Hockey NL’s latest Hall of Fame inductee

By Chris Lewis | Aug. 13, 2020

Mount Pearl’s Don Kelly has a lifetime’s worth of hockey memories.

It was back in 1974 that Kelly first registered as an on-ice official. Little did he know at the time that this step in his life would be the start of an over 40-year career officiating hockey games across the province.

It was during his time as a player in the Mount Pearl Intertown League that Kelly first discovered an interest in refereeing

At that time, the game of hockey was a much different sport than it is today. Kelly described it as “drag ‘em out and sock ‘em” hockey – so much so, that he felt it was starting to get a bit out of control. Kelly went on to become the president of that league, and it was through his contact with fellow Newfoundland hockey dignitary, Jack Reardigan, that he was able to keep the game’s players with at least a majority of their teeth left in their head. The two collaborated and began hosting games with Reardigan’s influence on the linesmen.

Kelly admitted that at first, the handling of the games within the league was not the most popular choice among the four teams, but Kelly said he felt obligated as president to keep at it, and continue trying to help out.

As time went on, Reardigan found himself taking on a similar role to try and keep hockey in the Harbour Grace area under a bit more control.

“He was going to go out there with one of his boys, and that’s when he called me and asked me if I’d be interested. I was, and that’s when it all started,” said Kelly. “That’s when I branched out of the local games into that.”

Kelly well remembers the many Friday nights that he and Reardigan would venture to the S.W. Moores Stadium in Harbour Grace to officiate those games before some of the most vocal and vociferous hockey fans in the province.

As minor hockey in the province began to expand across Newfoundland, Kelly found himself taking part in those games as an on-ice official, in the few nearby rinks that existed at the time. By the time the Mount Pearl arena opened, Kelly and his fellow refs joined forces to form the Mount Pearl Referee’s Association, which he wrote the constitution for and eventually went on to head as its president.

“We were at that for about 10 or 15 years, and the Goulds actually started it up not long after us,” Kelly said. “We helped develop referees over there, and just lent them a hand when we could.”

Kelly’s growing experience and credentials as a ref in the various minor and senior leagues around the region eventually led to him, in 1985, becoming an instructor and supervisor with Hockey NL’s officiating program – a role he held until 2017.

In 1995, Kelly became the chairman of the organization’s rules committee. This, along with being appointed as Supervisor of Officials in 2000, and being elected Referee-in-Chief for Hockey NL in 2005, meant Kelly was spending a majority of his time at rinks or talking hockey – something he says he wouldn’t have traded for the world.

“I enjoyed it from every perspective,” he said.

Throughout his years as a referee, Kelly was involved in some of the sports highest calibre play, such as the Herder Memorial Trophy Finals, and the Air Canada Cup national midget championship staged in St. John’s in 1989.

For all of his work in Newfoundland hockey, Kelly was one of the most recent inductees in the Hockey NL Hall of Fame as a builder. He described that phone call as a shock to him, but an overwhelmingly pleasant one.

Through such a lengthy career, Kelly was especially honoured to have been appointed Referee-in-Chief. That allowed him to try and influence the game for the better, something that he takes great pride in. The role saw him to come to terms with a number of things as Hockey NL’s referees were being developed over the years.

“Number one, because of our location (as a province), it was hard to get our officials up to a national standard,”Kelly said. “We tried to implement things in our program to do just that, though.” Referees-in-Chief for Hockey Quebec, Ontario, and the Ottawa district were invited in at various points to share their skills and mentorship. “To me, that really validated what I was doing, knowing that I could help develop young officials,” said Kelly.

It was also a hurdle to include players from other parts of the province, he said. Since so many of the games took place on the east coast, there was a common misconception that the minor and senior leagues were strictly an Avalon region thing.

“A good 80 per cent of the games were taking place on the east coast, so I had to try and take a program that, for the most part, people thought was only concerned about the Avalon, and turn that around. It was a big challenge,” he allowed.

While Kelly has nothing but good to say about his time on and off the ice, he will admit that anyone looking to get into officiating now needs to have a thick skin.

He described hockey officials as being part of the “third team.” At no time will a ref be on the good side of both teams and the only people in the arena who are going to support someone’s calls – regardless of team affiliation – are your fellow referees, he said.

“We’ve had a lot of officials quit on us. When they leave the arena after giving little Johnny a five-minute penalty, and see that young man’s father out in public, he might not have anything good to say to that official,” Kelly said. “But, when people ask how you deal with all the things people say, I just explain that those people aren’t talking to you directly. They’re talking to a black and white sweater. Sometimes, what they say, it might hurt. But, for the most part, once the game is over it’s over. People are angry at the ref, not at you personally.”

Kelly said that although it can take some time to accept that, it helps to officiate games outside of one’s own hometown, where the stands are full of strangers for the most part, as opposed to people you know on a personal level.

Although Kelly has since retired from his positions with Hockey NL, he has no shortage of fond memories to look back on while enjoying his retirement.

“It was always so much fun, though. The thing I miss most? Going into that cold rink at 8:00 on a Saturday morning, getting a coffee, going in and talking to the officials,” said Kelly. “Talking to them after the game about what they did and how they can improve and work on for their next game. Then, walking away and knowing that you actually did some good for them.”

A young, honoured hero

By Chris Lewis | Aug. 13, 2020

Amelia Vardy of Mount Pearl is making quite an impact at only 4-years-old.

Back in June of this year, her family hosted a series of blood donor clinic events in Mount Pearl and St. John’s in an effort to raise both numbers of people donating blood this time of year, and also awareness for the importance of blood donations.

Vardy was diagnosed with blood cancer two years ago; a moment her family will never forget, and one that proved to them the importance of blood donations. Their recent blood drives proved to be a success, even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a total of 23 donations – more than double the original number of 10 they had expected.

Now, Vardy and her family have something else to look forward to this coming October.

Vardy, who turns five that month, has been named the Honoured Hero of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada for the province of Newfoundland. That means her story will be shared with the world through the organization.

Last year, Vardy and her family took part in Light the Night, an annual fundraising event hosted by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada that, in Newfoundland, sees participants make their way around Paradise Park with lanterns, “lighting the night” in the name of fighting cancer.

Alongside doing some publicity with the organization, being named Honoured Hero means that Vardy will be in the spotlight at the next Light the Night event, currently set for October 17. Each year, the event gives center stage to someone telling their story of survival. Vardy’s mother, Veronica, said she hopes her daughter’s story of her diagnosis, treatment, and life with cancer will give listeners, especially those who are new to life with the disease as well as their family and friends, some hope for their future.

“She is living, and she is surviving, post-Leukemia diagnosis. We want to spread that hope to other people,” Veronica said, adding they even hope to conduct some hospital visits to other young cancer patients if the health guidelines allow for it.

Veronica admitted the family debated whether Amelia should take on such a big responsibility with this new honour. But when Amelia herself learned of the invitation, any doubt about whether they would do it went out the window.

“I don’t like to rush into things. I wanted to make sure we’d be able to get totally on board with all of the commitments. I was fleshing it out with my husband, and Amelia was in the family room and heard that we’d be going up on a stage and sharing her story, and she just got so excited,” Veronica said. “She said, ‘Mommy, I’ll go on stage! I’ll wear my chemo beads and tell everyone that I’m beating cancer,’ so that just sealed the deal for us.”

The chemo beads are part of a program run by the Janeway Children’s Hospital. For every treatment, procedure, visit, and everything in between, Amelia is given a bead to add to her collection, with different colours representing different procedures. The last time Veronica counted the beads, Amelia had accumulated over 350.

“It’s this long string that sort of represents everything she’s gone through, and that’s what she wants to wear around her neck. She wants to show everyone that she’s doing it, and they can too.”

Amelia is about a month away from her last day of chemo treatments.

“We’re on the verge of this all being over, hopefully,” said Veronica. “It’s exciting. A lot of the kids who were diagnosed around the same time as her are all, within the next few months, finishing up, so it’s a really exciting time for all of us moms.”

Work stopped on Smallwood Drive, council delighted

Residents of Smallwood Drive have had a small success recently.

In the City of Mount Pearl, along Smallwood Drive, the presence of Newfoundland Power employees and trucks was a cause of contention among residents, who felt as though they had not been properly informed or updated on the plans for installing street lights along the road. Those concerns were heard loud and clear by councillor Lucy Stoyles, who continued to be outspoken on the topic at the City’s regular council meetings.

Work had actually begun just after the City’s June 2nd meeting, to which Stoyles said she received a number of calls from concerned citizens. So many, in fact, that a petition sprung up from those residents, which garnered approximately 260 signatures from the locals.

Stoyles explained that the City had reached out to Newfoundland Power through written statements sent out on June 10th, requesting them to stop the work on the poles for the time being, and that the City is now working alongside Light and Power to review the scope of the work, and to gauge how the end result will affect the nearby businesses and residents. She hopes to see further information coming in the following weeks.

“I just wanted to say that we also received a number of calls from residents of Smallwood Drive. They were happy to see we’re taking these steps to consider, listen, and hear what the residents have to say,” Stoyles said. “I’m looking forward to a public consultation with this.”

That public consultation was something that Stoyles recommended at the June 2nd meeting, and she had voted against Newfoundland Power moving forward with the proposal (the only councillor to do so.) The opportunity to consult with residents in some way about these things is a notion that Mayor Dave Aker later supported.

He was sure to note that no matter what, it would be near impossible to please everyone, but that he hopes to see “the best fit” implemented in the area.

“This work has stopped. I’m delighted that we’re listening to those residents and keeping an open mind for what they’re looking at doing down on Smallwood Drive,” Stoyles said, noting that although a public consultation of sorts is not set in stone, she is hopeful that the City will be able to actively hear from those residents in some capacity - perhaps via a Zoom meeting, she suggested.

Councillor Andrea Power, during the June 16th meeting, noted that hindsight truly is 20/20. She said she feels as though it is council’s commitment to residents prevailing in this situation, and that council failed in properly engaging the public before allowing the work to go ahead.

“I’m delighted, as well, to see that we’re putting a pause on the project and engaging al of the residents that will be affected by these upgrades … I think all angles need to be looked at with this project,” Power said.

Power, Ledwell seats vacated in Mount Pearl council

Both former councillors hurl allegations toward City council before leaving behind empty seat

Next week’s council meeting in Mount Pearl will look different.

That’s because the city’s council has, as of Tuesday June 30, been reduced by two seats due to the eviction of Andrea Power and Andrew Ledwell in the latest installment involving Chief Administrative Officer Steve Kent, whose $200,000 a year position was also terminated last month.

The decision to evict Power and Ledwell was not made lightly, according to Deputy Mayor Jim Locke, but it was necessary.

“The evidence suggested that they were colluding via facebook messenger on a regular basis to find ways to influence other councillors, there was evidence of coaching by Mr. Kent with respect to these two councillors on what to say to the investigator, and what questions or issues to raise in these privileged or private meetings of council,” said Locke. “There was evidence that some of the information that was discussed at privileged meetings of council had been shared with Mr. Kent by Mrs. Power and Mr. Ledwell.”

Locke described the messages as strategizing to get Kent back into his job as CAO.

“It was a clear violation of the responsibility of a member of council to remain unbiased in any decision making, and it was clearly a breach of our policy,” Locke said.

At the June 30 where they were evicted, both Power and Ledwell took the opportunity to respond to the charges with prepared statements.

Ledwell said that he would be getting the police involved, while Power stated she planned to file a Supreme Court appeal.

The two also aired other allegations involving the City, none of which have been proven in court.

Ledwell raised the matter of a separate investigation into an approximate $100,000 that he said had gone unaccounted for, as well as millions in unpaid business taxes.

To that, Locke told The Pearl he could not go into detail since the matter is currently an RNC issue.

“I love this city and it breaks my heart to have to do this, but someone needs to stand up to the bullying and intimidation happening behind closed doors, and do the right thing. I cannot allow the cover ups to continue by people who we have put in positions of responsibility,” Ledwell wrote in a press release. “This council is failing this city.”

Power, meanwhile, denied the conflict of interest allegations, but levelled an allegation of her own, accusing Mayor Dave Aker of having made an unflattering remark about a woman.

“At a community event, open to the public and attended by many members of council, the Mayor clearly made an oinking noise at her when she reached for a cookie, which were available to everyone in attendance,” claimed Power. “This woman reached out to me shortly after the event, clearly upset by this behaviour, and wanted to discuss it. She ultimately decided at that time to not pursue it and did not file a complaint with the City of Mount Pearl, as I had suggested. This behaviour was quite obviously disturbing to me. I have struggled to keep silent. However, until recently, I was not in a position to share it.”

Given the allegation made against him by Power, Mayor Aker absented himself from the vote on whether to declare her seat vacant because of the alleged conflict of interest communications with Kent.

The motions against Power and Ledwell carried unanimously.

“If this were to all become public, people will know the evidence that council was presented with, and the evidence from which we based our decision … I think that would bring clarity to people as to why council felt obligated to take the actions they had to take,” Locke said Tuesday.

The legal counsel and investigations come with a hefty cost, but Locke said that is unavoidable. The initial workplace investigation into Kent still underway as well.

“We are an employer here. We have close to 300 employees with the City of Mount Pearl, and have respectful workplace policies in place, we have a harassment free workplace policy in place, and so we’re obligated to ensure these policies are followed,” said Locke. “Anytime an allegation is brought forward, we treat it extremely seriously, and there’s a cost to protecting our workers.”

In her statement on June 30, Power cited the City as having already spent around $50,000 on the investigation into Kent.

As for filling the two vacant seats, Locke said it is too early to say for certain when or if a by-election will be held. The outcome of the threatened legal procedures by Power and Ledwell, if they proceed, would likely determine whether they can regain their positions, or even be allowed to seek election. The next municipal general election is set for next fall. Under current municipal legislation, a councillor whose seat is vacated because of a conflict of interest, is barred from seeking election for two years.

Annual Mount Pearl award ceremony to see several hall of fame inductees

By Mark Squibb | Vol 8 No. 4 (March 3, 2020)

Prominent athletes and other builders of the sports community were honoured Friday night in a gala event at the Reid Community Centre.

The annual Mount Pearl Sport Alliance Hall of Fame dinner and Athletic Awards saw Gerald ‘Jed’ Butt, Keith Hoyles, John Nolan, Jonathon Kelly, and Ron O’Neill inducted into the hall.

The evening’s format intertwined the induction of the Hall of Famers with the awards for the newest generation of athletes.

Butt was the first to be inducted. He is best known for his time playing baseball in the Mount Pearl Senior League and representing Mount Pearl in the St. John's Senior League. He was also instrumental in re-establishing Mount Pearl Minor Baseball in the early 1980s and helped form the Mount Pearl Baseball Umpires Association in 1994.

“It is indeed an honor and a privilege for me to have been selected for the Sports Hall of Fame,” said Butt, who thanked the committee, his friends and family. “I have some fond memories of my playing and executive days.”

Next up, Jesse Devilla took home the Peter Halliday Memorial Executive of the Year Award.

Devilla served as treasurer with Mount Pearl Minor basketball for several years, and also coaches Celtics Club basketball teams. He is currently secretary-treasurer with the Newfoundland and Labrador basketball Association.

John Nolan was posthumously inducted. Nolan became a big part of the city’s hockey and soccer communities after he moved to Mount Pearl in 1983. He served as head coach and executive of St. Peter’s Minor Hockey. He joined the Mount Pearl Minor Hockey Association, and coached players from Novice through Bantam, and even coached the Junior Blades from 2000 to 2002. He also coached and served with the Mount Pearl Soccer Association, holding various positions including president.

As per Nolan’s will, a cheque for $10,000 was presented to both Mount Pearl Minor Hockey and the Mount Pearl Soccer Association.

“I think our father would be completely honoured and overwhelmed by this moment here tonight,” said Nolan’s son, Adam Nolan. “This moment is the accumulation of years of commitment, loyalty, dedication, hard work, accountability, and leadership.”

The Coach of the Year Award went to Mount Pearl - Paradise Youth Bowling (YBC) coach Gayle Cave, who coached the senior girls team to a gold medal at the NL Youth Challenge. She was also selected as provincial coach for the nationals, led her 5-Pin open mixed team to gold at the provincials, and was named the 5-Pin Coach of the Year.

Jonathon Kelly was the next Hall of Fame inductee. Kelly began playing soccer in Mount Pearl at the age of six, and over the following years would play with eight minor teams representing Newfoundland and Labrador, 11 Challenge Cup teams, and five Memorial University Sea-Hawks teams. He also coached.

The Team of the Year Award went to the Mount Pearl- Paradise Skating Club’s Open Starlites. In 2019, the team had many successes, including winning gold at both the provincial championships and the Atlantic Regional Championships. That latter accomplishment was especially impressive as 10 of the team’s 12 members were struck with a stomach bug the week before the competition. It was the fifth consecutive year winning gold at the competition. The team also placed tenth in the national competition.

Keith Hoyles was inducted next.

When the Smallwood Drive Arena opened in 1976, Hoyles hit the ice. Over the next decade, throughout minor, high school, and junior divisions, he would prove his leadership skills, captaining his high school hockey team and many provincial all-star teams. In the 1985-1986 season, he set a new league record of 98 points, and helped the Mount Pearl Junior Blades capture both the Junior League Championship and the Atlantic Championship’s Don Johnson Cup. He also played for Team Newfoundland and Labrador at the 1987 Canada Winter Games, where the team placed fifth, the highest Newfoundland had ever placed at that point in time.

“There’s no better place than Mount Pearl to raise a family and participate in sports,” said Hoyles, who thanked the selection committee and others for the honour.

Next, Laura Pittman was awarded Female Athlete of the Year.

Pittman is the Female Captain of the Memorial University Sea Hawks Swim Team, and was the winner of the 2019 Memorial University swimming bursary. Balancing athletics and academics, she was also named to the Dean’s List for the Faculty of Science and is an Academic All-Canadian. She is also heavily involved with the Marlins Swim Team.

Ron O’ Neil was the final inductee of the night. O’Neil began coaching soccer in Mount Pearl in 1999. He started by coaching his daughter’s house league team, and went on to become a successful all-star coach. He coached provincial teams in national championships in 2006 and 2009. He was elected to the Mount Pearl Soccer Association’s (MPSA) board of directors in 2007, and served on the executive for eight years, including as president and vice-president. He developed the first computerized registration system for the MPSA, and developed several Hall of Fame by-laws and procedures.

“It is truly a great honour to be inducted as a builder, because those who knew me in my playing days knew I never had a chance in hell getting in as a player,” he joked. (Editor’s note: O’Neil was actually a pretty good forward and mid fielder in his high school days).

The final award of the night went to powerlifter Glen Chaytor, who was awarded the Male Athlete of the Year. Chaytor began lifting in his 20’s, but following injury, he stepped away from the sport for several years. In recent years, Chaytor has established himself as a powerlifting force to be reckoned with, competing at national and international competitions. In 2019, he represented Team Canada at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships, and has been named to the Canadian powerlifting team for the 2020 World Championships in Sweden.

The youth male and female athletes of the year will be announced this spring in conjunction with the Mount Pearl Focus on Youth Awards.

Southlands residents want to break free – to Mount Pearl

Group of about 30 attend public town hall on municipal rezoning

By Mark Squibb | Vol 8 No. 4 (March 3, 2020)

For Darlene and Wally Haas, the solution is simple.

“All of our sport teams are in Mount Pearl, our kids go to school in Mount Pearl, we shop in Mount Pearl, we play sports in Mount Pearl, our services are in Mount Pearl. It feels like that’s what we’re a part of,” explained Wally.

The Haas’s, like many Southlands residents, want their St. John’s municipal boundaries changed so that they fall under Mount Pearl’s jurisdiction instead.

The couple have lived in Southlands for the last decade, and have always longed to be a part of Mount Pearl, but say that being snowed in for several days during the state of emergency in January while just a hop and a skip down the road in Mount Pearl residents enjoyed snow-free streets was the lighted match to the powder keg.

“The catalyst was the ridiculousness of the state of emergency,” said Wally. “It wasn’t just the state of emergency, and everything that happened around it, but it was the catalyst. That made us say, ‘Enough is enough, this is dumb, let’s be a part of where we should be a part of. And that is Mount Pearl.”

So, the couple decided to hold a public town hall meeting last week which was attended by some 30 people, including Southlands residents, councillors from St. John’s, and Mount-Pearl Southland’s MHA Paul Lane, all with the aim to generate momentum for a movement and to form a core volunteer committee (which, Wally said, he believes they have enough signatures for.)

“Enough was enough with complaining that we should be a part of Mount Pearl,” said Darlene. “I thought we would see how committed people are.”

The Feb. 25 meeting started off with a brief introduction by Darlene, who then opened the floor to debate.

The first question raised by an audience member was whether the move was actually possible. The Haas’s replied that, as far as they knew, if Southland residents lobbied and petitioned for the change, the provincial government would be able to order a feasibility study, which would guide the Minister of Municipal Affairs’ decision to “redraw the maps.”

MHA Paul Lane acknowledged that, at one point in time, Southlands was part of Mount Pearl, but during the Clyde Wells era in the early 1990s it was rezoned as a part of St. Johns.

“I can’t tell you exactly why, or the rationale,” said Lane. “I’ve heard different stories, but regardless of why, or how it happened, it did happen.”

He added that a few years afterwards Mount Pearl tried to absorb Brookfield Plains, but failed because the provincial government found the move would be a detriment to St. Johns.

Lane acknowledged that residents have the right to lobby the provincial government to change boundaries adding that “the more people on board, the stronger the argument and case to be brought forward.”

But, he added, “at the end of the day it’s up to the Minister of Municipal Affairs whether or not he or she is going to allow that to happen. And it’s totally under that Minister’s direction whether that is going to happen or not.”

Lane said as the elected member for Southlands he will bring any petition they generate forward to the House of Assembly. But, he warned, “from a political point of view, it’s going to be challenging to get the provincial government to make that stroke of a pen to make it happen.”

Lane said part of the challenge lays in Southlands only having one representative in the House, versus the rest of the City of St. John’s – which includes at least eight other districts. That likely means there would be pressure form other MHA’s to keep Southlands in St. John’s.

Lane allowed that if Southlands broke away from St. John’s, it would have a negative effect on the City of St. John’s budget, as it would no longer receive taxes from Southlands residents.

“I’m just trying to tell you how it is,” said Lane.

Members of the audience discussed some of the problems they say they face living just outside Mount Pearl — children who can’t get swimming lessons at the Summit Centre, speeding in Southlands, inadequate snow clearing as compared to Mount Pearl, and a lack of local amenities.

One man said he was told there was a proposal for a school many years ago in Southlands, and that perhaps residents moved in expecting their children would be able to attend school nearby.

Lane and representatives from St. John’s council acknowledged that there were plans for a school many years ago, but they never came to fruition.

The representatives from St. John’s included City Manger Kevin Breen, and councillors Wally Collins and Sandy Hickman. They maintained that homes in Southlands are actually a high priority for services such as snow clearing, due largely to the area’s high elevation.

That statement drew groans from the audience.

Breen moved on to talk dollars, explaining the City receives $6 million in tax revenue from Southlands and Brookfield Plains and to lose that revenue would punch a large hole in the City’s budget.

“That’s $6 million we pay, so don’t you think it makes sense for us to have a desire to have an influence on how that money is spent, and where we want to spend it?” countered Wally Haas.

The two argued the point back and forth for several minutes, with Breen arguing that to rezone Southlands would set a precedent for other suburbs and areas to rezone, which would wreck havoc on municipal government and the shared burden of services.

“There’s more to it than your democratic right to choose where you want to live,” concluded Breen.

The meeting went on for roughly two hours, and by the end, though no decision had been made, a handful of folks did commit to organizing a committee, which was the outcome the Haas’s had hoped for.

Certainly, it appeared that adamant proponents of a change in the municipal boundary had their opinions strengthened.

The Haas’s said the next step is to prepare a petition and launch a campaign to get as many signatures as possible for Lane to bring before the House of Assembly.

Scale back tax still a controversary at City Hall

By Mark Squibb | Vol 8 No. 4 (March 3, 2020)

A tax break designed to encourage new businesses to call Mount Pearl home has once again caused some controversary in the council chambers.

Start-ups in the craft, technology, and retail sectors can apply for a four-year scaled tax break to a maximum of $5,000 annually.

New businesses receive an 80 percent tax break their first year in business, 60 percent the next year, a 40 per cent break in year three, petering down to a 20 per cent break in year four.  

The program was launched last May during the ‘Consider it Done’ business promotion campaign launch, with The Newfoundland Gold Company being the first business to successfully apply for the tax break.

That’s company’s tax break was unanimously approved by council in October, although councillor Lucy Stoyles expressed concerns such a policy is not fair to long established businesses.

She reiterated some of those concerns during the Feb. 4 meeting, when council discussed an application from Compounding Wellness Sterile Lab. That business paid $4,882 in commercial tax in 2019, but will pay only 20 per cent of that amount this year because it has been approved for status under the tax break program. Stoyles inquired if it would be a ‘one-time’ tax break, and if the same business could apply again next year.

Acting director of corporate services Cassie Pittman outlined the program’s phasing in of the tax rate, noting that by the fifth year, the business would be paying the full commercial rate.

Stoyles next asked how much exactly this particular application will cost the City, contending that it would be ‘a lot.’ “That’s a lot of money at the end of five years,” said Stoyles, reckoning the sum at about $20,000.

Pittman said the full amount wouldn’t be that much, and that she would work out the actual sum for her.

The actual value of the tax break comes to about $9,764 over four years.

“The idea is, and the rational was the fact that we did research on the length of time a business, once they (open) in a municipality how long they are projected to stay,” said Pittman. “And so, at the five-year mark, it’s very unlikely that a business, unless they experience exponential growth, will remove themselves from the municipality. It’s an investment upfront in the longevity of the tax. And that’s only on their commercial tax, they still pay their full property tax.”

Stoyles next asked if the business would have to pay any of the tax break back to the City if it relocates.

Pittman answered that it would not.

Councillor Andrew Ledwell reminded his colleagues about how the tax break program originated.

“Council will recall, about a year and a half ago, when we rolled out our ‘Consider it Done’ initiatives,” he said. “A lot of that was around eliminating red tape for businesses, trying to help businesses get started in the community, spur on some economic development, and this particular initiative, the scaled back tax program, along with the façade improvement program, were both initiatives that were very much a part of the ‘Consider it Done’ initiatives… We haven’t had the uptake, perhaps, that we expected, but I do want to remind council that this is something that we all agreed to, that we all expected would create some positive economic activity in the city. We can certainly revisit it at anytime, I suppose, as with any decision that we make, but it is something that we all sat around and thought would be a good idea. And, I guess, for a couple of companies at least, it has had a positive impact. But, I don’t know, perhaps it is worthy of another discussion. I just wanted to remind folks that we did put this forward as an initiative to spur on economic development in our city.”

To that Stoyles replied that she though the initiatives would only be for brand new types of businesses. She acknowledged the application did fit the bill as a new business, but argued such a tax break might provide an unfair advantage over existing businesses that provide the same type of service.

“I’d like to revisit it is all,” said Stoyles. “I will support it tonight, because you need a majority of council to support it. But I’d like to revisit it for sure.”

New arts group opens shop in Centennial Square

By Mark Squibb | Vol 8 No. 4 (March 3, 2020)

Mount Pearl native and dancer Stephanie Moyst hopes that a new, not-for-profit performance centre nestled in the heart of the city will help fill a void she sees in the art community.

Moyst is the creative mind behind Dragonfly Productions, an organization she said was largely born out of a lack of publicly available performance and practise space for budding and seasoned artists.

Moyst, who spent decades teaching dance in both Alberta and Newfoundland, now works full time in a different job, but likes to teach part-time. But she came across a stumbling block, she said.

“There was nowhere to teach,” said Moyst. “There was nowhere to rent, nowhere to go.”

That was a major problem, she said.

“I find that if the space is not available, and there’s no where to practise, rehearse, or mentor, then everything gets put on the backburner and it gets lost,” she added. “And there’s so much talent and so much communication to come from it, that if we don’t have this place, it’s going to be lost. There might be this 10-year-old kid who is amazing, but doesn’t have anywhere to paint, or dance, of can afford it.”

The centre, located at 16 Centennial Street, just across from City Hall, boasts a 500 square foot dance and performance area, a soundproof music room (“think Stevie Nicks bohemian,” Moyst jokes describing the décor), bean bag chairs, a chandelier, and an entrance hall that could double as a gallery.

Artists and teachers can rent the venue for lessons, workshops, or performances. Moyst hopes that having the space available will encourage the growth of arts in the community.

The third Saturday of every month, the centre will host ‘Las nuit bohemme.’

“It’s like an open mic night — but for all the arts,” said Moyst. “And for all ages.”

Moyst will also host a youth arts festival, Saltwater Pearls, at St. David’s Park in the summer. Dragonfly Productions hosted ‘Open’ last May, an exploration of the relationship between the arts and mental health. Moyst hopes to do that show again this spring.

“What happened at that show was something I never expected,” said Moyst. “The audience and the performers and the gallery all became one.”

Those in attendance opened up and discussed mental health issues that otherwise go undiscussed, she said.

Moyst’s not-for-profit also hopes to establish an annual scholarship, providing three students with scholarships in the amount of $500.

As of now, there is no government funding for the project.

Myost said that while the board (consisting of three other like-minded members) is hopeful for funding, they are choosing not to depend on it.

“There are a lot of us who have been doing this all our lives,” said Moyst. “We’re in different careers, but we still enjoy the arts. We teach painting, we teach music, we teach dancing, but we do it part-time, and we can’t keep sharing what we do. So, I thought, ‘We need somewhere to do this.’”

Moyst said the group is hoping that revenue from shows and rentals will cover the cost of operations.

“We don’t want to be relying on (government) funding,” she said.

She also noted her group is not in competition with the long-established Association for the Arts in Mount Pearl (AAMP).

“I think we easily can go hand in hand,” she said, adding that she has spoken with AAMP director Christine Hennebury about the new performance centre.

“Two non-profit art places in a city is pretty cool,” said Moyst.

The group is already using the space in Centennial Square, but hopes to host a grand opening in March.

Stoyles raises smoke over hotel ruins

By Mark Squibb | Vol 8 No. 4 (March 3, 2020)

When fire destroyed Hotel Mount Pearl on Dec. 28 (just days after a kitchen fire damaged the hotel on Christmas Day), it made headlines.

Now, two months later, councillor Lucy Stoyles is concerned the still-standing ruins of the hotel have been forgotten by most everyone — except nearby residents who have to look at it everyday.

“Many people have mentioned to me that Hotel Mount Pearl is still standing there, and it’s an eyesore, especially to the people on Avery Place who have to look out their windows everyday and see it,” said Stoyles.

She asked if the City knows when the demolition will take place.

Director of community development Jason Collins noted that staff have been working with the owner, and that a tender has gone out for demolition of the property, but there is no concrete date set yet as to when the work will be started.

“People are wondering, that’s all,” said Stoyles. “Because it’s been there such a long time now. It’s been a couple months since the fire, and people are saying, ‘My God, how much longer are we going to have to look at this.’”

Appreciating winter

Annual art exhibit is ode to unique beauty of the season

By Mark Squibb | Vol 8 No. 3 (Feb 13. , 2019)

We now know why our winter has been so rough: we’ve upset the Cailleach, the bone mother, who guards the bones of animals that have died in the winter so that they may be reborn in the spring.

See, with all this talk of clearing snow, and getting the job done, we have forgotten that winter is a time of rest. That winter is a time to just not be so busy, a time to appreciate the beauty of the season.

And if we embrace the stillness of winter, we may yet be able to tame the bone mother’s wrath.

Christine Hennebury is with the Association for the Arts in Mount Pearl (AAMP). She told of the bone mother, and of the natural beauty of winter during the opening night of the Wintery ReMix exhibit.

The exhibit being a collaboration between AAMP, and the Admiralty House Communications Museum.

It was housed in the Annex alongside the Mount Pearl museum.

Randy Blundon has been drawing and painting since he was young. Blundon is a familiar face in Mount Pearl, teaching out of his Mount Pearl studio on Topsail Road.

 “You get a lot of colour in winter,” Blundon said. His painting of a southside St. Johns landscape depicting icicles formed on a rocky cliff surface is on display at the exhibit.

 “In theses ice candles, you get greens, and blues, and purples, and the dogberries are left on the tree,” he said. “There’s always colour somewhere. And even when there’s a lot of snow, there are shadows and snow sculpted by the wind into different shapes. Everywhere you look there’s something different.”

Blundon, who has been drawing and painting since he was young, is a familiar face in Mount Pearl, teaching out of his Mount Pearl studio on Topsail Road.

E.B. Reid has displayed her photos at St. John’s exhibits, and it was her first time being displaying her work in Mount Pearl.

“I’ve never actually had a piece submitted outside of Downtown St. Johns, so to actually make it to the Pearl is amazing.”

E.B. Reid is used to displaying her work in St. Johns, and said it’s been a great experience, sharing her work in Mount Pearl.

Her black-and-white photo depicts a stroll through a wonderland of perfectly symmetrical trees and park benches, offset by a single, solitary lamppost.

It looks like it might just be the magical land of Narnia— it’s Bannerman Park on a Sunday afternoon.

“I was walking through Bannerman Park, and it was a beautiful day, and I was just struck by how beautiful it was.”

“When life gives you an image in front of you like this, you have to just capture it on your camera or your smartphone,” she said.” “A shot like this is a gift.”

Reid has been shooting photos since she was a young girl. She shot her first photos with a Kodiak while volunteering as a Girl Guide, and has recently begun displaying her photos.

Angela Hennebury is an artist born and raised in Mount Pearl.

Her work is a mixture of mediums. It depicts a snow-covered tree, inspired by a simple look into her out backyard.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” she said. “It’s on a pine panel, it has tissue paper over it to give it texture, and then an acrylic medium to bring it, and it’s covered in sparkle and beads.

“I like to make art that has as much texture as possible.”

She made the piece at the Annex over a period of a couple weeks.

Hennebury, who has been creating art for the last decade, said that winter has just a little extra sparkle than any other season— perfect for an artist that loves glitter.

And displaying that art in Mount Pearl is especially exciting.

“Whenever I go anywhere and my name is net to a piece of art, it’s exciting. But, also, because this is Mount Pearl, and this is where I grew up, and it’s people I know going through, and people I’ve grown up it, it’s pretty cool.”

The exhibit, launched in connection with the Mount Pearl Frosty Festival (Frosty himself dropped by to check out some of the artwork on display), will be on display until Feb. 21.