Mount Pearl City Days a go

By Chris Lewis | July 8, 2021

City Days are a go in Mount Pearl.

The future of various celebratory events in the province are still up for discussion in many cases as the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic remain in effect to a certain extent.

In the City of Mount Pearl however, things are looking up for those looking to get active during this summer season.

Although the City’s Memorial Day celebrations had to take a bit of a virtual spin this year, City Days are - as of now - going ahead to a certain degree as councillor Isabelle Fry detailed during the most recent meeting of City council.

“A lot of people have been asking about that,” she said. “We’re planning some activities, but unfortunately we can’t do the full scale that we’re accustomed to. But, we are still going to celebrate.”

While it may be a little different this year, City Days in Mount Pearl have a full list of things to do in and around Mount Pearl during the week of July 16.

Fry said the full schedule will hopefully include something for everyone.

The week kicks off with a senior’s social on July 16, followed by a family drive-in movie that night hosted at the Glacier Arena.

A “princess and superhero” picnic breakfast for youth will take place the following morning at St. David’s Park.

Also on the 17th, residents can expect Centennial Square to be quite an active place. Named “Find Your Centre Day,” The City is planning a day full of live entertainment, food trucks, and sidewalk sales for residents and visitors alike, where they can also learn more about Mount Pearl’s centre city revitalization plan.

Later that night, Centennial Park will be lit up in plenty of colours for a “Pride in the Park” which will feature a drag performance from drag queen Shea Muah.

Bringing the events to a close, July 18 will begin with an afternoon tea event for senior’s at the Admiralty House Gardens, and a drive-in bingo game that afternoon starting at 4:00 in the Glacier parking lot.

“We still have lots to celebrate, and we’re looking forward to seeing residents out and about enjoying it in a safe manner,” Fry said.

Mount Pearl commends former councillor Lucy Stoyles

By Chris Lewis | July 8, 2021

Former councillor, and current MHA, Lucy Stoyles got a bit of recognition from Mount Pearl city council this past week.

Council members in the City of Mount Pearl got together in the council chambers again for the first time since January on Tuesday, June 29, having done most meetings virtually via Zoom. This meeting, however, came with a guest appearance by a familiar face: Lucy Stoyles, who had served as a member of City council for some 25-years prior to being elected to the position of MHA for Mount Pearl-Southlands.

Stoyles’ presence at council this night was not necessarily as an MHA, though. She was there on the 29th following an invitation from council, who had a plaque prepared for her in recognition for her lengthy service on council.

Stoyles was first elected to the council chambers in 1996 during a by-election, and was commended for her longevity and lifetime’s worth of effort by Mayor Dave Aker that night as he looked around the chambers to see Stoyles’ face on a number of pictures hung on the wall featuring City counicls of the past.

“Serving is not just here in the Chamber … Some of the work is done here, but much of it is done typically behind the scenes at public and private events,” Aker said of Stoyles’ work as a councillor. “We’re so proud of you, MHA Stoyles.”

Stoyles herself took some time during the evening to speak to her time on council, which she referred to as something of a family setting for her at this point. She said she spent all those years looking forward to making an appearance in the council chambers on Tuesday nights.

With municipal elections coming up, Stoyles said she had met and spoken to a number of people who were thinking about running for City council in September. To those people, Stoyles had a few words of wisdom.

“I always send them to Mona (Lewis) first. She’s the person to talk to about getting involved in public life,” Stoyles said, commending the work of the City clerk with whom she worked closely with during her municipal career.

“If you think you can do this, well, if you want it you can. But you’ve got to work at it. You can’t just put your name on a ballot and think it’s going to happen. This is time consuming, and is something where you’ve got to give it your all. The best person for anyone to go to is not actually me, it’s Mona. She will be able to give people all the information they need.”

Stoyles was presented with a plaque from council that night.

That plaque read “In recognition of your noteworthy accomplishments and advocacy, spanning 25-years, which contributed to improving Mount Pearl for all who live and work here with a strong sense of home. Thank you for your dedication to further building our progressive, independent City.”

Football legend Herb Jenkins honoured by MPSA

By Chris Lewis | June 10, 2021

The Mount Pearl Soccer Association has a new lifetime member – Newfoundland soccer standout Herb Jenkins.

Jenkins’s passion for soccer dates back more than six decades. The Mount Pearl resident was introduced to the sport playing pickup games on the streets with his friends, before graduating to all star status with the Guards soccer organization in the 1960s, playing on both junior and senior teams and even serving as captain with some gold medal winning squads in the Provincial Junior Soccer Tournaments of 1964 and 1968.

After his playing days were over, Jenkins carved a second career in soccer as a coach and official. He taught referee clinics in Mount Pearl throughout the 1970s and went on to become the first person in Newfoundland to be named a national referee after taking a refereeing course in England, taught by World Cup soccer officials.

While he started his soccer playing career in St. John’s, Jenkins later became synonymous with the development of the sport in Mount Pearl.

“I took teams from Mount Pearl across Canada, playing in different provinces, brought them over to England and Wales … I’ve been everywhere, man,” Jenkins said, jokingly referring to the Hank Snow classic country song.

Jenkins’ U-12 and U-16 Mount Pearl teams won provincial and Atlantic championships. He also managed the Newfoundland team that played in the 1981 Canada Games, held in Ontario.

“I just really love the sport. Just absolutely love it,” Jenkins said.

Although Jenkins has been inducted into Halls of Fame in the past, he said the event held on June 3rd to induct him into the Mount Pearl Soccer Association as a life member was one of the most humbling events of his life.

“I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it,” Jenkins said, adding how impressed and honoured he was by the recognition.

Aker outlines future 'City Centre' during Mayor's Outlook

By Chris Lewis | June 10, 2021

Mount Pearl Mayor Dave Aker provided residents with an outlook on the City’s future this past week.

The annual presentation, offered this year online instead of in-person because of Covid-19 restrictions, was hosted, as usual, by the Mount Pearl - Paradise Chamber of Commerce.

Aker said the city’s strategic plan had to be adapted over the past two years to deal with the unique challenges posed by the pandemic.

“As we continue to do things differently, health and safety remain paramount,” Aker said. “We continue to guide our decisions and planning for the future with these considerations top of mind.”

The mayor made clear the City is still committed to ‘digital transformation.’ This includes the rolling out of new payroll, taxation, utility billing, and accounts payable systems – all of which was being done by staff working from home.

He described the City as becoming a more connected and accessible organization.

Over the next year, Aker added, the City hopes to work toward an improved permitting software and asset management system.

Another item in the strategic plan, Aker noted, is citizen engagement.

“We actively participated in food drives and fundraisers, and continued our investments in community groups and associations,” Aker said. “The business community supported essential (Covid testing) workers who stood on the front lines in our city, providing meals and snacks to those workers in true Newfoundland and Labrador winter conditions.”

This year, a citizen engagement platform titled “Hey Mount Pearl” was launched, which got a warm reception, he added. It gave residents a chance to provide feedback on initiatives such as the City centre revitalization plan, and the 2021 budget.

The City’s urban forestry plan, Aker reported, was also a success last year, resulting in the planting of more trees. Over the course of this summer, he said, the City will spend some $100,000 on tree planting.

After consulting the general public, Aker said, the City found its residents desiring more places to enjoy the outdoors. That resulted in trail lighting for Power’s Pond, and a focus put on grooming trails throughout the winter.

“We’ve also been focused on reducing energy consumption, both to support our climate change action plan, and to decrease our overall electricity costs,” Aker said.

From this, the City has projected some $70,000 being saved in electricity costs –something he sees as a major positive in the face of increased costs to come once Muskrat Falls comes onstream.

‘Find Your Centre’ is another initiative Aker touted. In recognition that change is happening, Aker described a slowing in the city’s population growth compared to previous years and an increase in the average age of its citizens – a challenge faced by the entire province.

As well, Aker said, economic and business activity has shifted with the boom and bust of the oil industry. The City’s strategic plan is meant to address those challenges.

The Find Your Centre project will, Aker said, set the stage for the revitalization of Mount Pearl’s core over the next two or three decades.

“It’s a long-term vision that outlines strategies for public and private real investment that will encourage the city’s centre to grow and thrive well into the future,” Aker said.

The plan is rooted in what he described as the three Rs: recreation, relaxation, and retail and will promote developments that encompass those three ideas.

“While conceptual, this framework will inform and guide decision making in future development in the city’s centre,” said Aker. “In turn, this will ensure the city’s centre becomes and remains a distinct core that contributes to a rich quality of life, a strong sense of place and a prosperous economy.”

A concept model of the future City centre will be on display at City Hall in the coming months, he said.

Mount Pearl joins the mail-in voting list for City election

By Chris Lewis | June 6, 2021

Mount Pearl’s voters will have more voting options this coming election.

The municipal election is slated for September.

Like other municipalities, because of Covid-19, Mount Pearl is making plans to offer more voting options besides in-person vote casting at the ballot box.

At Tuesday’s public meeting, councillor Bill Antle said this election will feature mail-in voting for the first time.

In order for that to work, there were some things council needed to iron out.

The first of those was to approve the City’s entry into a four-year agreement with Datafix for the arrangement of an election management system. This will come at a cost of $41,700 plus HST.

“This will ensure that we can have in-person voting and mail-in voting,” Antle said.

Deputy Mayor Jim Locke questioned why it needs to be a four-year agreement.

City Clerk Mona Lewis explained a four-year agreement is not out of the ordinary.

The City, she said, maintains the voter list for four years in the event there is a by-election in between regular elections.

“We’d use the same voter list, and would need the same support that Datafix would provide,” she said.

Antle’s next motion regarded the dates for nomination of candidates. Nominations, Antle said, will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 24 and 25 from the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Lastly, making the third motion of the night, Antle put forward a motion following a recommendation from the corporate and economic development committee to hold an advance poll on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The three motions carried unanimously.

Mount Pearl entrepreneur goes old school for share of games market

By Chris Lewis | June 6, 2021

A Mount Pearl start-up is trying to get people around the kitchen table again.

In a world where most things take place in front of a screen, Brad Hiscock and his company Convivial Games are hoping to see people sit back with a few cards in their hands again.

The members of the Convivial team see their games all the way through, starting from the ideas phase, right up to the playtesting stage. Hiscock described them as designing board games “from scratch.”

Although Convivial Games has not yet released a game onto the market, they plan to open things up with two games that feature very different styles of gameplay: Feuds & Favours, a strategic card game with a medieval theme, and Free Agents, a Eurogame akin to Settlers of Cataan but with a hockey twist.

“The strategy card game has you in direct opposition with other players, whereas (Free Agents) is more about you trying to reach a more personal goal before other people,” Hiscock explained. “Those are the more immediate differences between them aside from the fact that one has a board and one does not.”

Hiscock, originally from Conception Bay South, came up with the idea for Feuds & Favours about a decade ago. At the time, he said, he thought the game would be a good bit of fun for him and his family, but eventually saw an opportunity to make something bigger.

“I just played it a little bit in my friend circle before putting it aside,” said Hiscock. “As I started developing it and bringing other people around to play it, I realized it was something everyone could get into. Creative-wise, I feel like I’m always at a project. Always keeping myself busy.”

The process of bringing a game from idea to manufacturing to market is not easy.

Hiscock compared it to producing a t-shirt, explaining that while the final product may look simple, there were a lot of moving parts that went into the shirt’s creation that are not immediately obvious to the person wearing it.

Hiscock admitted he is not an artist but still required art in order for Feuds & Favours to be a visually appealing game. So, he has been outsourcing that work to artists, all of which played a role in the game’s finalization.

Now, in only a few short weeks, Feuds & Favours will be gearing up for the next milestone in its creation: crowdfunding.

That’s a popular method of finding the funds to complete a project, allowing would-be buyers to aid in the financial costs of getting a project like Feuds & Favours off the ground. In return, when said project is complete and available, those early investors will be provided with things dependent on how much they contribute. In some cases this may include having their name credited somewhere on the project, or having access to early versions of a game.

For this, Hiscock has turned to Kickstarter, a crowdfunding website and plans to launch that part of the project in the coming weeks.

As for the board games themselves, Hiscock said the community has only grown in the face of an increasingly technological world.

Although he said this may be chalked up to the extra time people have been spending indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic, board games have seen an exponential increase in popularity over the course of the last 10 years.

“You’re seeing games like Wingspan or even Settlers of Cataan – which started with crowdfunding – becoming household names now just as much as your Hasbro games would be, which is really nice to see,” Hiscock said. “I find that people are starting to bond over these games in a way that wasn’t really done before. I think board games have only expanded, and a lot more people are coming together over a table than they were even a decade, two decades ago.”

City approves $103 per hour standby rate to NL Power

By Chris Lewis | May 27, 2021

The City of Mount Pearl is preparing to pay NL Power technicians some $100 an hour for work on city facilities, but some councillors have questions.

During council’s May 18 meeting, Deputy Mayor Jim Locke raised the subject of upgrades at Badcock Place, which involve some NL Power infrastructure underground.

While preparing to upgrade some of its own infrastructure, Locke said, the City reached out to NL Power to see if the company was interested in upgrading its own infrastructure in the area as well, rather than having to come back down the road and dig into the road once again.

In response, the City received a quote acceptance form, allowing an on-site technician from NL Power to be on standby during the work while the City comes close or adjacent to the utility’s equipment.

That form, Locke explained, allowed for a technician to be on site during trenching at a standby rate of $103.50 per hour, with the overtime standby rate reaching $139.45 per hour.

The contract schedule estimates about 40-days at 10-hours per day, coming to a lump sum estimate of $43,000, plus HST.

“This is the upper limit of what it could cost if the technician was on site for the full 40-days, but we don’t anticipate that,” Locke clarified. “It’s just, when we’re doing work in the area and we come upon their underground services, or if they’re there doing work on their own services, it’s at those times that this technician would be required to be on site. But, this is the limit of what would be expected if they were there every day.”

Locke recommended approval of the agreement, with Mayor Dave Aker stating he saw it as a good thing.

Councillor Bill Antle, however, had some concerns.

“They’re going to charge us $103 an hour just to stand by in case something goes wrong, is that how that works?” Antle asked.

It was actually Gerry Antle, the City’s Director of Infrastructure and Public Works, who came with an answer.

The director said while it was technically a standby rate, the technician would be there and expected to do inspection services for work on the infrastructure that the City does not have the expertise to do.

Director Antle added that, if during the inspections, NL Power finds more work for them to do, it will not fall back to the City to pay for it.

“The infrastructure piece that’s being done on Badcock Place is being done through our contractor,” he said, “Newfoundland Power is just providing the materials. So all the materials, the conduit, and all of the connections are being done by Newfoundland Power.”

Director Antle said when the City is doing work on its streets and need to call NL Power, it is because the work is being done on the company’s services and the City does not get charged.

Councillor Antle, meanwhile, welcomed the infrastructure work getting under way. He said he was simply skeptical about how it was being done.

Director Antle also stated that while the City will be upgrading NL Power services along the way, it is actually something that would have been done far into the future if NL Power were to simply follow their own schedule, and had the City not reached out before starting the work along Badcock Place.

“This is upgrading ahead of time,” he added. “We’ve asked for it to be done and coordinated with our work. So, it’s our cost.”

The motion to approve Locke’s motion carried unanimously.

O'Donel staff making a trek for a good cause

By Chris Lewis | May 27, 2021

These Mount Pearl teachers are trekking across the province - virtually.

Staff at O’Donel High School in Mount Pearl are doing what they can to raise money for a good cause, and are using a map of the province to do it.

Back in April, the staff were dealing with the same uncertainties faced by many in the province as the population scrambled in the face of a global pandemic.

Science teacher Joanne Power said they wanted to take on some kind of outdoor challenge. It was not uncommon for staff to go for walks on a daily basis, with some even tracking their mileage as they went along. Power said once they were introduced to the Candlelighters, the idea for a project started to blossom.

Candlelighters NL fundraises to improve the lives of children living with cancer.

After learning about the organization’s Camp Delight, Power said they knew this was where they wanted their efforts to go.

Now, the 20 or so teachers and other staff, are taking their mileage from their walks throughout the week and counting it up to see just how far they all would have gone on the map of the province. As of Friday, May 21, the group had managed to travel enough kilometres to cross the entirety of Newfoundland and to have just arrived in Labrador.

“We have a map of Newfoundland and Labrador in our main entrance, so every week our staff keep track of their kilometres, and every Saturday we tally them up,” Power said. “We started in St. John’s, and in the first week we got as far as South Brook … We’re almost in Lodge Bay now.”

Along the way, staff have been collecting funds to donate to Candlelighters NL and Camp Delight. As of Friday, they had collected around $1,900 through various fundraising efforts made by students, as well as through a direct link where people can donate directly to Candlelighters NL.

Teacher Ashley Clements noted there have been a couple of students at O’Donel who had gone through the Camp Delight program in the past, and the organization has always had a good relationship with the school; the decision to lend them a helping hand with this project was an easy one, she said.

“We really like to get involved with our community,” Clements said.

The project started on May 1, and staff hope to see it carry right on through until the end of the month, at which point they hope to have reached the other end of Labrador.

“The kids on our student council have been wanting to collect from fellow students, too. Like a loonie drive or something like that,” Clements added, noting that although there is no monetary goal with this project, they simply hope to help Candlelighters NL as much as possible.

The teachers are pleased to see such a positive reception for the project.

“It’s been fantastic, and I know everyone involved is really excited about this,” Power said. “Of course, these are much needed funds. Especially during COVID-19, when some of their fundraising opportunities have been lost because of that.”

The excitement in the project is felt across the school, with Clements adding there is usually a flock of people behind her when she goes to update the provincial map in the lobby.

Anyone looking to donate to the cause can find a direct link on the school’s website and social media platforms, where money is sent directly to Candlelighters NL.

Andie Winsor's 'Sonderless' takes senior music prize

By Chris Lewis | May 20, 2021

Music has long been a staple in the life of Andie Winsor of Mount Pearl who was recently recognized by the province’s Arts and Letters Awards Program for a three-part composition titled, ‘Sonderless.’

It’s not the first award for Winsor, who nevertheless said this latest recognition is an honour.

‘Sonderless’ won in the Senior Music category and netted as prize of $1,000.

Winsor is in the third year of a music degree at Queens University, and is an acoustic composition major.

Three piano miniatures are familiar territory for Winsor, who grew up playing the piano.

“I started exploring different styles of piano composition,” said Winsor. “The first miniature explores minor seconds and some kind of crunchy sounds, but the second one is more impressionistic. It’s more tonal, and easier to grasp, I guess. The third one is kind of a minimalist piece that uses six or seven notes that repeat again and again. It mostly focuses on articulation – how loud you play the note, how fast, how short or long – or if it’s for the full duration of the beat. It focuses on all of that to try and make the piece come together.”

Winsor admitted being nervous about applying to music school, fearing the long hours of study would ruin the idea of music and composition. But the experience has been just the opposite.

Winsor said music lets people express themselves without having to resort to words.

As a non-binary person, this was something Winsor found especially helpful in exploring.

“This piece showed me that I can do just that,” Winsor said. “It helped me kind of show who I am through nothing but sound. By composing and putting my art out there, I think it may be helpful for other trans people to see how they too can just go out and do what they love to do, be open about who they are, and be successful all at the same time.”

To see your name and work recognized provincially is something that makes you appreciative on a deep level, Winsor said. A musician’s confidence can vary at times, Winsor admitted.

“I don’t necessarily need awards to be confident in what I do,” Winsor said. “I think after composing those three miniatures, even before winning the award, I felt confident about them and felt like I had accomplished something. But to be recognized, that was such a compliment and such an honour.”

Winsor said there is also value in trying for awards, even if you don’t win.

“That way, they give you critiques on your work: what didn’t translate and what did which is always good to be able to see for any artist,” Winsor said.

Lower the speed limits, says Locke

By Chris Lewis | May 20, 2021

The crosswalk concerns of Mount Pearl residents are being heard, says city council.

Councillor Isabelle Fry raised the issue at Tuesday’s meeting, including a report of a close call involving a young boy and an oncoming vehicle at a crosswalk on Park Avenue.

That particular incident had sparked a petition.

Deputy Mayor Jim Locke said while the danger at some crosswalks can certainly be partly attributed to faded road lines in the spring, the bulk of the responsibility falls on drivers and pedestrians alike, and their individual levels of awareness.

“We have to realize that everyone takes responsibility here for this,” Locke said, noting traffic has increased significantly since the Team Gushue Highway opened and filtered mor traffic through the city.

Locke said traffic and speeding have been major concerns every election he’s been involved in. What he would like to see, he added, is a strategy to deal with speed limits along the city’s roadways, something that has been discussed at the committee level from time to time. Locke referenced a book, Vision 0, which outlines strategies for reducing pedestrian fatalities to zero.

“All the research with show that at certain speeds, like 40-kilometres an hour, if there’s a collision with a pedestrian, the survival rate is considerably high for the pedestrian,” Locke explained. “But as soon as you go up to 50-kilometres an hour, then your chance of survival drops significantly.”

Locke said the roads in Mount Pearl were never designed with pedestrians in mind, instead making vehicular traffic a priority. Vision 0, he said, introduces a new way of thinking where right of way is shared with pedestrians.

“I just wanted to throw it out there to let residents know (the concerns) are not falling on deaf ears,” Locke said. “We still have to look at the speed limits in our city. When you reduce the speed, the fatalities from pedestrian collisions go way down.”

The City’s Municipal Enforcement Superintendent, Blair Tilley, said the city faces more pedestrian traffic related issues this time of year.

“The enforcement team is out on a regular basis,” he said, adding it is an offence under the province’s Highway Traffic Act to not yield to a pedestrian who is in the crosswalk. “Those things are very important and are taken very seriously by our team, as well as the RNC.”

Councillor Bill Antle agreed with Locke’s notions, allowing that when the City lowers speed limits, the problem will be fixed.

Antle said many of the calls he receives about the issue ask why speed bumps are not more common.

Mayor Dave Aker, too, said lower speed limits would at the very least reduce fatalities even if it is not an immediate cure-all. He reckoned such a change would require major investments, as well as increased enforcement.

Locke said the speed bump is often the basis of many calls for action from residents in any municipality when it comes to speed issues, but the research does not support their usefulness.

“If you’ve got people coming into your municipality who is unfamiliar with where a speed bump is, that could also result in an accident,” Locke said. “They can contribute to accidents, so there’s issues with speed bumps. They are not the panacea cure-all. They may work in some areas, but I would not support putting them on, for example, Commonwealth Avenue. That would be like putting them on the Outer Ring Road to try to slow people down. The science says there are measures out there to manage traffic effectively. Part of that is the speed… There’s no reason - in my opinion - why any residential street should have a speed of 40 or 50 kilometres an hour. There’s no reason why anyone should be going 40 while coming up my street in Mount Pearl to get out onto Smallwood Drive Extension … I want residents to know we’re not ignoring this. It’s a complex issue that requires investigation.”

Locke recommended discussing lower speed limits at the committee level, though there was no motion to do that.

Fry, however, suggested she might support that plan.

“The reality is, if you have a speed limit of 40, people are going to go 50. If you have a speed limit of 50, people are going to go 60. So, I absolutely support reducing the speed limit,” she said.