New transpo plan aims to make Mount Pearl less ‘car-centric’

By Mark Squibb

Mount Pearl council has approved a new transportation plan that aims to make it easier to get around the city without a vehicle of your own.

“The Integrated Transportation Plan (ITP) for the City of Mount Pearl was developed to guide future growth and mobility by transitioning the city from a car-centric model to a multimodal, sustainable, and smart transportation network,” said councillor Bill Antle. “The plan integrates road, transit, active transportation, and parking systems, aligning with the City’s Municipal Plan and strategic goals. Key objectives included reviewing the 2015 Integrated Transportation Study, conducting a comprehensive transportation analysis, and preparing a plan that supports safe and sustainable infrastructure.”

Mayor Dave Aker asked Chief Administrative Officer Cassie Rideout for clarification on how the plan meshes with the municipal plan and how it might affect the City’s regulations.

Rideout said there are no immediate impacts on the municipal plan and described the new transportation plan as a “guiding framework.”

“So, an issue may arise, and we’ll utilize the ITP to assess, with the information we have, the risk and the outcome and make an informed decision or recommendation to council that way,” said Rideout. “So, for example, if we were looking at future trail use planning, if we were looking at speeding concerns, if we were looking at development in a neighbourhood, and what active verses passive transportation looks like, if we were looking at regional transit planning with Metrobus, the ITP is a guiding framework. So, it may result in eventual changes to bylaws or regulations, but at this point in time there’s no immediate impact.”

Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley voiced her approval of the plan.

“This is going to be an incredibly important document moving forward,” said Kieley, adding that looking at transportation in a big-picture and long-term sort of way will have many benefits.

Councillor Mark Rice also applauded the plan, especially as it allows residents to request traffic calming measures on their streets.

“I’m so happy that we’re signing off and we’re actually taking part in putting this plan together, and at the end of the day, it’s going to be great for the city,” said Rice.

The new plan was approved unanimously during the August 5 public meeting.

Kieley likes progress on community centre

By Mark Squibb

Work is proceeding apace on Mount Pearl’s new community centre, says Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley.

The deputy mayor brought forward the update on the $15.5 million facility during council’s August 5 public meeting.

Kieley said the design phase of the community centre is mostly complete. Landscaping around the newly completed Canada Games parking lot has been completed as well, and several critical components of underground infrastructure necessary for the combined splash pad and ice surface have been delivered to the site.

Staff, meanwhile, remain in touch with the contractor to ensure things are running smoothly.

“I cannot reiterate how closely our team has been working with the development team,” said Kieley. “There’s been an incredible amount of work being done by some of our team members.”

Earlier this summer, council was given a tour of the facility.

“It was absolutely astounding,” said Kieley. “Certainly, everyone has seen, if you’ve passed by, the work being done. However, it was certainly special to see all the different areas, and you can start picturing and imaging services and events, and what it’s going to feel like being in the actual building, so it’s quite exciting.”

The new facility is set to replace the ageing Park Place community centre.

Mount Pearl MEO sworn in

Jordan Cole was sworn in as the City of Mount Pearl’s newest Municipal Enforcement Officer (MEO) during the August 5 public meeting. Cole served with the RCMP in Alberta, worked as an insurance fraud investigator, and with people suffering from addiction and mental health crises. MEOs patrol the city’s many trails, enforce the Highway Traffic Act, and partner with police to investigate crimes. All told, the City boasts a team of seven MEOs, led by superintendent Blair Tilley. From left are Tilley, recreation and community safety director Jason Collins, councillors Chelsea Lane and Isabell Fry, Mayor Dave Aker, Cole, CAO Cassie Rideout, and councillors Bill Antle and Mark Rice. Mark Squibb photo

Council hands off building permit powers to planning director

By Mark Squibb

If you’re submitting a building application to the City of Mount Pearl in the near future, you may find your application approved quicker than anticipated.

Council, last month, approved a motion delegating Planning, Engineering and Development Director Scott Batt the authority to approve residential and commercial building permits in an effort to streamline the permit approval process.

“I think this is a smart, efficient, way of doing business,” said Mayor Dave Aker, allowing council doesn’t want to be a “hold up” in the permit process. “Staff obviously understand the guidelines and will seek our approval when there’s variance. But when it’s in accordance with regulation and policy, I think it will be a little quicker from a service level point of view.”

Councillor Bill Antle added that in some cases council has been approving permits that have already been issued.

Council approved the motion to increase Batt’s authority unanimously.

Permits will still be brought forward to council, but for information purposes only.

Jackman Drive project split into phases

By Mark Squibb

Upgrades to Jackman Drive approved earlier this year will now be split into two phases of work.

Council this July approved a change order in the amount of $15,582, HST included, to accommodate costs associated with the change to the project.

The upgrades include the full replacement of water, sanitary, and storm systems, as well as asphalt, curb, and sidewalks. Council awarded the contract to Englobe this spring in the bid amount of $365,269 (HST included).

City uses leftover money for asphalt repairs

By Mark Squibb

The City of Mount Pearl will use some leftover federal funding to complete asphalt repairs around the city.

Councillor Mark Rice explained the City has about $749,770, HST included, in unused federal government funding as a result of some completed capital works projects that came in underbudget.

Staff recommend the unused money be reallocated to the 2025 Asphalt and Concrete Project budget.

“This project targets several high priority areas identified in the City’s infrastructure plan and will also provide flexibility to address urgent repairs that may arise during the construction season,” said Rice.

In order to use the money, the City must submit a formal Minute of Council to the department managing the federal program, asking to reallocate the money from the completed projects.

Council approved the motion unanimously, and later in the meeting awarded the 2025 Asphalt and Concrete contract to Dexter Construction Company Ltd., in the bid amount of $958,158, HST included.

Completed projects from which funding has been reallocated included road upgrades to Sunrise Avenue, Topsail Drive, Old Placentia Road, Park Avenue, upgrades to Dunn’s Road bridge and Commonwealth Avenue bridge, and upgrades to the storm sewer on Topsail Road.

Mount Pearl approves $6 million Kenmount Hill contract

By Mark Squibb

The City of Mount Pearl is one step closer to seeing the Kenmount Hill development come to fruition.

During the July 22 public meeting council awarded a contract for upgrades to Wyatt Boulevard and Mount Carson Avenue as well as the development of a new roadway into the proposed development.

The contract was awarded to lowest qualified bidder Eric Taylor Ltd., for the bid amount of $6,196,210 (HST included).

Mayor Dave Aker said it’s one of the largest contracts the City had ever approved, other than building contracts.

“It’s work that’s overdue and it’s going to prime the city for growth,” said the mayor.

The motion was approved without further discussion.

Council is currently developing conceptual plans for the land east of Mount Carson Avenue, and land along the rear yards of Elmcliffe Street has been reserved to accommodate a future roadway. That roadway is now being considered for development.

Work is continuing on the lot near Mount Carson Avenue and the Kenmount Road intersection. It’s being developed by the Penney Group and the City is considering an active development application for the entirety of the land.

Former CAO contributes to academic text

Former city manager Gerard Lewis was in Mount Pearl council chambers earlier this month to present council with a copy of The Role of Canadian City Managers: In Their Own Words, an academic text which Lewis contributed to. The book is published by the University of Toronto Press. From left are councillors Isabelle Fry, Jim Locke, Lewis, Mayor Dave Aker, and councillors Bill Antle and Mark Rice. Mark Squibb photo

By Mark Squibb

It must have felt like déjà vu for seasoned staff and councillors when Gerard Lewis walked into Mount Pearl council chambers ahead of the July 22 council meeting.

Lewis had served as city manager for six years before becoming a municipal consultant about a decade ago.

Lewis was in chambers to present council with a copy of The Role of Canadian City Managers: In Their Own Words, an academic work that Lewis had contributed to at the request of one of the book’s editors, Dr. Gordon McIntosh, who had reached out to Lewis in April 2020.

“The idea was to analyze the daily issues and challenges that (CAOs) faced in their roles within municipal government,” said Lewis. “The book was supposed to be for professional public servants, elected officials, and academics for use in the classroom. It will be of interest to current and aspiring city managers, CEOs, elected municipal officials, and anybody interested in municipal government.”

The book was published by the University of Toronto Press in 2023, and Lewis said the University of Toronto has also expressed an interest in using it in courses on local government.

Lewis worked with Tony Haddard and Jim Pine on a chapter entitled, ‘Mentoring: Building the Next Generation of Municipal Professionals.’

The chapter, said Lewis, touches on why mentoring is important and why city managers and CEOs ought to consider mentorship as a part of their role.

Lewis himself was well-suited for the task, having himself led a number of municipal training and mentoring sessions over the years.

“I think it appropriate, Gerard, that they asked you to write the chapter on mentoring, because you served as a great mentor of mine,” said councillor Jim Locke. “I had the privilege of working with you for six years around the table here. And it’s a steep leaning curve, all my colleagues will tell you, when you first get on council, but you always found time for me, personally, and I know other colleagues under your tutelage, too. And you never told us what to do. You would always give us options. You would always make sure that we were informed of the circumstances, of the context, of the political context, of the community context, and then we made our own decisions.”

Dave Aker gunning for the mayor’s seat once again

Mount Pearl Mayor Dave Aker.

By Mark Squibb

Mount Pearl Mayor Dave Aker is hoping for a third term as mayor of the Avalon’s second City.

“Our City is evolving, and circumstances are always changing, but I will always be that mayor who is about community first,” said Aker. “We’ve got a great team of people and a great team on council, and the environment is ever changing. What the City has done in the last four years is— through strategic planning and budgeting—position the city for something new… and I’m offering my leadership in managing that change. Nothing ever remains the same. I think any politician will tell you that there are always new challenges. Some will say that municipalities are never perfect, and that’s true you know. Look at the budget requests that come in every year from staff, and its council’s job to pare them down. But I remain really enthusiastic, and I think I’m well-suited to take on the next four years.”

In recent years, the City has shown an appetite for growth, whether by paving the way for suburbs to come in the Northlands or partnering with the federal government to offer incentives to encourage housing construction.

While Aker has committed to encouraging growth if re-elected, the retired accountant, who noted more development is coming, especially in the Northlands and Masonic Park area, cautioned that “growth for the sake of growth” without proper infrastructure to match it leads to big problems.

“You have to have the infrastructure in place to take away stormwater, to bring water in, to bring sewer out,” said Aker. “It’s a bit of a complicated piece, but you need to have responsible and smart development, and what we’re doing right now throughout the city, whether it’s upgrading pipes for example to meet new density goals we have, or dealing out new lands in the Northlands, you have to right-size it first before you just start approving subdivisions.”

Looking ahead Aker, said council, under his leadership, would continue to focus on keeping Mount Pearl affordable for all residents.

“I think one of the most important things on people’s minds is affordability,” said Aker, adding the City will continue to focus on affordable housing and improving public transportation.

Aker is also hoping to be around the council table when the new 24,500 square-foot community centre opens its doors in 2026.

First announced in 2021, the centre will replace the aging Park Place facility and will boast a splash pad that can be converted to an ice surface during the winter months.

Aker said sports and recreation within the City is at an all time high, and that once the new community centre is up and running, the Reid Centre will be used solely as a sports facility while community events will be held at the new community centre.

Meanwhile, the City’s debt remains low said Aker, noting his decades of experience in financial management, and promising to “always have the taxpayers pocketbooks in mind.”

“The mayor doesn’t make all the decisions,” said Aker. “The mayor is not the boss. The mayor works with council, and we all have our different viewpoints and agendas in terms of how we want to see the City grow. By working with staff through good, sound strategic planning this term is my resumé for the next term. That’s the way that I, as a leader, can do my best for the residents of the City. We’ll always put our residents first, and we’ll always manage the City responsibly under my leadership.”

No other candidate has, as of print deadline, stepped forward to challenge Aker’s bid for the mayor’s chair. If Aker were to be acclaimed, it would be a first for the long serving mayor.

Aker bested mayoral candidate Roy Locke in the 2021 election and Travis Faulkner in the 2017 election.

Prior to serving as mayor, Aker served for a number of years as a councillor.

squibb@theshoreline.ca

Impressive lineup of volunteers celebrated at Best in Mount Pearl awards

Gary Martin was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Best in Mount Pearl Awards this month. Outside his volunteer work with hockey and soccer , Martin is a frequent blood plasma donor. As of the most recent count, he has donated plasma over 400 times. City of Mount Pearl photo

By Mark Squibb

Longtime hockey and soccer organizer Gary Martin was among those celebrated for their contributions and achievements at the annual Best in Mount Pearl awards ceremony this month.

The awards, which are sponsored by the City, recognize citizens from all walks of life for their contributions to the community at large.

Martin, who has volunteered in Mount Pearl and beyond for well over 40 years, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Martin has coached players of all levels and calibers over the years and has served as Assistant Chef de Mission with the Canada Games since 2005 and currently serves as Chairperson of Venue Operations for the 2025 Canada Summer Games.

He is also an RCMP Deputy Fire Marshall, Frosty Festival committee member, and community safety advocate. On top of all that, Martin has donated blood over 400 times.

Martin has been awarded two Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medals and a 75 Years of Confederation Volunteer Community Services Medal for his volunteer efforts.

Sheri Philpott was awarded the Richard Levandier Citizen of The Year Award.

Philpott has volunteered with the 807 Mount Pearl Air Cadets for over two decades and recently joined the Kinette Club of Mount Pearl. In 2024-2025, she served on the Board of Directors for the Mount Pearl Frosty Festival, and currently volunteers for the 2025 Canada Summer Games.

Bryan Efford was awarded the Impact in Music, Arts & Culture award. Efford has been a member of the CLB Regimental Band since 1992 and now leads the Corps of Drums. From 1991 to 2014 he volunteered with the Mount Pearl Show Choir, and in 2004 founded The Music Collection Drumline, a province wide youth music program.

NewfoundSand Glass Recycling was awarded the Environmental Award. The not-for-profit collects clean glass jars and bottles that would otherwise end up in a landfill and crushes them into sand.

The Urban Agriculture Award went to The Masonic Park Community Garden. Overseen by a group of dedicated seniors, the garden boasts crops — including root vegetables, leafy greens, peas, beans, and herbs — specifically adapted to the province’s climate and cultivated using environmentally sustainable methods. The garden is designed with accessibility in mind, encouraging participation by folks of all ages and abilities.

The Mount Pearl Lions Club was named the Community Group of the Year. The Club, active since 1956, organizes the annual Santa Claus Parade, numerous Frosty Festival events, community cleanups, as well as collecting eyeglasses for redistribution locally and internationally. This year, the club partnered with Goulds Anglican Church to grow vegetables for those in need through the “Sowing the Seeds – Building Community” project.