Commonwealth lane re-opening delayed again

By Tyler Waugh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A stretch of Commonwealth Avenue closed since November 2025 due to work on a private underground asset, has seen its re-opening delayed again, much to the chagrin of city council.
A 140-metre section of the southbound curb side lane between the Whiteley Drive intersections was scheduled for an already delayed re-opening in late May. However, ongoing engineering challenges amid road structure concerns has pushed the anticipated opening date to July 2026, despite the city’s ongoing requests for an accelerated timeline for reopening.
“The city recognizes and shares the frustration of residents and commuters and is committed to resolving the issue and restoring full access to Commonwealth Avenue as soon as possible,” councillor Mark Rice reported during a roundtable discussion at the May 26 regular council meeting. “The issue originated in December 2025 when Bell conducted work on an underground concrete chamber at this location. During a routine city inspection concerns were identified about the structural integrity of the chamber roof.”
Rice reported that Bell then retained a third-party structural engineering firm to carry out further inspections and testing and it was determined in February 2026 that the chamber roof did not meet the required load capacity under the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code.
Bell was required to revise its approach and submit updated engineering drawings to the city.
“There has been a lot of back and forth between Bell and the city on this one,” Rice said, adding that factors like additional engineering work and weather conditions contributed to the delays.
“The city’s priority right now remains ensuring that the work is to be completed safely and in compliance with all regulatory requirements.”
Bell has ultimately decided to shift its approach from an underground solution to an above-ground cable transfer.

Engineering director Scott Batt told council that Bell stated in the past week that it is looking to implement a temporary steel plate solution at the site to hopefully open the roadway sooner than the final project completion date.
Mayor Dave Aker said the fact that the company has closed a lane down for what has amounted to eight months, and is now considering a different approach, is totally unacceptable.
“It makes you wonder if they’d picked the right way in the first place would they have had this done back in January,” Aker said.
Rice said the city is not seeking any recourse or action against Bell at this time.
The City has maintained an ongoing notice about this work on mountpearl.ca. Updates have also been provided through Facebook, beginning with the initial notice in November, followed by updates in December and January.

Mount Pearl to get another Timmies

By Tyler Waugh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Mount Pearl residents could soon see another spot to get their double-double fix, with a future drive-thru Tim Hortons on Kenmount Road getting a conditional green light from City council.
The secondary building will be adjacent to the gas station and convenience store already under development by Northbrook Construction, on behalf of Tim Horton’s, and located at 629-631 Kenmount Rd.
“That development is moving along quite handily,” said Mayor Dave Aker at the April 28 public meeting.
Council approved the proposed planned development of the secondary building for a drive-through use at that meeting and made a motion to enter into a development agreement with the property owner conditional upon the development meeting all requirements and conditions set forth by the City, Service NL, the St. John’s Regional Fire Department and other government agencies or stakeholders.
“Any approval would also be contingent upon meeting all relevant development standards and departmental conditions,” read the administrative report in the April 28 agenda.
The property shall not be subdivided and will remain as two buildings on one lot. The parcel may not be sold or subdivided without prior written approval from the City.
Public input was solicited in writing up to 12 noon on Monday, April 13, and no submissions were received by the City, and no interest was expressed in attending the briefing session, which was then cancelled.

City working ‘hand in hand’ with Masonic Park

By Tyler Waugh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Mount Pearl City Council passed a motion at its April 28 public meeting to provide some upfront funding and waive permit fees for a proposed affordable seniors housing project.

Masonic Park is a non-profit, affordable seniors housing project that administration said would account for just under 50 per cent of the City’s affordable housing commitment when completed. The project’s completion is anticipated in early 2027.

“This is a great opportunity,” said councillor Bill Antle, who put forth the motion to waive associated permit fees for the project up to $50,000 and to provide $50,000 in up front funding from the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).

 “Masonic Park is looking for some funding and we are looking for some housing, so we are working hand in hand with Masonic Park,” said Antle.

Antle pointed out that the HAF money would usually be handed out upon receiving the occupancy permit, based on the program guidelines, but that the recommendation stems from the project’s strong alignment with HAF objectives, its focus on building affordable seniors housing and its projected significant contribution toward meeting the city’s affordable housing targets.

Administration highlights that this would mirror previous supports incentives provided under the program, specifically support for the Columbus Centre, a proposed 20-unit affordable housing project in Mount Pearl.

“There’s certainly a demand for seniors housing, certainly for affordable seniors housing,” Mayor Dave Aker said.

In 2024, the City of Mount Pearl, in partnership with the Government of Canada, entered into a HAF agreement to expedite the construction of 180 housing units, with a cumulative target of 386 units by 2027. The agreement is designed to remove barriers and accelerate housing delivery by modernizing policies, streamlining permitting processes, and providing targeted incentives to support new construction and redevelopment.  From the launch of the HAF program in 2024 through the end of the third reporting period, Mount Pearl has achieved 35 per cent of the housing supply growth target established through the agreement with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

The fund is a partnership initiative with the federal government designed to help address the ongoing housing crisis across Canada, according to the administrative report in the April 28 agenda. The program focuses on accelerating housing delivery, with a particular emphasis on higher-density developments that can be brought to market more quickly.

“As part of its participation in the HAF program, the City of Mount Pearl has announced a suite of incentives aimed at supporting both private developers and non-profit organizations undertaking housing projects within the city,” reads the agenda report.

Mount Pearl published the annual report for Year Two of the HAF initiative in April.

The report states that 134 net new housing units have been permitted toward the overall HAF commitment of 386 units.

“With 252 units remaining to reach the full target, the City is well positioned to continue building on this progress as additional projects advance through the development and permitting process over the remaining program period,” reads the report.