O'Donel student nabs URock Award

Fifteen year old O’Donel High student Megan Glover is receiving a custom painted electric guitar as one of the 2015 URock Volunteer Awards, which were held at the Glacier in Mount Pearl last week. The award was accepted on Glover’s behalf by the principal of O’Donel, Michelle Clemens. It was presented by PC backbencher Kevin Parsons and Transportation and Works Minister David Brazil.

Glover was described as a “young entrepreneur” who is an integral member of her school’s action team, which has been raising $10,000 as part of a goal set by St. Peter’s Junior High to help build a new school in a developing country. Glover is also an ambassador for Easter Seals and has launched her own fundraising venture for the cause, which she calls Megan’s Mega Music. It featured artists including Rex Goudie and Sean McCann.

Though you wouldn’t say it by looking at her, Glover had a narrow escape at just a week and a half old, when she survived a stroke. She was left with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

Glover couldn’t accept her award in person, because she was visiting New York as part of a school trip. But she sent her thanks via a taped internet message. “I feel so honoured to be receiving this award because I know there are so many other people in Newfoundland who deserve it too,” she said.

As a child, Glover’s family encouraged her and her sister Celia to volunteer and it’s not something she can live without out now, she admitted. “I’d like to thank my family for teaching me that there is no greater reward in life than knowing that you made a difference in someone else’s life.”

Among the people and organizations Glover thanked were Easter Seals, her principal for accepting the award on her behalf, and O’Donel for nominating here. “O’Donel, the most amazing school ever, offers many community activities that makes it easy for me teens like me to give back to society,” she added. “I would like to say thank you to anyone who has ever empowered me to give back to my community and create positive social change.”

The URock Awards, funded by the provincial government, celebrate youth volunteerism. Some eight awards were given out this year. Each individual recipient or group was presented with an electric guitar bearing a design created by a graphic arts student at the College of the North Atlantic. Glover’s guitar was designed by Courtney Oldford.

Liberals offered an earful at seniors policy forum

The Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Official Opposition caucus held a two hour public forum in Mount Pearl last week to discuss health care and housing for seniors.

The aim was held to get input from citizens as to what can be done to resolve some of the issues facing seniors. The meeting, hosted by Mount Pearl South MHA Paul Lane, was part of the Liberals’ ‘Let Connect’ series of forums aimed at developing social policy ahead of the provincial election expected this fall.

The night began with Lane stating they are looking to form policy, but it is “far from being complete.” With the input of the public, the Liberals say they will have a better understanding of how to move forward and provide a better government. 

One man, Bob Corbett, seemed to strongly disagree that the Liberals would do much to improve the situation of seniors, and had a few choice words for the attending MHAs. He argued the Liberal Party will be no different than the PCs, and that they will follow in their footsteps and spend like “drunken sailors” if they are elected.

Corbett is the Vice President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Sector Pensioners Association as well as a former deputy fire chief with the City of St. John’s. He is also Vice President of the Seniors Coalition, an organization, he pointed out, that is not funded by any government program or influenced by any political party, allowing him to “tell it like it is.” Corbett said both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have succeeded in appointing a Seniors Advocate whom the government consults before making decisions that affect seniors. Corbett said it’s time this province made the same move. 

Andrew Parsons, MHA for Burgeo-La Poile, promise to bring in a Seniors Advocate, making it “an independent office in the House of Assembly for a person that will represent seniors…independent of politicians.”

Parsons noted that when this idea was recently put to a vote in the House, every PC member voted against it while the Liberal and NDP members voted in favor.

Parsons went a step further, promising the Liberals will place an Independent Appointments Commission in charge of selecting the right people for the advocate’s position, which would allow the person in charge to be outside of any political influence.

Lane suggested the office should have multi-year funding so the advocate won’t be afraid to speak out on issues for fear of losing funds for the program. 

Ralph Morris, past president and current representative of the Public Sector Pensioners Association, addressed home care and the long-term care of seniors as well as the income they are receiving now being affected by “clawbacks” in their pensions. Most seniors are only living on GIS and OAS payments, which are not enough to keep up with the cost of living, especially when it comes to homecare in this province, Morris said.

Some seniors are unable to support themselves when a spouse passes away, he added, because they have half the income but the full cost of bills. They are no longer able to afford proper food and medication for themselves, leading to hospitalization and then long-term care where they are stripped of their ability to take care of themselves, he argued. This costs more than it does to keep seniors living in their homes, he pointed out.

“People want to age at home,” said Morris.

Other issues raised during the forum included the loss of disability pensions at age 65 and ‘divorces of convenience,’ which sees some husbands and wives forced to divorce their spouses who are in long-term care so that they are able to keep enough pension money to live at home. Morris said such situations leaves many seniors in poverty, and unless these issues are addressed by the Liberal party before the election, he is advising seniors to refuse to vote for them.

Many people in the crowd presented ideas for the Liberals to consider, such as getting youth involved early so they know what they are expecting as they move into the seniors bracket, and creating a Seniors tax credit for impoverished seniors much like the child tax credit which helps families raise children under the age of 18.

Tracy Moore, a social worker at the Waterford Hospital, suggested there needs to be “dementia care bungalows” or Protective Community Residences created within the limits of St. John’s, Mount Pearl and the surrounding area. Such homes would provide a unique opportunity for people suffering from mild to advanced dementia than they would get from regular residential care, she said.

The facilities would promote independence and quality of life for individuals and their families, said Moore, noting they could be designed as a home-like setting, featuring a private bedroom with access to walking paths. This would provide privacy and comfort as an alternate option to living in a traditional long-term care facility. Residents could wander as they please, she added, and be allowed to use what skills they still possess to take care of themselves if possible.

Eastern Health already has two facilities in Clarenville and Bonavista which Moore suggests are working very well so far. Such an option would allow for traditional long-term care facilities to have only residents who need extreme medical care and attention, while allowing those with dementia to be able to keep some of their freedom as long as they can.

There was little to no response from the Liberal caucus members to these suggestions, but all ideas were written down to be reviewed.

The meeting concluded with Mayor Randy Simms, who is working in the Liberal Opposition Office as a policy advisor, receiving a question about housing for seniors in Mount Pearl. Simms said the city plans to give a piece of land to Newfoundland Housing to make affordable housing “exclusively in the market for seniors” very soon.

Seniors form one of the largest voting blocks in this province, composing one sixth of the population and forecast to make up one quarter of the population within 10 years’ time.

Parsons light-heartedly stated during the meeting that “we ignore you at ou

Television host turned politician campaigning without a spotlight

With the countdown to this fall’s federal election ticking down, former broadcaster and journalist Seamus O’Regan finds himself in a kind of limbo, waiting for the writ to officially drop and for the mainstream media to put some effort into covering the contest in St. John’s – South Pearl, which sees him trying to unseat the incumbent, NDP Member of Parliament Ryan Cleary.

While O’Regan’s entry into the political ring, after a decade as a national broadcaster, was enthusiastically touted by the province’s small political press corps, the spotlight has largely fallen away since that announcement last August. It’s left O’Regan scrambling for attention as the election approaches, while Cleary, an old-fashioned style showman in the style of George Baker, makes every opportunity to grab a headline or soundbite from his podium in parliament. O’Regan has been left trying to snare attention on social media, while quietly and persistently pursuing a ground game of knocking on doors and introducing himself to the electorate one voter at a time.

O’Regan recently visited the office of The Pearl to talk about his campaign. The interview began with the would-be Parliamentarian being asked to explain how he got the Liberal nomination, which came after a long announced contender, realtor Jim Burton, suddenly withdrew from the campaign, followed by O’Regan’s sudden candidacy and a quickly called nomination vote, which saw nobody else enter the race. The quickness of the events caused some people to speculate that O’Regan’s friend, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, had a hand in creating the circumstances necessary for O’Regan to secure the nomination.

Jim Burton announced he was running (in January 2014), and it seemed like the party was holding off before they called the nomination. Then he left and within a very short window of time later you announced you were going to run. Then within another short window of time, they called the nomination. What happened there?

Jim has got a very busy business. He called me when I was at my sister’s and said he had decided what he wanted to do. His business is expanding, I think he has almost 60 employees by now. He said ‘This is an important time of my life, my business is doing very well, and I just can’t do it all.’ I had to make a decision, I thought it over and realized that sometimes life grants you opportunities and you’ve just got to take it. So I acted very quickly and said yes, I am going for the nomination.

Why would he call you? Had you two talked previously about you being interested?

Yes, it was definitely something I was looking at. I hadn’t made up my mind, but I was mulling it over and I spoke to others and just wasn’t sure. There were a lot of personal matters weighing on my mind. I had to make sure it was the right thing to do.

Had you talked about it with Trudeau?

Only in the vaguest of terms. He asked me to consider running. We’d known each other for a long time. The idea of two friends doing it together, if we both got elected, was something I thought would be very exciting. We think alike politically and I trust the guy. I wouldn’t get involved with this if I didn’t think the guy would make a superb prime minister.

Why do you want to be a politician? It’s a tough racket.

It is a tough racket and I know that. The interesting thing is, in the five years that I spent (in politics previously) – three years with Ed Roberts as his executive assistant and two years with Brian Tobin as his policy advisor - I know what I’m getting into. I watched how politics affected both of them, the toll that it will take on your personal life, on your family life. But I also have to say just from a selfish point of view, serving people, being in public service, is some of the most fulfilling work you will ever do, if that is the sort of work you are into. And I am. I’m a policy guy, I’m a political guy, I follow it. I’m hugely into ‘how do we make things better in a crazy changing world, how do we make government better, how do I serve the people better?’ All of that stuff really interests me. We’ve done some great stuff during the time I helped the Wells and Tobin government. I’m very proud of my time there. The idea of actually being involved with it myself is enticing. The idea of serving my hometown, my home city, to be here in St. John’s South – Mount Pearl all lined up and I went for it.

Is Roberts as smart as he seems and is Tobin as slimy as he seems?

Yes and absolutely no. Ed is an incredibly bright guy, he was quite good to me. I was very young to be an executive assistant, I worked hard for him and I followed him by example and he was a superb teacher. He taught me an incredible amount. And Brian has got an incredible drive and ambition in him. He doesn’t believe in the status quo, if the status quo doesn’t work. He believes in change, he believes in shaking things up. I think he has, as premier, left an extraordinary legacy for this province and I still keep in touch with the both of them.

Did you pay attention to Don Mills’ remarks (about the population and economic challenges facing the province)? What did you think of those?

I think we’ve got a significant challenge in front of us, there’s no question about it. We’ve got to look more seriously at the immigration into this province. We’ve got to not only attract talent but also retain it. This isn’t just something that would be nice, we need to. We have an aging population that will pose a significant challenge for us ahead. I would put it in the top two challenges that the province will face in the upcoming years.

What’s the other one?

Managing resource development and managing it properly. That is not easy, that is a big file. But it is essential. And diversifying the economy, so we aren’t just relying on non-renewable resources.

What are the challenges with managing the resources?

Being vigilant about making sure the province gets its fair share and being vigilant in that we maximize job potential here and maximize revenue. And that the jobs we create here are high end, sophisticated jobs that we transfer significant technology from other jurisdictions, so that we can build companies here that can go into the rest of the world, much like Norway has done, and be companies that can export their talent and expertise around the world; that is how we’ll grow.

What about the dynamic tension that seems to be growing between the anti-frackers and the people who want more land set aside for reserves and the people who will actually extract and invest in the extraction of natural resources who want more access to the land? Where do you come down on that?

On fracking, I would say there are a lot of jurisdictions around North America that have gone with this, I think we should be diligent and make sure we are doing the right thing. But it is an incredible technology that the Americans have been working on for a long time. I think for a lot of us, it appears as if fracking just occurred. It didn’t. It’s being going on for a long time. Having said that, when it comes to the environment, we have to do our diligence, we absolutely do, we can learn a lot from studies done in other jurisdictions. The topsoil and geology of Newfoundland and Labrador is very unique and we have to make sure we are doing it right.

Are you worried that Cleary has a lead on you?

Ryan Cleary won with 48 per cent of the vote. It is significant. He’s a hard worker and a fighter, I get that. I’m a hard worker and I am a fighter. We have different ways of going about it and at the end of the day, the people of St. John’s and Mount Pearl will decide. It’s amazing, but you could drive yourself crazy thinking about how it could work out. At the end of the day, I just have great faith in the people and they will make the decision that they believe will be best for the riding. But I firmly believe that I would make a solid MP for the people of St. John’s South and Mount Pearl, if I didn’t think that, then I wouldn’t be involved.

How significant is the incumbency advantage here? He’s got access to speaking in the House of Commons, he gets to get interviewed by the media more often than you.

It’s the same for everybody, I guess it’s somewhat of an advantage for any sitting Member of Parliament over people who choose to take the challenge. It’s not that it can’t be overcome or else we’d never see changes in government. But the only that I know and that I’ve learned is that social media is a component but it doesn’t beat going door to door. It’s been a revelation to me. I’ve always been involved with policy, but I had not gone around and walked door to door. I’d done a lot of constituency work with Ed Roberts up in Goose Bay. I did some constituency work for Bill Rompkey when he was a Member of Parliament as well. So I have got an idea what to do there, but the actual going door to door has been an incredible experience for me. People have been unfailingly polite. They may say ‘Good luck now,’ but it doesn’t mean they’re going to vote for you. I ask them what’s on their mind, what they’re thinking. Sometimes they have time for you, sometimes they don’t want to let the heat out and fair enough. The campaign hasn’t started yet, it’s important that people know that I’m around and people can get in touch with me. I’m just going around introducing myself, letting them know that I am working for their vote.

Are you worried at all that you haven’t defined yourself as much as Cleary has, because the spotlight has been on him? He has that and that is an advantage. Even though you are a celebrity, most people don’t really know who you are.

When you spend three hours a day on a daily morning television show for 10 years - I’ll acknowledge that we baked some muffins and reviewed some movies - but the bulk of it dealt with hard news. And that is something that I’ve always been very passionate about. So people have seen me as a journalist, in the same way that they’ve seen others go into politics as a journalist. I’ve been in people’s kitchens and bedrooms for almost 10 years. They know me but they also know me as someone who has been on top of the issues that affected them, issues of federal and provincial importance. There are assets and liabilities to being known in this way. I think there is a familiarity that isn’t a bad thing, but not everyone may have been impressed with my job on Canada AM. I suffer that exposure as well. The profile it turned up a notch, but ultimately they make the decision.

What are you doing now for a day job?

I still do some consulting work for Ryerson University, I still speak from time to time. Right now, I am 100 per cent committed to winning the riding and that is taking up a lot of my time.

Who’s smarter, Trudeau or Tom Mulclair?

In my mind, it’s Justin. I don’t know Tom as well. I know Justin well, he is savvy; If people want to underestimate him, and they do so at their peril.

You said earlier you’re a policy guy. What sort of policies lie close to your interest?

I would say that going into it from an academic point of view, I’ve sat on the World Wildlife group of Canada. The environment is a big priority for me, but in so much as it relates to how we go about development of major resources in this province and this country so that it is equitable to future generations, so that we don’t get it wrong. I also, academically, was very interested in Aboriginal issues, because I was 13 when I moved from St. John’s to Goose Bay and that had a huge effect on me. Seeing how people lived up here, the importance of Aboriginal issues, and their quality of life. That became something very near and dear to my heart.

You keep your ear to what people are saying at the door to you. I’m very glad that Justin came out with the Canada Child Benefit (policy) that cut taxes for people who make between 44,000 and 90,000 dollars. People are strapped, they’re worried about looking after their parents, and they’re worried about looking after their children. Everything just seems a lot more tenuous these days. It just doesn’t feel as solid as it used to in the past. They worry about their benefits, so anything that we can do to help out the middle class in this country it means that we are doing well for the economy. Anytime we’ve seen a spike in the economy of this country it’s always because we’ve had a healthy middle class, so anything that we can do to strengthen that is a step in the right direction. Going door to door is an education. Not to say that the other issues I have just discussed aren’t important, they are both vital. We have to look after each other.

How do you feel about Canada’s participation in the bombing in the Middle East?

I don’t like getting into things where we don’t know how things are going to go. The mission is very up in the air. Within our lifetimes alone, we understand where that can take us. It was just the other day that it was the 12th anniversary of George W. Bush standing by an aircraft carrier off the coast of California with a banner that said “Mission accomplished.” That was 12 years ago. Let’s just be very wary. We’ve always been a good ally. Certainly these guys, ISIS, are just desperate people who are just doing violent things. We just have to know what we’re getting ourselves into, if we’ve learned nothing else.

What do you make of that young guy, Omar Kadr, who just got released from prison? What do you think of his story and what has happened to him and how it has evolved?

I don’t know. He’s been detained for a long time, I’d prefer he had not been. I’ve followed this story. It’s one of those stories that you weren’t sure if it would ever end and if it did, would it end well. By all accounts, he killed an American soldier, he was considered a terrorist, he’s been found by a court to have served his time. All you can do with someone who has served their time as prescribed by a court, their punishment, all you can do is wish them well afterwards and hope that they can get on with their lives.

Do you think that the federal conservatives have made a bit of a political football out of him?

That’s a tough one. He was in an American prison with a great deal of controversy. When you think about when Obama first got elected, it was one of the first executive orders he had signed (to close the military prison at Quantanamo Bay). So the place doesn’t come without a great deal of controversy. I would have preferred that he had served his time in a Canadian court.

It’s meaningless to speculate about it I guess, but if Pierre Trudeau had been Prime Minister when all of this was going on, instead of Stephen Harper, how would he have treated the case?

I don’t know. Pierre would have abided by the court, he was a jurist. He believed in the court. I just think as a Canadian citizen, I think he should have served his time on Canadian soil.

'Our future is in good hands...'

One of Canada’s top Air Cadets and an honours student with a bent for social activism have been named Mount Pearl’s Male and female Youths of the Year.

Harrison Latham and Noubahar Hasnain were accorded the honour during the 26th annual Focus on Youth Awards held at the Glacier last week.

The event was emceed by Mount Pearl Deputy Mayor Jim Locke. “It’s truly my pleasure to be here this evening as we celebrate the outstanding contributions made to our amazing city by our youth as well as by our adults who give their time to work with our youth,” said Locke. “I know I speak for all of our council when I say this event is a highlight in our calendar every year.”

The evening was co-hosted by last year’s Youths of the Year, Lauren Winsor, who is a first year Memorial University student intending to study medicine, and Colin Hunt, who is graduating from Mount Pearl Senior High this year and planning to study engineering.

“They did a great job this year representing the youth at so many different functions,” Locke said.

“We’ve had a great year working together as youth ambassadors for the City,” Hunt allowed.

Winsor thanked the City of Mount Pearl for continuing to showcase youth achievement.

Some 15 awards were handed out during the night, with Mount Pearl Show Choir providing the entertainment, and four of the nominees in the category of Performing Arts Youth Award, also taking to the stage to perform. Ryan MacDonald performed the speech that won him the Speak Off as part of the Youth of the Year competition. The subject was chivalry in the modern age. That was followed by the female winner in the same category, Victoria Jackman, who looked at the subject of changing attitudes towards people with development disabilities.

The event is held as part of Youth Week, which is organized by the Youth Action Team, the Mount Pearl Sport Alliance and the City of Mount Pearl.

The highlight of the ceremony was the announcement of Male and Female Youths of the Year.

Winsor and Hunt noted that the first ever Male Youth of the Year, John Rossiter, died in 2003 while working as a paramedic in Nova Scotia during Hurricane Juan. Rossiter was a gifted athlete, coach, student and actor, Hunt said. “It is in his boundless spirit that we give the award tonight.”

Two members of Rossiter’s family helped present the award to Latham, a first class honours student at O’Donel.

Latham has already experienced more things than most students ever get to, Hunt said. “He is the top Air Cadet in Newfoundland and has been nominated as the top Air Cadet in Canada,” he added. “Latham is also a cadet instructor and was named top drill instructor, commanding over 500 people.”

Latham competes as a biathlete and marksman. At O’Donel, he is a member of the First Responder Team, the Robotics Club and the Model UN. “Outside school, he makes time for his volunteer work, collecting for food hampers and participating in the Run for the Cure for the last four years,” said Hunt.

“It’s an honour to be here,” said Latham. “I’m really proud to say I am a citizen of Mount Pearl. This whole ceremony has really been something. We see all of the talents of the youths and indeed the diversity. We’re really a great community.”

Latham said winning an award named for John Rossiter is especially meaningful.

“This is rally personal for me,” he explained. “My grandfather was also affected by Hurricane Juan. He was paralyzed from the waist down.”

Latham thanked his fellow nominee, Ryan MacDonald, for doing “an excellent job. You really deserved it.”

The Female Youth of the Year, Noubahar Hasnain, is no stranger to anyone familiar with youth leaders in Mount Pearl.

“As an academic and as a leader, Husnain assumes a great deal of responsibility in both her school and her community,” said Hunt. “She is an honours student with the highest average in her grade level, earning numerous certificates for her academic achievements.”

Husnain is a member of the school council, debate team, newspaper club, a mathlete, member of the underwater ROV team, and the yearbook committee. She is also president of the Mount Pearl Youth Action team, chairperson of Causes for Concern, and co-chairperson of her school’s Animal Rights/Environmental Club. Husnain sits on the Provincial Youth Advisory Committee and volunteers with the Alzheimer’s Society, the Janeway and the City of Mount Pearl. She is a tutor and a poet, with one of her poems having been published in a national anthology.

Husnain thanked the City of Mount of Mount Pearl for making the Focus on Youth Awards possible. “It really shows that they prioritize their youth, and that’s really important,” she said.

Husnain also congratulated all the award winners and nominees. “Regardless of whether you win an award, the effect that you have on your community as a youth citizen is everlasting and you should be really proud of that,” she said.

A new award this year, the STEM Award (for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathemathics), sponsored by Sunrise Animal Hospital, went to Lauren Coombs, the president of her student council and a strong math student.

The winners of the Performing Arts Recognition Award, sponsored by First Choice Hair Cutters, included the O’Donel Jazz Band, Mount Pearl Show Choir, O’Donel Sound of Music, the Mount Pearl Senior High Drama Club and Etcetera 28: True Colours.

The Performing Arts Youth Award, which attracted 17 nominees, went to Jenny Mallard. It was sponsored by Reid Music.

The RNC Youth in Service Award went to Emily Gallant, who volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

The Visual Arts Award, sponsored by Eastern Audio, went to O’Donel High student Sarah Hiscock.

Eastern Audio also sponsored the Youth Volunteer of the Year, which was presented to Cassandra Chislett. The O’Donel High student maintains honours grades, acts as a student mentor, and is a member of the school’s Outreach Team, First Responder Team. The Welcome Team, the Beyond the Hurt Team, Patriot Paws and the Best Buddy program. Outside of school, she is a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, a volunteer with Eastern Health and Ronald McDonald House, and tutors other students in math and science.

The Literary Arts Award, sponsored by Sunrise Animal Hospital, went to Breanna Sheppard of Mount Pearl Senior High. Sheppard has branched out from short fiction and poetry and is working on her first novel. She recently won the Junior Poetry section category in the provincial Arts & Letters Awards. “Her ability with tone, structure and visual metaphor is what sets her apart from the crowd,” said Hunt.

The Youth Group of the Year Award, sponsored by Young Drivers of Canada, went to the O’Donel Patriot Mentors. The group consists of 18 academically gifted students who help other students with their studies.

Swimming judge and timer Jeff Butler was named Official of the Year. The award was sponsored by the Mount Pearl Sport Alliance. Butler is vice president of the Mount Pearl Marlins swim club.

H.J. Bartlett Electrical sponsored the Youth Sports Team of the Year Award. It was won by the Mount Pearl Girls Under 14 Celtics Basketball team. The 16 player squad took the silver medal last year at the provincial club championships and made it to the championship game at all seven tournaments they played in. This year they won the gold medal at the provincial club championships.

The David Holloway Adult Volunteer Working with Youth Award was sponsored Pearlgate Lanes Youth Bowling Club and presented by members of Holloway’s family. It went to Mount Pearl Minor Baseball Association president Brian Hunt, father of the evening’s co-host, Colin Hunt, who got to announce his father’s name as the winner.

The Male and Female Youth Athlete of the Year Awards were sponsored by Smitty’s Restaurant. Sledge hockey and wheelchair basketball star Liam Hickey of O’Donel High took the honour in the male category, while Emily Bailey, a soccer ace on Memorial University’s varsity team, won the female category.

Hickey is the first athlete from this province to be named to both the junior and senior national wheelchair basketball teams and is the lead scorer in the Maritime Travel League. He had to decline an invitation to try out for the national sledge hockey team because of his basketball commitments. Bailey helped lead MUN to its first Atlantic soccer championship, came second in league scoring and earned the Atlantic Conference’s Rookie of the Year Award.

Mayor Randy Simms thanked all the volunteers who helped stage the event” It is a humongous, monstrous task,” he said. “It’s all done by volunteers and what a tremendous labour of love it is.”

Simms also thanked the parents of the nominees. “You’re the ones who have every right to be most proud tonight when you see what’s going on here and you hear the names of the young people who are nominated in so many different categories,” he said.

The mayor also singled out the event’s sponsors, including the major sponsors, Reddy Killowatt Credit Union, Eastern Audio and Smitty’s Restaurant. “Without the contribution of our business community, without their recognition that they not only do business here, but that they live here, without that, none of this would actually be possible,” he argued. “I’m not sure that they get a lot of business out of it. I’ve talked to so many of them over the years and I’m pretty sure that none of them do it because of the ROI (return on investment). Because I think the only ROI is the sense of satisfaction from knowing that you’re building and supporting and setting up a foundation of a great community that hopefully your business can prosper in.”

Simms said the awards recognize the best about Mount Pearl itself. “To the nominees, and there are so many of them… I want you to know this and to recognize it, that this is not a competition and it is not a contest, that the recipients tonight are not in and of themselves winners. They are representatives of all of you and all of you are winners. There are no losers, there are no ‘also rans.’ I believe the recipients of these awards and those whose names appear on this list, represent the best of our values.”

Simms said he was blown away recently when he had to present some Duke of Edinburgh awards and there were so many young people winning scholarships and awards.

“Despite what we hear about young people, despite the debate over whether or not the clothing is right in schools, despite the debate over whether or not young people are as disciplined as they were in ‘my day…’ I think you will agree with me at the end of this night, our future … is in really great hands.”

MHA Steve Kent, a previous five time winner of the Male Youth of the Tear Award, acknowledged the awards have been a part of his life for many years. “It’s an incredible event because it recognizes the amazing talents of our young people,” he said. “And it’s a tribute to our first class youth, our great volunteers, the City of Mount Pearl and the entire province… Every year, I’m truly overwhelmed to hear all the accomplishments of the young people and the adults and the groups who are nominated. Tonight is no exception. Your dedication and your contribution to our city and to or province is invaluable and I sincerely commend you for your efforts.”

Mount Pearl South MHA Paul Lane also addressed the crowd. “When we talk about the Mount Pearl Focus on Youth Awards, and I’ve had a number of conversations over the years with colleagues and friends, we’re talking about our future leaders,” Lane said. “But they are not future leaders. The young people we are talking about this evening are leaders of today. They are leaders in their schools, they are leaders in their sports teams, they are leaders in our community, and they lead by example. And they are excelling… We are so fortunate to be living in a community which has such wonderful and talented youth.”

Mount Pearl, Lane added, is a wonderful city to live and work and raise a family. “And of the great attributes we have here – and it’s not only our great roads and great snow clearing and so on – it’s also our sense of community.”

St. John’s South - Mount Pearl MP Ryan Cleary called attention to the two Speak Off presenters, noting he competed in Speak Offs during his two final years of high school and placed third each time. “I didn’t lose,” he added. “I did it. It gave me confidence in myself. But it also gave me determination to the point that today I speak in the House of Commons.”

Sheila Hynes-Brenton of the Reddy Killowatt Credit Union, noted the awards have grown from five categories when it started to 15 today. The Credit Union has been a sponsor of the event for 25 years. “Looking at the categories and all the nominees tonight, I think you can all agree with me that it must have been a challenge for the selection com

Annual walk is a 'day without Multiple Sclerosis'

Some 1,000 people are expected to turn out for the annual walk in support of Multiple Sclerosis research and treatment, which will wind through Mount Pearl on May 24th.

It’s the 25th year for the walk, which has grown so large over the years that it had to be moved from its starting point at Bowring Park in St. John’s. This year the starting point will be St. Peter’s Primary School on Ashford Drive.

Among the participants will be one of the most active MS Society organizers in the province, Zita Kavanagh of Mount Pearl, who says the annual event has special meaning for her.

“Not only do you get people with MS at the walk, but you get their loved ones, family and friends who support them,” she said. “There will be people in wheelchairs, with walkers, canes, we get children, people with pets, we get all sorts on this walk. It’s one of our biggest fundraisers.”

Anyone interested in participating can register online through the MS Society of Canada.

Kavanagh is walking as part of a team called Small Steps Big Steps. The name stems from her experience when she was first diagnosed with MS in January 2010 and spent five days in hospital unable to walk. She had fallen down in her house and was unable to get up.

“I didn’t know if I was ever going to walk (again),” said Kavanagh. “I came home, struggled, then went through heavy physiotherapy to get back to walking. It seemed like it was small steps I was going through and then all of a sudden coming to big steps.”

After being diagnosed, Kavanagh thought her future would mean life in a wheelchair. But a heavy dose of steroids and some medication and physiotherapy since then have kept her mobile and active. Last Friday, she attended a flag raising ceremony for MS at St. John’s City Hall and later presented a book on MS to the Ross King Memorial Library in Mount Pearl, something the local chapter of the MS Society does every year as well as make presentations in schools.

Kavanagh was 46 when she was diagnosed, a day after her daughter Jesse’s birthday. The disease can affect vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility and be accompanied by heavy fatigue. It can be aggravated by stress. Kavanagh says looking back she realizes she was probably exhibiting symptoms for some time, perhaps as long as 12 years, before the attack that left her temporarily immobile. “The symptoms can mimic other diseases so it can be hard to pinpoint it as MS,” she explains.

Kavanagh said she expects she will have to spend a few days on the couch recovering from the annual walk, but it will be worth it.

“That walk is special to me because that day you are walking with all of your people, all of the people who are there to support you, people who are living with it every day and all the varieties of it,” Kavanagh said.

The atmosphere of the walk, ironically, lets Kavanagh rid her mind of the stress of having the disease. Her son, daughter and husband accompany her along with the family dog, Cookie. “It’s the one day I don’t have MS,” she said. “That’s the joy of it, knowing I have MS but that I fought it that day.”

St. Peter's expansion a go

It was with a large dose of reservation, but Mount Pearl City council has given the English School District approval for a “pretty sizable extension” of St. Peter’s Junior High School on Munden Drive.

The work will include the creation of a new exit from the parking lot of the school onto Munden Drive, which council hopes will ease traffic problems in the area.

Planning and Development Committee chairman Andrew Ledwell said the extension includes completion of a “junior high sized” gymnasium with a stage and change rooms. The main floor of the old gym will be converted into a cafeteria and kitchen, with a second floor added to accommodate six new classrooms. The existing cafeteria will be converted into two additional classrooms. The work is expected to take 18 months to two years.

“This is a pretty sizable extension,” said Ledwell, adding the plans include expansion of the parking lot and the creation of a driveway around the school leading to the new access on Munden Drive.

To gain the new access, to be situated between 93 and 95 Munden Drive, the school board needs to acquire city owned land that is now used as a pathway.

“It is proposed that it will be a single lane with a side walk and right turning only,” said Ledwell.

A public meeting on the development was held March 19. Three people attended. The City issued over 200 notices to residents in the neighbourhood about the meeting.

“There were a number of concerns that were expressed,” said Ledwell. “Those revolve around traffic flow, the impact on the neighbourhood in terms of noise and safety, potential problems with traffic – both on foot and on four wheels – and the loss of some green space.”

Ledwell said the longer driveway around the school will allow for the stacking of some 75 cars, which would enter from the current access and exit through the new one. “It’s thought that the stacking of the 75 cars would allow for traffic to come off of Munden Drive thereby reducing congestion on the street,” he said. “At least that’s the hope.”

The school board has committed to install privacy fencing between the new exit and the neighbours immediately adjacent to it. Ledwell said that after much discussion at the committee level, the recommendation is to approve the application. He then moved that the city also conduct a survey on the land needed for the new exit so that it can be leased to the school board.

Councillor Lucy Stoyles said she could not support it.  “I have a major concern with this,” said Stoyles. “I have had since the get go.”

Stoyles said she attended all but one of the public forums about school changes that were held by the board last year and has spoken with residents around St. Peter’s. “I’m quite familiar with the school, my three children went to this school,” she said. “From the time it was built it was too small, it was busting out of the seams.”

Stoyles said while the extension is needed she objects to the effect the new exit will have on the immediate neighbours. “If I was living there, I wouldn’t want it next to me,” she said. “I really can’t support that access going in there.”

Stoyles suggested the school board should have tried to buy one of the neighbouring houses to make more room for the exit. “I really don’t think the school board did a good review of the whole system,” she argued. “People were up in arms for months last year, almost all the public forums were full.”

Deputy Mayor Jim Locke, who chaired Tuesday’s public meeting in the absence of Mayor Randy Simms, asked Stoyles what she would do differently. Stoyles said she would send some of the children to a different school.

Councillor John Walsh said the changes to the school are “substantive and sweeping” and he shares Stoyles’ concerns. He noted the neighbour who is most affected by the changes, who has problems with vandalism and noise over the years, also continues to have concerns.

“But I recognize as a councillor that something has to be done,” Walsh said. “It’s not as easy as saying, ‘Put them in another building.’ There is no other building. The buildings are all overcrowded, unfortunately.”

Walsh said as long as the new exit from the school allows for right turning traffic only, the new configuration should alleviate some of the traffic congestion on Munden Drive. “For me this is about balancing, using the resources that you have and trying to find the suitable balance,” he added. “I share the concerns , but I see this as an opportunity and I want to make sure that our Planning Department and our council really hold the School Board’s feet to the fire in terms of following through, particularly on the promises made (to the neighbour)… When you look at everything in totality, this is the best and safest and most prudent decision. It’s not perfect, but the fitting in of the school building into the neighborhood was never perfect. This is as good as it’s going to get.”

Councillor Dave Aker urged council to reach out to the neighbours to ensure their concerns are taken into account by the school board. He agreed the proposed loop around the school should alleviate traffic problems in the area.

Councillor Paula Tessier too said the proposed changes are a chance to make the traffic situation better. The privacy fence might also improve things better for the resident when it comes to vandalism, she said.

Ledwell said while he is also sympathetic about the impact on the immediate neighbours, he agrees with Walsh that council must err on the side of safety. “I think we have to let this go ahead, because we have to look after the safety of our students,” he said.

Calling the vote on Ledwell’s motion, Deputy Mayor Locke observed that “If it doesn’t work… we’re not averse to revisiting it.”

On the vote, the motion passed with everyone in support except Stoyles, who voted nay.

City stands firm with developer over building permits

Prospect Development will have to fix the remaining deficiencies on the first three phases of the Pearlview West subdivision off Moffat Drive before Mount Pearl City council will approve any building permits for phase four.

That was the consensus at council on Tuesday after Planning and Development Committee chairman Andrew Ledwell asked for clarification on the decision council made back in November regarding the six phase development.

At that meeting, council voted to withhold any more building permits until the deficiencies are addressed, but did approve clearing and scrubbing of the land for phase four. It took some debate for Mayor Randy Simms to agree to allow any work to go ahead until the deficiencies, which included problems with trees that had been planted by the developer and the need to sod a slope on Pollux Drive, were remedied. Councillor Lucy Stoyles voted against approval of the clearing and grubbing at that meeting.

Ledwell noted that residents have been e-mailing council again lately about “concerns that were unaddressed.” He was raising the issue again, he added, “to remove any doubt” about how council plans to address the continued expansion of the subdivision. “What is our commitment in terms of phase four and beyond for Pearlview and Moffatt Road subdivision?”

Councillor John Walsh allowed his interpretation of council’s November decision was that the developer would be allowed to install some of the underground infrastructure for phase four since the equipment for the work was already in place. “It just made so much sense to do that,” he noted. “I supported it. What I don’t support however is outstanding deficiencies in phases one, two and three and at the same time issuing further development permits. I don’t care whether they are building permits. Building permits are the very last thing you will do in a development. I don’t think we should be allowing any development permits, period, until any outstanding deficiencies – and they are minor now – are (remedied).”

Stoyles repeated her concerns from November. “I don’t want any more permits given out to the developer until every last deficiency is looked after,” she said. “There are six phases in this, so they still have a long ways to go. I think we need to send a message out to the developer that the residents are our priority.”

Councillor Dave Aker said he agreed with Ledwell’s assessment. “We were trying to strike a balance between not overly punishing the developer, but at the same time making sure they were not running roughshod over the residents,” he explained. “So we let them go ahead and start some work on phase four, but then to ensure – because we didn’t want to see phase four started and all the new houses built and all these deficiencies sitting there – I believe council’s decision at the time was that we hold back and review every building permit… Now positions can change, but I still think we should hold the developer to our requirement.”

Councillor Paula Tessier asked whether the matter can be quickly settled by meeting with the developer, outlining the deficiencies and giving the company a week to address them.

According to the City’s manager of planning and inspection services, Julia Schwarz, a meeting has been held with the developer who is addressing the slope problem at Pollux Drive. However, the issue of the quality of trees that were planted in the earlier phases has yet to be rectified.

“Let’s give them a reasonable time limit that should please the residents and that will give the developer an opportunity to get it done, but the operative phase being ‘Get it done,’” Tessier suggested.

“We’re not in a situation where this development has all kinds of deficiencies,” Ledwell concluded. “We are getting close to addressing this… I certainly have no problem saying to the developer that there will be no permits – development or otherwise – issued until these couple of issues are addressed, and giving them a time frame to do that… I just want to make sure that that is our commitment as a City to the residents… I want to be able to share the same message with the residents of the area and make sure that they know that we have their backs on this and are making sure all of the issues will be addressed.”

Mount Pearl artists recognized with Arts & Letters awards

Three artists from Mount Pearl were among the winners of provincial Arts & Letters Awards handed out at The Rooms in St. John’s this past weekend.

They were among some 553 Newfoundland and Labrador artists who submitted works in categories ranging from poetry and short fiction to dramatic scripts, prose, French literary writing, music and visual art.

Megan Penney received an award and a $350 prize for Supreme in the Junior Poetry category. Some 81 people competed in that category with eight receiving awards and cheques.

Rebecca Simms was one of four winners from 29 entries in the Senior Music division. Her contemporary classical music composition was entitled, Bud. She received a cheque of $1,000 as part of the award.

In the Senior Visual Art category, Danny Woodrow’s acrylic and oil on board painting The Modern Stump was one of 12 award winners. He also received a cheque for $1,000. Some 131 artists submitted works in the category with well-established painters Rod Hand and Ellie Yonova among the winners.

“I would like to offer my congratulations to all the winners of the 2015 Arts and Letters Program,” said Brian Way, Chairman of the Arts and Letters Program. “The award show not only showcases the diverse artistic talent that exists throughout our province, but also provides the opportunity for artists to view each other’s works and receive feedback from their peers.”

The awards are funded by the provincial government and overseen by the Department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.

“The provincial government acknowledges and applauds the important role Newfoundland and Labrador’s creative and talented visual, musical and literary artists play in the continued development and sustainability of our cultural industries and the province’s heritage,” said the minister for the department, Darrin King. “Our province has a tremendously vibrant and active cultural community and as a government, we are pleased to invest in programs like Arts and Letters that support the arts. Congratulations to all this year’s winners and participants.”