games and activities. Sitting with the Easter Bunny from the left are Mia Baker and Summer Peach of Mount Pearl. Submitted photo

Chamber of Commerce celebrates top businesses

Golfshotz was one of nine businesses to win awards at the Mount Pearl - Paradise Chamber of Commerce Best In Business Awards Gala last week. The indoor driving range and cocktail bar, which contains a virtual golf simulator, took home the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. From left to right are Mount Pearl - Paradise Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Luke Gibbons, and Golfshotz co-owners Tara O’Reilly and Trever Heffernan. Chad Feehan Local Journalism Initiative Reporter photo

Golfshotz takes Entrepreneur of the Year Award

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Reid Centre in Mount Pearl resembled the glitz and glam of a tinsel town ball last week when the Mount Pearl - Paradise Chamber of Commerce held its Best in Business Awards Gala.
The Chamber, which opened its doors in 1985, holds the gala every year to encourage excellence in business practices.

Host Keith Power of Spirit of Newfoundland had the crowd laughing throughout the evening, while musicians Dana Parsons and Wade Tarling kicked off the night with a few musical numbers.
With almost 200 people in attendance, some 48 businesses were nominated for nine awards.
Chamber President Colleen Glynn told the guests it’s an exciting time to be in business.

The first award of the night, the Innovation Award, went to Genoa Design, a production design firm in Mount Pearl specializing in 3D modelling services to shipbuilding and offshore industries in the province.
“Feeling like being at the Oscars,” said Luke Joyce, director of communications and marketing at Genoa Design. “Thank you to the chamber for the award, it’s greatly appreciated. We are very proud to be a company in Mount Pearl. We have two locations and almost 200 people working here, and we really appreciate your support, and we love supporting the community.”
Golfshotz, an indoor driving range and cocktail bar took home the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Golfshotz opened in 2019, and soon after navigated the trials and tribulations of running a new business during a pandemic.
Co-owner Trevor Heffernan cited 2023 as very likely the most stressful year of his life, but appreciated the recognition nonetheless.

“This is one of the best feelings that I’ve ever had,” added Tara O’Reilly, the other half of Golfshotz. “Both Trevor and I have had a really strong work ethic instilled in us since a very young age. It’s nice to be recognized and have an award that represents that.”
The New Business of the Year Award went to Advantage RV Repair Services, founded and helmed by Curt MacKenzie who was visibly moved by the recognition.
“Just to be nominated… it’s completely unexpected,” he said.
After congratulating the other nominees in the category,  MacKenzie went on to detail the difficulties of Advantage RV’s first year of business.
“We opened March 1st, 2020, with one employee,” he said, pausing for a row of laughter from the audience. “What happened 16 days later? The world shut down.”
Since then his company has grown substantially in both profit and personnel, citing participation in the chamber as a boon to his success.
The Local Impact - Mount Pearl Award went to the Mount Pearl Soccer Association, a household name in local sports for over 50 years.
President Lisa Inkpen was there to accept the award, who like many winners that night, said she was simply honored to be nominated, noting that many people in the room have likely been touched or involved in MPSA in their lifetime.
“As a longstanding not-for-profit, we feel that it’s always been about community and our volunteers and the City of Mount Pearl,” she said. “We’re so honored to be a part of the community and we’re grateful for everybody’s contribution.”
Ray’s K&D Grocery in Paradise took home the Local Impact - Paradise Award. The store has been very involved in community work as of late, including working with Food First NL to battle hunger, supporting a community group garden, and helping with plans for a soup kitchen on the horizon.
Kim French accepted the award, stating it was time to give back to the community after 43 years in business.
“Even in a world of big business domination, us little guys are still very relevant,” she said. “We’re actual street reach and are important regardless of what’s going on with all the big players out there.”
The Customer Service Award went to Coleman’s Mount Pearl, with communications coordinator Sasha Persaud accepting it on behalf of the company.
Persaud sang the praises of her co-workers and their dedication to customer service.
“Our team creates a natural, family-like atmosphere, always willing to listen and striving to improve our customer service,” she said.
Persaud dedicated the award to Ed Hannaford, a Colemans employee who died just this month. Hannaford, she said, exhibited the qualities being saluted by the chamber and was vital to the store’s “warm and loving culture.”
“This one’s for you,” she said.
Employee of the Year bragging rights went to Olha Rabchevska, a pastry chef at Coffee Matters in Paradise who emigrated to the community from Ukraine just last year.
She appeared with co-owner Scott Hillier, who praised her adaptability and willingness to learn many duties within the business.
Rabchevska was elated upon receiving the award, mentioning how much she enjoys working with the team.
“After leaving my home in Ukraine I now have all of my family in Canada,” she said. “Newfoundland is a wonderful place with very good people. Newfoundland is now my home.”
The second last award given out was the Business Excellence Award for Companies with less than 15 Employees, which went to Up Sky Down Films and accepted by owner and operator Roger Maunder.
Up Sky Down is a prolific film studio based in Mount Pearl with an extensive portfolio across the province, including the nomination videos showcased at the gala.
“The thing about having a production company is it’s different every day,” said Maunder. “This recognition underscores our commitment to exceptional work and strong relationships. We’re thankful for the trust of our clients and partners which pushes us to surpass expectations and build meaningful connections.”
Next month, Up Sky Down will be airing Forgotten Warriors on CBC, a film about nine people from Conne River who took on the government.
At the awards show's end, Landwash Brewery took home the Business Excellence Award for Companies with more than 15 Employees. A very elated co-owner Christy Coady accepted the honour and thanked her entire staff one by one for the company's success.
“Thank you to the judges, thank you to the Mount Pearl Paradise Chamber of Commerce, and congratulations to the rest of the nominees,” she said. “You’re all awesome and excellent.”
TD Bank sponsored this year’s installation of the business awards. The Paradise Double Ice Complex will hold the show in 2025.

Chamber members celebrate the green

Members of the Mount Pearl - Paradise Chamber of Commerce and other professionals in the business community blew off some steam at Skye’s Pub and Eatery last week at the chamber’s St. Paddy’s Day Mixer. In addition to a night of networking, they were treated to a delicious pot of Irish stew. From left to right are the chamber’s Executive Assistant Jody Chaulk, President Colleen Glynn, and Executive Director Wanda Palmer. Chad Feehan - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Photo

Council backs Easter Seals Month

Easter Seals program coordinator Brianna Pelley dropped by Mount Pearl City Hall this week to ring in Easter Seals Month. From left are councillors Isabelle Fry, Chelsea Lane, Jim Locke, Mayor Dave Aker, Brianna Pelley, and councillors Mark Rice and Bill Antle. Chad Feehan photo

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The City of Mount Pearl’s Mayor Dave Aker is calling upon the residents of the city to support the charity organization Easter Seals as it officially observes the month of March as Easter Seals Month.
Easter Seals supports people of all ages with disabilities. It offers some 20 programs and services, including camps, recreational activities, and educational and awareness programs.
“Approximately 100,000 people of all ages in our province live with disabilities such as physical, sensory, cognitive, or other disabilities that present barriers to full participation in society,” Aker said.
Its recreation programs help people explore their abilities through independence camps, art and music therapy, and adaptive sports, while promoting full, engaged lifestyles.
Employment and educational services assists people overcome barriers to employment and help them prepare for, transition into, and maintain gainful employment.
Councillor Chelsea Lane, who is an instructional resource teacher who works with children with disabilities, reflected on how meaningful it is for people involved in Easter Seals. She’s seen the improvements to quality of life that organizations such as Easter Seals can have on people with disabilities.
“Thank you to all of the organizations who support those with disabilities,” Lane said. “Disabilities are not about what you can’t do, it’s about what you can do.”
Easter Seals has been operating in Newfoundland since 1937.

Council applauds engineering staff

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The City of Mount Pearl is observing March as National Engineering Month and is recognizing staff for their contributions.

Councilor Bill Antle led the discussion at a council meeting last week, and thanked the city's professional engineers, engineering technologists, and other technological staff for advancing infrastructure and benefitting the lives of Mount Pearl residents.

“National Engineering Month celebrates the heart and soul of engineers, their passion, commitment, and action towards making the world and Mount Pearl a better place,” he said. “We have a great staff here at the city, and I certainly congratulate them for all the work they do for the City of Mount Pearl.”

Councilor Mark Rice said that engineers are involved in all city projects, from navigating the twists and turns of industrial change orders to dealing with the effects of climate change.

“All new stormwater infrastructure is designed to effectively handle increased rainfall,” said Rice by way of example. “The city’s zero net runoff policy and the requirement for stormwater detention systems helps prevent existing storm and sewer water courses from inundated during intense rainstorms.”

Rice also highlighted the city’s focus on reduction of greenhouse gasses in an effort to fight climate change.

“We see this at the Neil Winsor building where we’re trying to do some greenhouse changes up there, going with a more advanced system then we’ve had before,” he said. “Reduction of greenhouse gasses has been identified as being crucial to slowing climate change, so we continuously collaborate with our engineering consultants to ensure that design and construction of facilities such as the Summit Centre and the new community centre at the Team Gushue Complex are LEED (Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design) certified and energy efficient.”

Rice thanked Director of Planning, Engineering, and Development Gerard Antle and asked him to pass on his thanks on to staff for their contributions.

Trail group and City still at odds over Commonwealth crossing

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Trail advocates and members of Mount Pearl City council continue to search for a midpoint where they can agree on how to address the busy and dangerous intersection of the T’Railway and Commonwealth Avenue.

Gary Martin, a member of the Commonwealth Avenue T-Rail Crossing Group as well as Bicycle Newfoundland and Labrador, argues the crossing should be prominent in the City’s Accessibility Plan, which has no mention of a crosswalk.

The problem is that the trail is bisected at the bottom of a steep hill coming off Topsail Road where cars rush down towards the intersection of Commonwealth and Ruth Avenue, or up from Commonwealth to Topsail.

As it stands, the safest, and legal, solution is for trail users to walk up Commonwealth to the Park Avenue intersection, cross at the lights, and make their back down Commonwealth on the other side to rejoin the trail. The temptation for some, though, is to avoid the couple of hundred metres of sidewalk detour and risk crossing four lanes of often high speed traffic in an area where drivers are not expecting to see pedestrians.

Martin doesn’t think the City’s existing solution is simple or safe in lieu of what could be implemented.
“We’re looking at this entirely from a safety perspective,” he said.
Martin compares coming onto Commonwealth Avenue from the steep incline of Topsail Road and Mount Carson Avenue to the exit from Team Gushue Highway onto Park Avenue, of which there are multiple crosswalks in a row.
Martin said the multiple crosswalks on the Dodge City end of Park Avenue have a traffic calming effect, and the same could work for Commonwealth Avenue.

“Conceptually, in theory, by placing a crosswalk here (at the T’Railway instersection with Commonwealth), that would also reduce and mitigate speeds coming down here,” he said.
Mayor Dave Aker isn’t so quick to compare the two intersections of trail and road.
“The volume of traffic on Park Avenue is not quite the same as it would be on Commonwealth,” said the mayor. “Sometimes the considerations are a little bit different. There’s no real black and white solution to any intersection.”
Aker does agree with Martin on one thing: the situation is not ideal. However, he feels a crosswalk at the trail intersection on Commonwealth, even with flashing lights, would be more dangerous due to the congested nature of the area.
“It’s just the gap between the intersections and the parking lots in the area,” said Aker. “It’s too small.”
Kathy Hawkins, the manager at Inclusion NL, was asked by the City for her input on the issue. She suggested a crosswalk spanning both mouths of the trail, with flashing lights and sounds to warn drivers, as well as pedestrians, of its presence.
The walk up Commonwealth to the Park Avenue lights, she said, is a low accessibility route.
“The grade going up to that traffic light as well as the extra distance people have to make in order to get up there wasn't the most accessible process,” said Hawkins.
She compared the idea of a pedestrian crossing at the trail mouths on Commonwealth to the Rennies River Trail crossing on Kings Bridge Road by Dominion in St. John’s, which also crosses four busy lanes.
“Clearly it’s something that needs to be watched,” she said. “There are residents that have concerns if it moves up to the intersection, and there are those that have concerns if they keep the crosswalk exactly where the T’Railway is.”
As part of its recently enacted Accessibility Plan, the City is moving money towards making the Glacier Arena accessible for people with mobility issues. Martin asked why the same can’t be done for those using the trail.
“Why not make the crosswalk accessible,” he said. “This is used by CNIB visually impaired riders. They cannot cross safely.”

Martin suggested the City could apply for funding from outside sources such as ACOA and Trans Canada Trail to engineer a solution.

Aker is clear the City’s conversation about the intersection is not over, and suggests possible future solutions, such as diverting the trail altogether, or piggybacking on the eventual replacement of the bridge that runs across the Waterford River.
“Council isn’t going to give up on it,” said the mayor. “It is in our mind, we realize that a solution is needed. We listen to our residents.”

Getting ready for World Storytelling Day

Christine Hennebury headed a writing workshop at the Mount Pearl Annex last week, in which participants tossed “storytelling dice” that inspired randomized plots, themes, and ideas through their inscribed images. From left to right are Christine Hennebury, Jennifer Morgan, and Mary Little. Hennebury and Morgan will be hosting a World Storytelling Day story circle at The Annex on March 20th at 7:00 p.m. Photo by Chad Feehan Local Journalism Initiative Reporter