Coastline wins bleachers Paradise bleachers contract

By Mark Squibb

The Town of Paradise is continuously working to replace wooden bleachers with aluminium ones at its various sports fields.

Councillor Jennifer Hiscock said last month the process began in 2023 with money being allocated to the program every year since then. This year, staff budgeted $60,000 for the purchase of eight sets of bleachers.

Two companies submitted quotes. The Bleacher Guys bid $68,308, and Coastline Specialties submitted a quote of $56,027.

Hiscock moved that council buy the eight sets of bleachers from Coastline Specialties at a total cost of $64,431, HST included.

Four sets are destined for the Diane Whalen Sports Complex and four sets for the Peter Barry Duff soccer field.

“It’s always good to see these upgrades,” said Hiscock. “We are aware that wooden bleachers are not the way to go, so these aluminum bleachers are most definitely an upgrade for our facilities, and I’m happy to support that.”

The rest of council was happy to support the motion as well, and approved it unanimously.

Meanwhile, councillor Sheldon Antle noted that tournaments such as SunSplash soccer are so popular that some parents have trouble even finding a bleacher to sit on.

Decision to opt out of Town water no reflection on Holyrood’s services, says Winsor

By Mark Squibb

Holyrood councillor Steve Winsor says a resident’s decision to install a private well and septic system rather than hook into Town lines ought not be viewed as a reflection on Holyrood’s town services.

Council approved the permit for a new home at 189-191 Conception Bay Highway back in February, with the understanding it would be connected to the municipal water and sewer system.

Council rescinded that motion during its April public meeting, as the resident opted to install a private well and septic system instead. Council approved the application.

“We have safe and reliable water and sewer system infrastructure,” said Winsor. “A person makes a choice, for personal reasons, to not connect due to technical challenges, maybe grade on the land, lift stations, length of lines, these sorts of things. Technical challenges come with a cost for that person. They may have personal reasons to want to be off the system and have their own well, their own septic within their control. That’s fine. They still pay for the service running by the door. I just wanted to explain that a little bit, and make sure that everyone understands, most importantly, that we do have safe, reliable water infrastructure which we’re constantly trying to improve, so people don’t think, ‘Oh, why isn’t the person connecting? Is it bad?’”

Deputy Mayor Michele Woodford concurred, and the motion passed unanimously.

The house was one of eight new homes approved for construction during the meeting.

Councillor Bruce King noted building lots in Holyrood are considerably cheaper than in neighbouring towns, making the community very attractive for families and developers.

“Small lots in Paradise right now, some of them are going as high as $200,000 a lot,” said King. “We only paid half of that for a house when we moved here. That’s what’s flushing people out of those places. You’re paying $200,000 before you even buy a stick of two-by-four. Imagine what your house is going to cost. So, Holyrood is affordable, and people should come out here and live.”

Council also approved eight other permits, including for a new garage, general repairs, and home-based businesses.

King said the number of applications is a sure sign spring is in the air.

“There are a lot of housing developments now starting,” said King. “People are getting out now and finally finding where their sheds used to be and their fence used to be.”

Former MUN think tank head to help CBS map out strategic plan

By Craig Westcott

Former Harris Centre head Dr. Robert Greenwood has been tapped to help the Town of CBS develop a strategic plan.

The former director of the Memorial University think tank will be paid $28,185 plus HST.

Councillor-at-large Christine Butler said Greenwood Consulting was the winning bidder of a limited call to consulting companies for the service.

"Each year, council sets its short-term priorities for our annual budget process," Butler said. "Of course, we also have medium and longer-term priorities. Council has decided to formally document our plans for a slightly longer planning horizon by preparing a strategic plan to guide our actions and expenditures for the next three to five years."

Three companies answered the Town's call for services, Butler said.

"After internal evaluation Greenwood Consulting ranked highest," she added. "Dr. Robert Greenwood will be leading this project. He is a former deputy minister of regional economic development; he was also the founding director of the Leslie Harris Centre for regional policy and development at Memorial University and has extensive experience with economic development and strategic planning. We look forward to working with Dr. Greenwood over the coming months."

Potential ‘major’ subdivision coming to Three Island Pond area

By Mark Squibb

The Town of Paradise has received an application for approval of a major subdivision on a 19.6-hectare parcel of Crown Land off Dawe’s Road and west of Three Island Pond.

As the land is zoned Rural Conservation, a groundwater assessment will be required.

Councillor Sheldon Antle said the applicant has been issued a Crown Land licence to access the land for the assessment but needs permission from the Town to undertake it. The assessment includes the installation of monitoring wells.

“It’s important to note, any designs or builds that would come forward would have to be compliant with rural residential conservation design principals to ensure that the natural look of the area remains,” said Antle. “It’s important for us, and we’ve had many conversations, about maintaining the natural look, and maintaining the aesthetic, and the environmentalism principles where possible, and rural residential conservation design principles help to ensure that.”

Council gave its approval for a groundwater assessment only. Any development approval will come at a later time and will depend on the assessment results.

Big Eric’s wins bid to supply fridges for new community centre

By Tyler Waugh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Mount Pearl City Council has approved $80,148 worth of kitchen appliances needed to outfit the community centre that is currently under construction.

Big Eric’s was recommended by City administration as the lowest compliant bidder on the tender, which includes the supply of six appliances including a double door commercial refrigerator, double door commercial freezer, commercial propane range, commercial food warmer, commercial dishwasher and a commercial glass washer.

“The new Community Centre presently under construction will house a full commercial kitchen suitable to host a variety of catered functions from corporate luncheons to community events to wedding receptions,” read the report by staff that went to council at its April 14 public meeting. “Many of these appliances have specific electrical and plumbing requirements and as such must be sourced and identified prior to the start of the plumbing and electrical components of the construction process.”

Chandler provided a quote of $82,772 for the appliances, while the one from Atlantic Supplies weighed in at $80,403.

Delivery of the appliances will be deferred until this fall to align with the anticipated completion and opening of the new community centre.

Councillor Jim Locke pointed out the original concept was to move many of the activities from the Reid Community Centre to the new community centre, and revert the Reid Centre back to focus more on sporting activities.

“I know we spent some significant investments to upgrade the kitchen at the Reid Community Centre, so I’m just curious could that equipment,” said Locke. “I don’t know what the state of the equipment is like at the Reid Community Centre – is that something we could move down to our new community centre?”

Staff responded by saying that although the plan is to move most events down to the new centre, not every event and community group will be moved. Keeping the kitchen facilities at the Reid Centre, it was pointed out, allows capacity for booking events at the same time.

Holyrood ‘in a really good financial position,’ says Woodford

By Mark Squibb

The Town of Holyrood is in good financial standing, says Deputy Mayor Michele Woodford.

During council’s April meeting, Woodford said staff conducted a departmental budget review, and most departments reported first quarter spending below the 25 percent threshold. The one exception was the department of environment, which had spent 50 percent of its budget by the end of the first quarter. Woodford chalked up the overspending to an early payment of the annual garbage contract.

“That does not represent, of course, a budget overage, but rather, a proactive and efficient financial management practice,” she said.

All told, the Town is averaging 22.98 percent of its annual budget having been spent in the first quarter.

In terms of income, the Town has collected $970,941 in current year taxes and $83,796 in back taxes. That amounts to 23.44 percent of residential taxes, 18.58 percent of water and sewer, 15.43 percent of business tax, and 54.28 percent of fire taxes to be paid in 2026.

The Town was also advised recently that its gas tax funding allocation for 2026 had increased, and that Holyrood will receive an additional $15,376, resulting in a bump in the municipal budget to $5,220,745.

Woodford said gas tax funding is ‘project driven funding’ and will be allocated as fiscal services on the balance sheet.

The Town had initially budgeted $289,460 in gas tax income.

“Overall, we’re in a really good financial position,” concluded Woodford.

Paradise awards Neary Road tender

By Mark Squibb

Paradise council is delivering on its promise to lay water and sewer pipes on Neary Road this year.

The street was earmarked for water and sewer in Budget 2026, and earlier this year council hired Englobe to oversee the project for $178,000.

The construction tender closed on April 1, and the Town received nine bids. Tender estimates ranged from $2.3 million to $4 million.

Councillor Erin Furlong brought forward a recommendation from staff to award the tender to lowest bidder Mercer Civil Corp., for $2.3 million.

The water and sewer portion of the project – valued at about $2.1 million – is being funded through the provincial government’s Multi-Year Capital Works (MYCW) program. Council has about $91,000 leftover from a previous project to use on this one.

The culvert replacement is being funded through federal green infrastructure program. The Town has received about $455,000, with the actual cost of the work quoted at $633,239, creating a shortfall of  $178,239.

Approximately $300,000 in unspent funding from the Drover’s Road water and sewer installation will be carried over to cover the shortfall.

The project includes approximately 550 metres of new watermain and sanitary sewer, roadway reconstruction and repaving, and replacement of culverts.

Martin says $50 million sewage treatment plan in works for Paradise

By Tyler Waugh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Paradise Mayor Patrick Martin updated the business community on some major upcoming municipal projects during the annual mayoral update hosted April 16 by the Mount Pearl-Paradise Chamber of Commerce.

Martin told a packed luncheon at The Hall at Holy Innocents Auditorium on Paradise Road that council decided to move ahead with a new depot and a major renovation to the Town Hall after conclusion of the insurance process from a fire that rendered the building unusable just over a year ago.

Martin said staff are still displaced and working in interim locations. He said it took time for insurance adjusters to complete assessments on the damage, but now that it’s complete council has begun to move forward with plans.

“We've determined that a responsible thing to do is remodel the interior of Town Hall,” said Martin. “The cost of this work is covered by insurance proceeds, and this means we can update the building in a financially responsible manner. We are going to improve the accessibility features of the building, modernize working spaces, update council chambers and create a Town Hall that can serve Paradise for decades to come. Work is under way and they suspect it will be completed by the end of the year.”

The new depot, he added, is a ‘significant’ financial commitment, but council needed to consider the future needs of Paradise as the province’s third-largest municipality.

A new depot was already under consideration with a feasibility study in 2024, Martin noted, as the previous space was no longer meeting the Town’s needs with respect to staffing needs and equipment storage.

“A new depot, one built for our needs, will provide indoor storage to protect equipment, offer expanded service for inventory, and create a modernize facility to support our essential services,” Martin said.

The new facility will be built on Town land near the Diane Whelan Memorial Soccer Complex.

The third upcoming capital project Martin outlined was a $50 million upgrade to the sewerage treatment plant that will bring the facility up to required federal regulations.

“The overall project is expected to cost us 50 million (dollars) and it will be completed in three separate fields,” he said. “The goal is to be compliant by the 2040s. This year, we plan to focus on the design work for phase one.”

Martin also used the luncheon as an opportunity to introduce the business community to Courtney Hiscock, the Town’s new economic development officer, who came on board in January.

Martin said one of the top priorities with Hiscock in place is to update the business section of the Town’s website.

“This is a great place to list your businesses so that residents can find you and learn what you do,” he said. “The listings are now linked to Google Maps, so residents can quickly and easily see exactly where you're located in Paradise.”

Martin said the Town has, in recent years, created a more efficient permitting process that has seen processing times reduced from 32 weeks to 12 weeks. With a focus on what he calls ‘continuous improvement,’ the Town is also implementing new protocols to improve efficiency and transparency, including an upcoming business concierge system and website updates.

“Residents and developers will be able to monitor the status of our applications. You can get the information and updates you need whenever you need them,” he said.

Martin said the Town supports business development in a number of ways, including sponsoring the first year of any Chamber membership, with providing a $100 discount on business taxes to chamber members.

Bay Roberts to revamp cul-de-sac policy

By Mark Squibb

A Coley’s Point subdivision application sparked a discussion about cul-de-sac requirements at Bay Roberts council earlier this month.

The application had previously been approved with a sidewalk along the entirety of the cul-de-sac, but the developer has since asked for permission to nix it.

“Our regulations say that a new street requires sidewalk on one side, but you can’t put sidewalk on one side of a cul-de-sac, it just doesn’t make sense,” said Protective Services Director Greg Squires. I reviewed some policies from other towns, as we don’t have anything that speculates that exact regulation.”

The director said most cul-de-sacs in CBS, Mount Pearl, and St. Johns do not have sidewalks, as they are meant to be dead ends.

Squires reckoned council ought to eliminate the sidewalk requirement, while still requiring the applicant to leave some room for residents to walk.

Councillor Silas Badcock moved to approve the developer’s request to drop the sidewalk, and that a 1.5 metre gravel shoulder for walking be constructed alongside the road.

“This gravel side area shall provide a continuous and clearly defined walking space, be of sufficient width to accommodate pedestrian use, and be constructed to a standard acceptable to the Town,” added Badcock.

Curb and gutter will still be required.

Mayor Geoff Seymour allowed the Town’s policies are vague when it comes to cul-de-sacs.

Squires said the new Town plan currently in the works should address the issue.

Chief Administrative Officer Dave Tibbo noted the developer is “great to deal with,” and that a new subdivision agreement will be drafted to ensure council and the developer are on the same page.

“I just happened to spend a few hours in St. John’s yesterday, and I drove around cul-de-sacs on Torbay Road, and it’s just curb and gutter,” said Tibbo. “There’s no sidewalk.”

Councillor Dean Franey, meanwhile, opined the sidewalk requirement ought to be eliminated for cul-de-sacs altogether.

“I think it could encourage some more development, because it’s going to lower the cost,” said Franey. “With the changing of the times, we have to look at everything, and we want to encourage more development, because we need housing. One thing we can do is maybe on these smaller cul-de-sacs remove the sidewalk part.”

Badcock’s motion was approved unanimously.