Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley returned to the City of Mount Pearl council chamber this past Tuesday for the bi-weekly public meeting, exactly one year since she was hit by a car at Shoppers Drug Mart on LeMarchant Road in St. John’s severely injuring her. Before returning right to the business at hand, Kieley thanked everyone who supported her along the way, hopeful for good things to come. Chad Feehan photo
Council puts restaurant attraction on the menu
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The City of Mount Pearl wants more dining options for its residents and is commissioning a restaurant market study in order to attract another full-service restaurant.
Councillor Chelsea Lane explained some details about the purpose of the study at this week's council meeting.
“This project is important as the City has heard from residents and businesses through community engagement that there is support for another full-service restaurant in the city,” Lane said.
Halifax-based planning and research firm FBM was the lowest of two qualified bidders for the study, coming in at $11,465.
Lane said FBM has extensive experience and success in retail gap and market analysis to drive economic growth for communities.
“This aligns with the City’s economic development priorities as the City identifies opportunities to grow emerging sectors, create more jobs, attract residents and visitors, and provide more amenities for new and existing residents and businesses,” she said.
Council picks operator for summer kiosk
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Mount Pearl’s newest mobile kiosk vendor is setting up just in time for the steadily improving weather.
After receiving the highest score out of 12 applicants hoping to land the summer kiosk space, Rockateer Treats will be stationed on Forest Avenue with a menu of freeze-dried offerings including candy, chocolate, and fruit.
The treat maker currently operates from a storefront in Paradise, as well as the St. John’s Farmers Market.
“Rockateer Treats has a large following on social media channels and has demonstrated its alignment with the City’s vision for affordable service offerings,” said councillor Mark Rice.
Councillor Jim Locke reflected on the success of last summer's kiosk, which was officially inaugurated with Eva’s Chimney Cones last August.
“It offers an opportunity for residents and visitors to get down to that part of our city and really explore the beautiful trails we have there down around Twin Falls,” Locke said. “It’s just another reason to get out and recreate in the City of Mount Pearl… This is an affordable operation here right now.”
Rockateer Treats is one of two kiosks that will be stationed on the Forest Avenue cul-de-sac, which will be offered by the City until September 3.
Events, activities, and entertainment will also take place on the Forest Avenue T’Railway area over the course of the summer.
Additional kiosks in other areas of the city will be announced.
Daycare gets the thumbs up
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Residents in the Mount Carson Avenue area may soon have an additional childcare option after a recent city council approval.
A property owner submitted an application to run a daycare centre on Maisonneuve Drive with a proposed operations schedule of Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
A notice of the application was posted to the City’s website and published in the newspaper on April 13, and was also circulated by mail to 144 residents, businesses, and property owners within a 150-metre radius of the proposed business.
Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley noted that a public briefing session was scheduled for May 1st but was cancelled due to lack of interest. She added the development permit will still be subject to Mount Pearl’s development regulations and a number of provincial and municipal guidelines.
‘It’s always great to see new childcare facilities open up in an area that is greatly needed,” Kieley said. “Certainly, it’ll bring some relief and some options for parents that are in need of childcare, and what better way than to open something right in your neighborhood.”
Mount Pearl lays it on for youth awards gala
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Mount Pearl’s best and brightest youth were honoured at the Glacier Arena last Thursday at the 34th annual Focus on Youth Awards.
Where usually sits a skating rink was a ball room of glitz, glamour, and excited youths and their families dressed to the nines, eagerly anticipating the results of each award announcement.
Summer Bennett and Grace Lee hosted the evening, while Mayor Dave Aker, MHA Lucy Stoyles, and MHA Paul Lane kicked off the night with opening remarks.
The first recognition of the night, the Youth Sport Team of the Year, went to the Mount Pearl Senior High boys basketball team. During the 2023-2024 season, the team won 22 games with only three losses. The squad also won the Hall of Fame Cup which ranked the players first in the province. The team also made a strong showing at the SSNL 4A provincial championships which it hosted, placing second.
The Youth Athlete of the Year Awards went to swimmer Chris Weeks and gymnast Jirah Hiscock.
Weeks joined the MUN Seahawks just last year and placed first in multiple competitions, became the top male point scorer, broke MUN swimming records, and was named Atlantic University Sport athlete of the week in November.
Hiscock represented the province with Campia Gymnastics at Atlantic, Eastern, national, and international competitions, placing first in most every event at the Atlantic Gymnastics competition. She also competed at the Lady Luck Invitational in Las Vegas and was the only participant in her age group to represent Team NL at the Canada Winter Games.
The Youth S.T.E.M. Award was given to a resident who excels in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Sophia Zhang, described as a scientific humanist, brought home the award for her dedication to Level 1 studies in math and chemistry, after-school robotics, math club, and involvement with math competitions and science fairs, all taking up a whopping 34 hours a week.
Zhang won gold at the Eastern Newfoundland Science and Technology Fair, received a SHAD scholarship, and will represent Science Team NL at the Canada Wide Science Fair in Ottawa.
Musician Darcie Kelly won the Youth Performing Arts Award for her varied involvement with the performing arts. Kelly dedicates roughly 20 hours a week to voice, piano, fiddle and dance lessons, in addition to practicing on her own. Kelly has won prizes at the Peter McDonald Musical Theatre Sing-Off and the Kiwanis Musical Theatre, as well as numerous awards in dance competitions.
The Youth Visual Arts Award went to Quinn O’Dea, who specializes in painting, and textiles such as quilting and rug hooking. O’Dea spends about 10 hours a week working on her craft.
The Youth Literary Arts Award was presented to Hannah Smith who has been writing stories for eight years, spending about 12 hours a week immersed in words. Smith writes poems, prose, short stories, and essays, all in a well-researched and structurally organized manner.
The cast and crew of O’Donel High School’s Shrek the Musical received the Performing Arts Recognition Award for their family-friendly stage adaptation of the modern classic movie and Broadway show. From October to February of this year, the cast and crew spent 15 to 20 hours a week getting ready for the show's big premiere including read-throughs, rehearsals, choreography, costume fittings, and prop design before selling out three shows at the Arts and Culture Centre.
The RNC Youth in Service Award was accorded to Isaac Manuel, an A plus student with a full schedule of arts, sports, and volunteer activities. Manuel took on the role of Shrek in Shrek the Musical, is an avid curler, mentors folks younger than him, and is involved in community efforts like blood drives and the Relay for Life.
The Youth Group of the Year award went to the 807 Mount Pearl Kinsmen Air Cadets, who were described as a large group of community-oriented individuals who are all well-educated on respect and giving back. Outside of their mandatory training, they have participated in ceremonies, parades, and community cleanups.
The Youth Opportunity Fund Youth Volunteer of the Year Award went to Alex Taylor, the busiest young musician in Mount Pearl. Taylor constantly volunteers and performs with community groups such as the Mount Pearl Lions Club, the Canadian Legion, and seniors homes. Currently, he can be found performing at Rocket Bakery in Mount Pearl every Sunday.
Closing out the night were the John Rossiter Memorial Youth of the Year Awards, presented to Eamon Fogwill and Courtney Abbott.
Active in both the arts and sports, Fogwill managed to maintain a 90 per cent average while excelling in everything he puts his mind to. Playing both house league and all-star in hockey, Fogwill’s teams between 2023 and 2024 won the MCHL gold medal, the MPMHA U18 C Bronze Medal, and silver at the U18 Phonse Cup.
In the arts, Fogwill is a public speaker, performed as one of the Three Little Pigs in Shrek the Musical, and played the national anthem on electric guitar for the 2023 U18 All-Star Provincials.
Abbott is another of Mount Pearl's A plus students with a strong community presence. In addition to taking advanced level physics, biology, chemistry, math, and calculus, Abbott is a coach with the Mount Pearl Soccer Association, part of the O’Donel Welcome Committee, Relay for Life Committee, and other endeavors. She’s won many awards during her soccer career, including the Achievement Award for instilling confidence in four young goalkeepers. Involved in Girl Guides from Sparks to Pathfinders, she has also completed the bronze and silver levels of the Duke of Edinburgh award and is always looking for more volunteer opportunities.
In between awards, the night featured a stacked lineup of young performers including Darcie Kelly, Alex Taylor, Hannah Connolly, Emma Neville, the casts of O’Donel High School’s Shrek the Musical and Mount Pearl Senior High’s Husky Follies, and the Salt Beef Junkies.
Veteran thankful to be wrapped in a blanket of love
Members of the Mount Pearl Seniors Independence Group recently gave Canadian Armed Forces veteran Wayne Conners a gift he will cherish forever, a Quilt of Valour to honour his service to Canada. From left to right are Agnes Murphy, Dee Lavandier, Wayne Connors, Sandra Seymour, Diane Power and Ruth Patten. Chad Feehan photo
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A quilt represents warmth, tenderness, and often the love imbued by its creator. But sometimes, somehow, it can mean even more.
Mount Pearl resident and military veteran Wayne Connors received a quilt earlier this month on behalf of the Quilts of Valour Foundation, as stitched by a group of women from the Mount Pearl Seniors Independence Group.
The Quilts of Valour Canada Society was formed in 2006 by Edmonton quilter Lezley Swaal who wanted to give Canadian Armed Forces members a little bit of comfort after receiving injuries in Afghanistan.
Since then, over 20,000 veterans have received quilts of their own as a result of the foundation's volunteer work.
Connors spent 11 years with the Canadian Armed Forces from 1965 to 1976, first with the Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment, before serving the remainder of his time with the Royal Canadian Regiment of Canada after the former's disbandment. He completed two tours of peacekeeping missions in Cyprus, was stationed in Quebec during the October Crisis, and engaged in various training missions and other military responsibilities.
“It was an exciting time, every day was different,” Conners said. “Eleven years went pretty fast; I loved my time in the service.”
Upon receiving his quilt, Conners admitted to feeling a sense of pride for his service that he’d never really thought about before. Being honored in this way, he admitted, was one of the highlights of his life.
“That was really something special,” he said. “Those wonderful, beautiful ladies, to do that work.”
Although the quilt was stitched by members of the Mount Pearl Seniors Independence Group, it was presented to Conners by Maj. Lisa Compton, a retired military nurse who served in six deployments to Afghanistan.
“These quilts are packed up with so much feeling and love before it even gets to you,” Compton said during the ceremony. “It’s important for us at Quilts of Valour to recognize all of that service and sacrifice that you’ve given.”
Also a veteran, Conners’ father-in-law Joseph Lajoie lives in a veterans centre in Saint John, New Brunswick having served in the Ordnance Corps in the 1950’s.
Upon learning Conners has family ties to an aging veteran, Compton said she’d make sure he gets a quilt of his own too.
Compton recently gave quilts to 10 residents of the Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion, and will be giving out many more as veterans return home to pay respects to the Unknown Solider later this summer.
“We’re going to be busy as bees giving out quilts during that time,” she said.
Conners’ quilt is being stored in a special bag in his home in Mount Pearl. If it wasn’t for his mischievous cat, it may have been displayed across his bed. He plans to eventually bequeath the quilt to his daughter Anne Whitten or his son Martin Connors down the road. “These quilts are famous,” Connors said. “All quilts are famous because they’re made with love.”
The Mounties get their trash
The group of retired RCMP officers who helped Rotarians last week take a bite out of the garbage in and on the banks of the Waterford River included, starting from left: Supt. Trudy Power, Staff Sgt. Ed Lutz, Sgt. Major Dave Tipple, Staff Sgt. Brian Campbell, Supt. Leo O'Brien, and Staff Sgt. Randy Mercer. Missing from the photo is Sgt. Major Jim Skanes. The members represent a combined 240 years of police experience.
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Members of the RCMP Veterans Association are still talking about the amount of trash they found during a cleanup of the Waterford River last week with members of the Rotary Club of Waterford Valley.
But they were also impressed by the good stewardship the Rotarians are demonstrating for the river.
Rotary co-chair Bill Stoyles said he is always grateful for the help, support, and empathy his organization receives from members of the community, but he wishes such cleanups didn’t have to happen in the first place.
“Some of the stuff that's going along the river is just shocking,” Stoyles said.
A group of roughly 15 Rotarians and RCMP veterans spruced up an area both east and west of Corisande Drive, collecting 46 bags of trash between them, much of it general litter and fast food containers.
The crew spent about an hour clearing up one particularly messy section of tarp, Tyvek, and a silt dam.
“That goes flying off into the underbrush and then it gets down into the river wrapped around a bunch of trees,” Stoyles said.
The Rotarians pick up more Tim Hortons Cups than any other bit of trash, which is a consistent trend through all of their numerous cleanups.
Stoyles and his group maintain the introduction of a return on pop bottles at the recycling depots has drastically reduced the number of bottles left around the city, as their return can generate a source of income for people.
Stoyles suggested a similar program for Tim Hortons cups would encourage the same effect.
“It’s shocking that there’s no refund on those cups,” he said. “I know you can’t very well blame Tim Hortons because it’s the people throwing them out.”
Stoyles said the RCMP veterans were more than enthusiastic about helping with the cleanup.
Retired Staff Sgt. Randy Mercer, one of the veterans at the cleanup, decided to help after seeing a story about the Rotarians efforts in The Shoreline and The Pearl News.
" I said, 'I want to be a part of that.' I went to our group, and they said, ‘Yes, let's do it.' So I got in contact with Rotary."
Mercer said if what his team and the other volunteers pulled from the river and its banks is any indication, "we're a dirty society. We've lost our sensibilities when it comes to taking care of our environment. It's just disgusting."
The retired Mounties couldn’t get over the amount of garbage they collected, but were gratified by how much was accomplished.
"A funny thing happened; just as myself and a buddy started to clean up one part of the river there on the side, two ducks came by and it almost looked like they were saying, 'Jeepers boys, thanks!'" said Mercer, laughing. "We're looking forward to it again."
The retired Mounties help with numerous charitable causes, including the Salvation Army's Christmas gift campaign, food kitchens, and the homeless. But this cleanup turned out to be particularly special. For some years, the retired officers had adopted a stretch of the TransCanada Highway between Butterpot Park and the Witless Bay Line and would clean up trash on both sides of the road. But after a provincial government employee was killed and a City of St. John's worker was seriously injured by a vehicle while working along the Outer Ring Road, the Province banned highway cleanups and only allows them now when a whole stretch of road can be closed to traffic.
"And rightly so too," said Mercer. "They (the provincial Department of Transportation) used to pick up the garbage for us after we bagged it up and put it on the side of the highway... So, for us as a group, we saw this as a really nice opportunity to get back into what we once did and what we enjoyed doing for the community. And of course, being on the river and doing it the way we did it, we were away from traffic and all that stuff. It was a beautiful evening."
Mercer said it was also enjoyable because the values of the two groups, namely taking care of the environment and the community, match up so well. "It was a perfect fit for the evening, and every one of our crew are saying we just hope that they'll call us back again. We want to do whatever other project that they are doing, because we found them such a positive group to be around."
Stoyles would like to see more residents expressing such pride in their neighborhoods by getting out and cleaning up open, public spaces in addition to their own backyards.
“They need to take ownership of it all. That’s what Rotary is doing. We’re taking ownership of the valley and we’re not going to put up with this,” he said.
Residents interested in helping with a community cleanup can get involved by calling Stoyles at 709-682-9244.
World Maternal Mental Health Day
To commemorate World Maternal Mental Health Day which took place on May 1, the City of Mount Pearl invited perinatal psychologist Dr. Archana Vidyasankar of the Perinatal Mental Health Alliance to say a few words at last week’s council meeting. Vidyasankar said the prevalence of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in the province is currently at 28 percent, which is eight percent higher than the national average. The organization's goals, she said, are to increase awareness, education, support and coordination for parents, and advocate for government and communities to increase supports. From left are councillors Jim Locke and Isabelle Fry, Dr. Archana Vidyasankar, Mayor Dave Aker and councillor Bill Antle. Chad Feehan photo
The Knights of Colombus hold lively game of bingo
The Knights of Colombus in Mount Pearl held a lively game of bingo at Our Lady, Queen of Families Parish last weekend. Parishioners and bingo enthusiasts like this trio of couples could be seen throughout the parish hall keeping a keen eye on the bingo sheets. Going clockwise around the table are Garry Etheridge, Harold Stapleton, Gerri Stapleton, Neal Hefford, Sandra Hefford, and Carol Etheridge. Chad Feehan photo
35th anniversary of Mount Pearl Public Library
A small group of regular patrons along with staff and some dignitaries marked the 35th anniversary of the Mount Pearl Public Library last week. The library opened its doors on Olympic Road on June 9, 1988. Original board member Ross King died in 2007, prompting the board to rename the building as the Ross King Memorial Public Library in his honor. In addition to celebrating its anniversary, the library also unveiled a new Makerspace program, which includes a hydroponics unit and 3D printer that are both available to the public. Acting Division Manager of NL Public Libraries Eastern Division Sarah Bartlett said she considers the Mount Pearl branch as the benchmark by which they measure success for all 28 locations on this side of the island. On hand for the ceremony were, from left: Mount Pearl North MHA Lucy Stoyles, Sarah Bartlett, Mount Pearl Public Library Board Chairman Pat Walsh, Mount Pearl – Southlands MHA Paul Lane, and Mount Pearl Councillor Mark Rice. Chad Feehan photo
