Mount Pearl Senior High student among the tops in tech

William Lane, 16, of Mount Pearl Senior High School was one of 20 students from across the province to receive a 2025 Research Inspired Student Enrichment (RISE) Award at a special cer-emony earlier this spring. Presenting the award is Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology Andrew Parsons. Submitted photo

By Mark Squibb

William Lane, 16, of Mount Pearl Senior High School has been named a 2025 Research Inspired Student Enrichment (RISE) Awards recipient.

The accolade, given to 20 Level II students from across the province, recognises students who excel in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“I was really excited when I found out,” said Lane. “It’s a big honour to be chosen as one of only 20 students. It’s feels like my hard work in school is paying off.”

The provincial government has earmarked approximately $320,000 for recipients to attend one of three education programs this summer — the Research Science Institute located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Boston Leadership Institute located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, or the Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program located at the University of Toronto.

Lane will attend the Toronto based Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program (DEEP), where he will take in a number of weeklong courses, including one where students will have an opportunity to design, build, and program self-driving robots.

“We’ll have these little robots that we’ll program to detect obstacles coming along the way, so they can try and avoid them,” said Lane.

From a young age, Lane has been interested in technology, and computers specifically. He taught himself to take computers apart and put them back together by watching videos online.

Following graduation next year, Lane plans on attending university to study engineering, though he hasn’t narrowed down an exact discipline yet.

Lane also shared some advice for younger students honing their technological skills.

“Keep pushing yourself to learn, that’s the main thing,” said Lane. “I think of the most important things getting into this field is having the interest. So, keep at, find what you enjoy doing, and practice that.”

Mount Pearl opens second battery collection site

By Mark Squibb

Folks looking to dispose of old household batteries in an environmentally friendly way can now drop them off at the Mount Pearl Summit Centre.

“Every year, millions of household batteries end up in our landfills, and the chemicals in those cause pollution to our groundwater systems and the environment at large,” said councillor Jim Locke during the April 15 public meeting. “So, to help address this and do our part — as we do on so many fronts here in the City of Mount Pearl – we have been collecting household batteries, and we’re going to enhance the service by adding an additional collection site at the Mount Pearl Summit Centre.”

Residents can drop off approved, recyclable batteries during regular operating hours.

Councillor Bill Antle asked whether household batteries such as AA and AAA would be considered recyclable and acceptable for drop off, and Locke said they would be.

You can also drop off batteries at City Hall.

The battery recycling program is run through a program named Call 2 Recycle.

Mount Pearl musician presented a King Charles Coronation Medal

Mount Pearl musician and frequent volunteer Alex Taylor was recently presented a King Charles Coronation Medal for his many contributions to the community, including raising money through his concerts for good causes and charitable groups.

Kinsmen Club donation to Society of St Vincent de Paul - St Peter’s Parish Food Bank

The Kinsmen Club of Mount Pearl has managed to come up with another donation to the Society of St Vincent de Paul - St Peter’s Parish Food Bank. During the All NL Kin Convention in Gander recently, club President Roy Locke presented a cheque for $500 to Sandra Milmore of the Society of St Vincent de Paul Food Bank. Milmore also happens to be a member of the Kinette Club of Mount Pearl. On hand for the presentation were, from left: Marc Williams, Roy Locke, Sandra Milmore, Larry Hookey, and Life Member Clayton Button. Missing from the photo is Brian Jensen.

Mount Pearl athletes shine on provincial stage

Falon McLoughlan was awarded the Junior Female Athlete of the Year.

By Mark Squibb

A number of Mount Pearl athletes were recognized at the Sport NL 2024 Annual Awards banquet held earlier this month.

Volleyball player Falon McLoughlan was awarded the Junior Female Athlete of the Year. At just 14, Falon joined Team Canada’s Deaf Women’s Volleyball Team as the team’s youngest athlete. The team won a silver medal at the Pan-American Games in Canoas, Brazil. The win qualified her for the Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan, in November 2025. McLoughlan is also a swimmer and volunteers her time teaching other athletes with disabilities how to swim. McLoughlan was also a finalist for Female Athlete of the Year and named one of the top four junior female volleyball players in the province by the Newfoundland and Labrador Volleyball Association. In 2024 she received the Premier’s Athletic Award and the Inaugural Award of Excellence from St. Peter’s Junior High.

Former Mount Pearl Marlin Chris Weeks was named the Senior Male Athlete of the Year. Weeks, now a Memorial University Sea-Hawk, has had a phenomenal 2024. He set seven provincial records, both in short and long-course events, including the 50m free, 100m free, and 50m fly, and qualified for the University National Championships, becoming the only Memorial swimmer to do so. He broke three Atlantic University Sport (AUS) records at the Kemp-Fry Invitational and at the AUS Championships claimed four individual gold medals and was named AUS Male Swimmer of the Year. Weeks represented Canada at the U Sports Swimming National Championships, winning gold in the 50 fly and silver in the 100 freestyle and also qualified for the 2025 FISU World University Games and the Paris 2024 Olympic Trials. At the Memorial University Sea-Hawks Athletic Awards, Weeks won the Male Athlete of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and the John Drinkwater Trophy for MVP in swimming.

Mount Pearl Marlins and Memorial University Sea-Hawk coach Christopher Roberts was awarded Male Coach of the Year. In 2024, athletes coached by Roberts, including Weeks, set 15 provincial records. Roberts led the Memorial University SeaHawks to third place in the AUS, with the male relay team breaking all three provincial relay records. Many athletes coached by Roberts have qualified for prestigious tournaments, including five of his swimmers who have qualified for the Ontario Junior International meet, the most from any Newfoundland and Labrador team.

Same keeper chosen to keep the City’s doors under lock and key

By Mark Squibb

Mount Pearl council last week voted to extend the City’s locksmith services contract with Armour Lock and Security Systems for an additional year in the amount of $46,934, HST included.

Council awarded the contract in May 2022, for the same annual amount for the period of July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025.

Services covered by the contract include repair and replacement of locks, automatic door openers, card access systems, doors and frames.

“I was in conversation today with Matthew Jones, our manager of facilities, and he certainly recommended this company,” said councillor Bill Antle. “They treat us really, really well. He said he picks up the phone, gives them a call, and they show up immediately, and that speaks for itself.”

The extension will respect the terms and conditions of the existing contract.

Mayor Dave Aker noted that, despite inflation, the annual cost will remain the same as when the contract was first inked three years ago.

City wants 50 units built on old pool site

By Mark Squibb

The City of Mount Pearl is accepting expressions of interest for the purchase and development of the site of the former Mount Pearl Swimming Pool on Stapleton Road for a high-density housing development.

In many ways, it’s the end of an era in Mount Pearl’s history.

The pool was constructed in 1974 and was home to both the Mount Pearl Marlins Swim Team and a popular birthday party spot for four decades until it’s closure in 2014 to accommodate the opening of the new pool at the Summit Centre.

In recent years, the building has sat vacant, crumbling away, until it’s demolition in October 2024.

“As we close the chapter on the site where many of us first learned to swim, we look forward to seeing new families create new beginnings and memories on Stapleton Road,” said councillor Chelsea Lane.

She noted that preference will be given to plans that maximize the space and feature over 50 units, and that the City will be accepting proposals until May 8.

As of last Tuesday’s meeting, three contractors had already downloaded the paperwork from the City’s website.

“We’ve been talking about redeveloping that area for about 10 years now,” said councillor Bill Antle. “We had to tear down the old pool, and we had to remediate the land. But we need housing, we need apartments. How many times have I talked to people, and they’ve said they want to sell their home and move to a nice apartment in Mount Pearl.”

The new housing development, said Antle, will be within walking distance of many amenities along Park Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue, as well as many of the City’s trails.

All members of council present (Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley was absent) were in agreement that it was time to move forward and redevelop the land, and voted to approve it.

Mount Pearl keeping it chill with refrigeration contract

By Mark Squibb

Mount Pearl council earlier this month approved a new Eco-Chill System service contract.

Councillor Bill Antle said in June 2020, the City entered into a five-year sole source, customer service agreement with CIMCO for routine and preventative maintenance of both the Glacier’s refrigeration system and the Summit Centre’s heat pump and heat exchange system, which operate onCIMCO machinery.

That contract was set to expire in June, and staff negotiated a new five-year contract at an annual cost of $54,423, HST included, with an annual cost inflation of two percent, which they recommended council approve.

Antle said while the City doesn’t often approve sole source contracts –in other words, bids from a single supplier – CIMCO recently proved its worth.

“We had a little incident at the Glacier a couple weeks ago, and we called this company, and they dropped one of the jobs they were doing and within moments they came to the City of Mount Pearl and went to work right away, which is above and beyond,” said Antle. “It’s really great to see a company do this.”

Antle said that CIMCO and staff worked together to resolve the matter, and that within 17 hours the Glacier was up and running once again without any loss of ice.

Mayor Dave Aker added that in regard to the sole source clause of the contract, the City’s hands are tied in that there are no third parties that maintain CIMCO products.

Planning director Scott Batt concurred with Aker’s assessment.

“As these are CIMCO products, to keep up the warranty and to keep this very important piece of equipment operating, it was deemed that going with CIMCO was the prudent choice here,” said Batt.

Council unanimously approved the new contract. The new deal will expire June 30, 2030.

City hires Afonso to look inside pipes

By Mark Squibb

Mount Pearl council earlier this month approved a new contract for storm and sewer video surveillance.

Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley said the tender for CCTV Video Inspection Services closed on March 5 and the City received two bids.

Of the two bids, staff recommended council award the contract to the lowest qualified bidder Afonso Group Ltd., in the amount of $421,820 annually, HST included, until 2027.

“It’s important to note that this is a time and materials contract which is availed by multiple City departments and is expensed against the department’s operational or capital budget, so that means the City will only be charged for services rendered,” said Kieley, who moved that council award the contract to Afonso Group.

Councillor Mark Rice asked what exactly the contract would entail.

Public Works Director Glen Dollimount explained the video would be used to assess the condition of storm and sewer pipes.

“The beauty of the CCTV is for preventative maintenance and asset management, and seeing how bad, or good, a section of pipe is,” said Dollimount. “It’s very detailed, it’s a great program, and we receive a very important document back from Afonso with all that information on it.”

Council approved the contract unanimously.

City’s new garbage truck will escape Trump’s tariffs

By Mark Squibb

A motion before Mount Pearl council earlier this month to purchase a new garbage truck led to a discussion of the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The City received five bids, and staff recommended council purchase the rear load garbage collection truck from the lowest qualified bidder, Reefer Repair Services, in the amount of $453,703, HST included.

Mayor Dave Aker asked when the truck would be delivered and whether it was manufactured in the U.S., or Canada.

Public Works Director Glen Dollimount said he didn’t expect the truck for at least another 12 to 18 months, and that while the truck body was built in the States, the garbage component was built in Quebec.

The Mayor then asked whether the City was in a position to exclude American products during the bid process.

CAO Cassie Rideout said the City is not in a position to exclude American products from the procurement process, although a review is ongoing in light of the potential of tariffs being levied on goods from south of the border. She added this particular contract will be protected from potential tariffs.

Dollimount said that though he couldn’t be sure, he suspected the truck body had already been built and shipped to Canada.

Prior to calling the motion, councillor Mark Rice said that tariffs, along with post-COVID inflation, would serve to compound price increases further.

“We’re concerned around the table here,” said Rice. “This has a big impact on our budget. Our tax base is not increasing that much, and it’s really concerning to all of us around the table because we got hit with the COVID pricing, and that never ever went down, and now we’re talking tariffs.”

The motion to approve the purchase, and Aker’s subsequent concerns, came the day before Trump slapped Canada and numerous other countries with a laundry list of tariffs.

As to the motion itself, council unanimously approved the purchase.