Chamber of Commerce celebrates top businesses

Golfshotz was one of nine businesses to win awards at the Mount Pearl - Paradise Chamber of Commerce Best In Business Awards Gala last week. The indoor driving range and cocktail bar, which contains a virtual golf simulator, took home the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. From left to right are Mount Pearl - Paradise Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Luke Gibbons, and Golfshotz co-owners Tara O’Reilly and Trever Heffernan. Chad Feehan Local Journalism Initiative Reporter photo

Golfshotz takes Entrepreneur of the Year Award

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Reid Centre in Mount Pearl resembled the glitz and glam of a tinsel town ball last week when the Mount Pearl - Paradise Chamber of Commerce held its Best in Business Awards Gala.
The Chamber, which opened its doors in 1985, holds the gala every year to encourage excellence in business practices.

Host Keith Power of Spirit of Newfoundland had the crowd laughing throughout the evening, while musicians Dana Parsons and Wade Tarling kicked off the night with a few musical numbers.
With almost 200 people in attendance, some 48 businesses were nominated for nine awards.
Chamber President Colleen Glynn told the guests it’s an exciting time to be in business.

The first award of the night, the Innovation Award, went to Genoa Design, a production design firm in Mount Pearl specializing in 3D modelling services to shipbuilding and offshore industries in the province.
“Feeling like being at the Oscars,” said Luke Joyce, director of communications and marketing at Genoa Design. “Thank you to the chamber for the award, it’s greatly appreciated. We are very proud to be a company in Mount Pearl. We have two locations and almost 200 people working here, and we really appreciate your support, and we love supporting the community.”
Golfshotz, an indoor driving range and cocktail bar took home the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Golfshotz opened in 2019, and soon after navigated the trials and tribulations of running a new business during a pandemic.
Co-owner Trevor Heffernan cited 2023 as very likely the most stressful year of his life, but appreciated the recognition nonetheless.

“This is one of the best feelings that I’ve ever had,” added Tara O’Reilly, the other half of Golfshotz. “Both Trevor and I have had a really strong work ethic instilled in us since a very young age. It’s nice to be recognized and have an award that represents that.”
The New Business of the Year Award went to Advantage RV Repair Services, founded and helmed by Curt MacKenzie who was visibly moved by the recognition.
“Just to be nominated… it’s completely unexpected,” he said.
After congratulating the other nominees in the category,  MacKenzie went on to detail the difficulties of Advantage RV’s first year of business.
“We opened March 1st, 2020, with one employee,” he said, pausing for a row of laughter from the audience. “What happened 16 days later? The world shut down.”
Since then his company has grown substantially in both profit and personnel, citing participation in the chamber as a boon to his success.
The Local Impact - Mount Pearl Award went to the Mount Pearl Soccer Association, a household name in local sports for over 50 years.
President Lisa Inkpen was there to accept the award, who like many winners that night, said she was simply honored to be nominated, noting that many people in the room have likely been touched or involved in MPSA in their lifetime.
“As a longstanding not-for-profit, we feel that it’s always been about community and our volunteers and the City of Mount Pearl,” she said. “We’re so honored to be a part of the community and we’re grateful for everybody’s contribution.”
Ray’s K&D Grocery in Paradise took home the Local Impact - Paradise Award. The store has been very involved in community work as of late, including working with Food First NL to battle hunger, supporting a community group garden, and helping with plans for a soup kitchen on the horizon.
Kim French accepted the award, stating it was time to give back to the community after 43 years in business.
“Even in a world of big business domination, us little guys are still very relevant,” she said. “We’re actual street reach and are important regardless of what’s going on with all the big players out there.”
The Customer Service Award went to Coleman’s Mount Pearl, with communications coordinator Sasha Persaud accepting it on behalf of the company.
Persaud sang the praises of her co-workers and their dedication to customer service.
“Our team creates a natural, family-like atmosphere, always willing to listen and striving to improve our customer service,” she said.
Persaud dedicated the award to Ed Hannaford, a Colemans employee who died just this month. Hannaford, she said, exhibited the qualities being saluted by the chamber and was vital to the store’s “warm and loving culture.”
“This one’s for you,” she said.
Employee of the Year bragging rights went to Olha Rabchevska, a pastry chef at Coffee Matters in Paradise who emigrated to the community from Ukraine just last year.
She appeared with co-owner Scott Hillier, who praised her adaptability and willingness to learn many duties within the business.
Rabchevska was elated upon receiving the award, mentioning how much she enjoys working with the team.
“After leaving my home in Ukraine I now have all of my family in Canada,” she said. “Newfoundland is a wonderful place with very good people. Newfoundland is now my home.”
The second last award given out was the Business Excellence Award for Companies with less than 15 Employees, which went to Up Sky Down Films and accepted by owner and operator Roger Maunder.
Up Sky Down is a prolific film studio based in Mount Pearl with an extensive portfolio across the province, including the nomination videos showcased at the gala.
“The thing about having a production company is it’s different every day,” said Maunder. “This recognition underscores our commitment to exceptional work and strong relationships. We’re thankful for the trust of our clients and partners which pushes us to surpass expectations and build meaningful connections.”
Next month, Up Sky Down will be airing Forgotten Warriors on CBC, a film about nine people from Conne River who took on the government.
At the awards show's end, Landwash Brewery took home the Business Excellence Award for Companies with more than 15 Employees. A very elated co-owner Christy Coady accepted the honour and thanked her entire staff one by one for the company's success.
“Thank you to the judges, thank you to the Mount Pearl Paradise Chamber of Commerce, and congratulations to the rest of the nominees,” she said. “You’re all awesome and excellent.”
TD Bank sponsored this year’s installation of the business awards. The Paradise Double Ice Complex will hold the show in 2025.

Chamber members celebrate the green

Members of the Mount Pearl - Paradise Chamber of Commerce and other professionals in the business community blew off some steam at Skye’s Pub and Eatery last week at the chamber’s St. Paddy’s Day Mixer. In addition to a night of networking, they were treated to a delicious pot of Irish stew. From left to right are the chamber’s Executive Assistant Jody Chaulk, President Colleen Glynn, and Executive Director Wanda Palmer. Chad Feehan - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Photo

Council backs Easter Seals Month

Easter Seals program coordinator Brianna Pelley dropped by Mount Pearl City Hall this week to ring in Easter Seals Month. From left are councillors Isabelle Fry, Chelsea Lane, Jim Locke, Mayor Dave Aker, Brianna Pelley, and councillors Mark Rice and Bill Antle. Chad Feehan photo

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The City of Mount Pearl’s Mayor Dave Aker is calling upon the residents of the city to support the charity organization Easter Seals as it officially observes the month of March as Easter Seals Month.
Easter Seals supports people of all ages with disabilities. It offers some 20 programs and services, including camps, recreational activities, and educational and awareness programs.
“Approximately 100,000 people of all ages in our province live with disabilities such as physical, sensory, cognitive, or other disabilities that present barriers to full participation in society,” Aker said.
Its recreation programs help people explore their abilities through independence camps, art and music therapy, and adaptive sports, while promoting full, engaged lifestyles.
Employment and educational services assists people overcome barriers to employment and help them prepare for, transition into, and maintain gainful employment.
Councillor Chelsea Lane, who is an instructional resource teacher who works with children with disabilities, reflected on how meaningful it is for people involved in Easter Seals. She’s seen the improvements to quality of life that organizations such as Easter Seals can have on people with disabilities.
“Thank you to all of the organizations who support those with disabilities,” Lane said. “Disabilities are not about what you can’t do, it’s about what you can do.”
Easter Seals has been operating in Newfoundland since 1937.

Council applauds engineering staff

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The City of Mount Pearl is observing March as National Engineering Month and is recognizing staff for their contributions.

Councilor Bill Antle led the discussion at a council meeting last week, and thanked the city's professional engineers, engineering technologists, and other technological staff for advancing infrastructure and benefitting the lives of Mount Pearl residents.

“National Engineering Month celebrates the heart and soul of engineers, their passion, commitment, and action towards making the world and Mount Pearl a better place,” he said. “We have a great staff here at the city, and I certainly congratulate them for all the work they do for the City of Mount Pearl.”

Councilor Mark Rice said that engineers are involved in all city projects, from navigating the twists and turns of industrial change orders to dealing with the effects of climate change.

“All new stormwater infrastructure is designed to effectively handle increased rainfall,” said Rice by way of example. “The city’s zero net runoff policy and the requirement for stormwater detention systems helps prevent existing storm and sewer water courses from inundated during intense rainstorms.”

Rice also highlighted the city’s focus on reduction of greenhouse gasses in an effort to fight climate change.

“We see this at the Neil Winsor building where we’re trying to do some greenhouse changes up there, going with a more advanced system then we’ve had before,” he said. “Reduction of greenhouse gasses has been identified as being crucial to slowing climate change, so we continuously collaborate with our engineering consultants to ensure that design and construction of facilities such as the Summit Centre and the new community centre at the Team Gushue Complex are LEED (Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design) certified and energy efficient.”

Rice thanked Director of Planning, Engineering, and Development Gerard Antle and asked him to pass on his thanks on to staff for their contributions.

Trail group and City still at odds over Commonwealth crossing

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Trail advocates and members of Mount Pearl City council continue to search for a midpoint where they can agree on how to address the busy and dangerous intersection of the T’Railway and Commonwealth Avenue.

Gary Martin, a member of the Commonwealth Avenue T-Rail Crossing Group as well as Bicycle Newfoundland and Labrador, argues the crossing should be prominent in the City’s Accessibility Plan, which has no mention of a crosswalk.

The problem is that the trail is bisected at the bottom of a steep hill coming off Topsail Road where cars rush down towards the intersection of Commonwealth and Ruth Avenue, or up from Commonwealth to Topsail.

As it stands, the safest, and legal, solution is for trail users to walk up Commonwealth to the Park Avenue intersection, cross at the lights, and make their back down Commonwealth on the other side to rejoin the trail. The temptation for some, though, is to avoid the couple of hundred metres of sidewalk detour and risk crossing four lanes of often high speed traffic in an area where drivers are not expecting to see pedestrians.

Martin doesn’t think the City’s existing solution is simple or safe in lieu of what could be implemented.
“We’re looking at this entirely from a safety perspective,” he said.
Martin compares coming onto Commonwealth Avenue from the steep incline of Topsail Road and Mount Carson Avenue to the exit from Team Gushue Highway onto Park Avenue, of which there are multiple crosswalks in a row.
Martin said the multiple crosswalks on the Dodge City end of Park Avenue have a traffic calming effect, and the same could work for Commonwealth Avenue.

“Conceptually, in theory, by placing a crosswalk here (at the T’Railway instersection with Commonwealth), that would also reduce and mitigate speeds coming down here,” he said.
Mayor Dave Aker isn’t so quick to compare the two intersections of trail and road.
“The volume of traffic on Park Avenue is not quite the same as it would be on Commonwealth,” said the mayor. “Sometimes the considerations are a little bit different. There’s no real black and white solution to any intersection.”
Aker does agree with Martin on one thing: the situation is not ideal. However, he feels a crosswalk at the trail intersection on Commonwealth, even with flashing lights, would be more dangerous due to the congested nature of the area.
“It’s just the gap between the intersections and the parking lots in the area,” said Aker. “It’s too small.”
Kathy Hawkins, the manager at Inclusion NL, was asked by the City for her input on the issue. She suggested a crosswalk spanning both mouths of the trail, with flashing lights and sounds to warn drivers, as well as pedestrians, of its presence.
The walk up Commonwealth to the Park Avenue lights, she said, is a low accessibility route.
“The grade going up to that traffic light as well as the extra distance people have to make in order to get up there wasn't the most accessible process,” said Hawkins.
She compared the idea of a pedestrian crossing at the trail mouths on Commonwealth to the Rennies River Trail crossing on Kings Bridge Road by Dominion in St. John’s, which also crosses four busy lanes.
“Clearly it’s something that needs to be watched,” she said. “There are residents that have concerns if it moves up to the intersection, and there are those that have concerns if they keep the crosswalk exactly where the T’Railway is.”
As part of its recently enacted Accessibility Plan, the City is moving money towards making the Glacier Arena accessible for people with mobility issues. Martin asked why the same can’t be done for those using the trail.
“Why not make the crosswalk accessible,” he said. “This is used by CNIB visually impaired riders. They cannot cross safely.”

Martin suggested the City could apply for funding from outside sources such as ACOA and Trans Canada Trail to engineer a solution.

Aker is clear the City’s conversation about the intersection is not over, and suggests possible future solutions, such as diverting the trail altogether, or piggybacking on the eventual replacement of the bridge that runs across the Waterford River.
“Council isn’t going to give up on it,” said the mayor. “It is in our mind, we realize that a solution is needed. We listen to our residents.”

Getting ready for World Storytelling Day

Christine Hennebury headed a writing workshop at the Mount Pearl Annex last week, in which participants tossed “storytelling dice” that inspired randomized plots, themes, and ideas through their inscribed images. From left to right are Christine Hennebury, Jennifer Morgan, and Mary Little. Hennebury and Morgan will be hosting a World Storytelling Day story circle at The Annex on March 20th at 7:00 p.m. Photo by Chad Feehan Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Celebrating Frosty with the seniors

Members of the Mount Pearl Seniors Independence Group band and choir, along with city councillors Bill Antle and Mark Rice, and Frosty the Mascot, paid a visit to the residents of Cradea Manor recently to celebrate the Frosty Festival. The visit couldn’t be held during the festival itself, because of a storm, and so was rescheduled. Judging by the photo, a good time was had by all. The musicians and choir members included, starting with the guitar man at centre and running left to right: Jim Ryan, Bob Balsom, Doug MacDonald, Herb Feaver, Sheila Feaver, Councillor Mark Rice, Councillor Bill Antle, Mildred Pretty, Nancy Noseworthy & Selina Webber. Missing from this particular shot is choir member Eric Beckett.

Slicing the ice

Steve Watson returned to Frosty Fest for another sculpture at this year’s Winter Block Party in Centennial Square a couple of Saturdays ago. A crowd of curious spectators watched him turn ice blocks into an icy throne fit for Frosty himself. Chad Feehan photo

City crews on alert for the big snow

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With more snow in the forecast, Mayor Dave Aker carved out some time at the end of this week's council meeting to reflect on the snow that's fallen and the snow to come.
“We've had a challenging month with 80 centimeters of snow two weeks ago,” he said. “I hear there could be a heavy snowfall this Friday.”
While avoiding asking Public Works Director Glen Dollimont for his predictions on snowfall amounts to come, Aker asked for an update on equipment and staff readiness in anticipation of the coming weather.
“All indications right now is there is going to be some type of weather event Thursday into Friday into Saturday morning,” Dollimont said. “As a preparation for that, we’ve been preparing for this since the last snowfall.”
He then noted ongoing work such as blowback, sidewalk work, and pushing back corners.
“Our equipment is ready. We’ve budgeted and replaced our equipment when needed. Our staff is ready to go, and we will be ready as normal,” Dollimont said. “Come Thursday into Friday depending on snow volumes, there's a good chance we'll have staff at this cleanup 24/7 until we get where we want to be.”
In her public works status report, meanwhile, Councillor Chelsea Lane updated the room on additional winter work being carried out, including snow removal from city streets, sidewalks, cul-de-sacs, fire hydrants, islands, and other places.
Ice control crews are also at work, and trail grooming is ongoing as long as weather conditions allow.

Council goes all technical on change order talk

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A number of change orders have been approved for the recently built St. David’s Smart Accessible Playground in Mount Pearl, including a concrete apron adjustment, water testing station repair, and additional inspection services.
Councillor Bill Antle informed council Tuesday that work is now effectively completed on the playground, with just a few additional items requiring final costing. The concrete apron bordering the parking lot required additional grading to ensure accessibility, and due to an underground failure, a water testing station at the fountain was required.
“Oversight and inspection of the work was required over a longer period than expected, resulting in some additional inspection hours by the consultant,” said Antle.
Some $6,574 will be paid to Modern Paving for the concrete and water station work, and $1,667 goes to TRACT Consulting for additional inspection services.
The H. Neil Winsor Building, the City’s municipal depot, has also been prescribed a number of change orders, which includes work to hedge against the effects of climate change.
Regarding the building's park shed fuel switching components, whose installation was awarded to JMJ Holdings in March of last year, the disconnect for heat pump CU-2 was required to be upsized to match the unit’s requirements. This cost $2,765.
Engineering Director Gerard Antle clarified some of the jargon for those not literate in engineering speak.
“Upsize is a larger amperage with the unit,” he said. “So, the breaker has to be increased in size to match that. It was an original part that we had contemplated and due to certain delays in the parts supply, it increased the size of the unit, hence we required the breaker size to match.”
Councillor Antle, meanwhile, also noted the committee was advised of breaker failure in an electrical panel, and that an arc flash analysis suggested the breakers would need to be replaced with components rated at higher values. The cost for that is some $18,447.