To commemorate World Maternal Mental Health Day which took place on May 1, the City of Mount Pearl invited perinatal psychologist Dr. Archana Vidyasankar of the Perinatal Mental Health Alliance to say a few words at last week’s council meeting. Vidyasankar said the prevalence of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in the province is currently at 28 percent, which is eight percent higher than the national average. The organization's goals, she said, are to increase awareness, education, support and coordination for parents, and advocate for government and communities to increase supports. From left are councillors Jim Locke and Isabelle Fry, Dr. Archana Vidyasankar, Mayor Dave Aker and councillor Bill Antle. Chad Feehan photo
The Knights of Colombus hold lively game of bingo
The Knights of Colombus in Mount Pearl held a lively game of bingo at Our Lady, Queen of Families Parish last weekend. Parishioners and bingo enthusiasts like this trio of couples could be seen throughout the parish hall keeping a keen eye on the bingo sheets. Going clockwise around the table are Garry Etheridge, Harold Stapleton, Gerri Stapleton, Neal Hefford, Sandra Hefford, and Carol Etheridge. Chad Feehan photo
35th anniversary of Mount Pearl Public Library
A small group of regular patrons along with staff and some dignitaries marked the 35th anniversary of the Mount Pearl Public Library last week. The library opened its doors on Olympic Road on June 9, 1988. Original board member Ross King died in 2007, prompting the board to rename the building as the Ross King Memorial Public Library in his honor. In addition to celebrating its anniversary, the library also unveiled a new Makerspace program, which includes a hydroponics unit and 3D printer that are both available to the public. Acting Division Manager of NL Public Libraries Eastern Division Sarah Bartlett said she considers the Mount Pearl branch as the benchmark by which they measure success for all 28 locations on this side of the island. On hand for the ceremony were, from left: Mount Pearl North MHA Lucy Stoyles, Sarah Bartlett, Mount Pearl Public Library Board Chairman Pat Walsh, Mount Pearl – Southlands MHA Paul Lane, and Mount Pearl Councillor Mark Rice. Chad Feehan photo
Team Gushue baseball pitch to get new scoreboard
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Team Gushue Complex in Mount Pearl has been getting a slow drip of upgrades and improvements as the 2025 Canada Summer Games draws ever closer.
Coming on the heels of last month's approval of the installation of new trees and shrubbery for the site, city council this week announced the complex will also be getting a new outdoor scoreboard for its baseball field, courtesy of E.C. Boone Ltd.
Councillor Bill Antle explained that E.C. Boone’s bid amount of $80,489 won out over two other bids which were submitted before the request for quotations closed on March 27.
The motion to award the contract carried unanimously.
Council approves $1.2M for recycling trucks
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Recycling is good for the environment, but it isn’t always cheap.
On Tuesday, council approved the purchase of a pair of new recycling trucks to haul away residents’ bottles and cardboard. The price tag? Some $1,196,037.
Harvey & Company will supply the two dual streaming recycling trucks, which are capable of carrying two kinds of recyclable materials at once. The St. John’s based firm was the sole qualified bidder on the tender.
Mayor Dave Aker joked about the price of the new vehicles, giving them the titles of “very” and “expensive” respectively.
“Garbage trucks are costing a fortune,” he said. “But I think that’s the new reality since the pandemic and of course this went through a transparent tender process.”
The roads that support the massive machines, meanwhile, will soon get a little patch up. The City has hired Crown Contracting to seal cracks in the City’s asphalt for the price of $87,917.
Clean up after your dog, Lane urges
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
With spring officially underway in Mount Pearl, city councillors have both environmental concerns and city beautification on their minds.
Councillor Chelsea Lane urged residents on Tuesday to clean up garbage in their area and pick up after their animals when going for a walk.
Lane said she has been fielding complaints from residents about dog droppings on City trails. She suggested dog owners take advantage of the waste bags supplied on the trails, as well as garbage collection kits that residents can get from the City.
“Our staff do go around and they do clean up the trails, but it's important that residents take their part,” said Lane. “Please keep the trails (clean) because Mount Pearl is known for its beautiful trailways and we all want to take advantage of that without having to worry about stepping in dog feces on the trails.”
Councillor Jim Locke took the opportunity to promote International Compost Awareness Week, which runs from May 5th to May 11th.
As a long time composter himself, Locke encouraged residents to look into composting, which can greatly reduce the amount of waste trucked to the Robin Hood Bay Landfill and save both money and energy.
“It is doable in the city of Mount Pearl when done properly,” he said. “Composting is a good thing.”
City switches banks
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The City of Mount Pearl is changing banks, and re-establishing a $3 million dollar line of credit.
As the City recently chose to move to CIBC for banking services, its previous $3 million line of credit with TD Canada Trust will be closed.
Councillor Chelsea Lane said the City has not made use of the credit line for many years, but keeps it open as a contingency for cash flow purposes.
Lane said the City’s previous agreement with TD will close upon the opening of the new one.
“We’re just switching banks, basically,” said Mayor Dave Aker.
City revs up spring maintenance work
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
As the doldrums of the winter fade into the spring fog, the City of Mount Pearl’s public works department has switched into cleanup mode.
Councillor Jim Locke detailed the maintenance work for his colleagues during last week’s public council meeting.
Drivers will be glad to know pothole repair is underway, and pedestrians may notice litter being collected. Street widening has been replaced with sidewalk and street sweeping, and maintenance to City greenspaces, manholes, and catch basins is underway. While the outdoor skating rinks are being dismantled, plans to reopen the trailside kiosk are ongoing.
“Preparation for the upcoming 2024 summer season is underway,” Locke said citing work throughout the city’s parks network and trails, landscape preparation, and the removal of a playground structure on Pembury Close.
The City’s farm tractors, lawn mowers, street sweepers and vacuum trucks are also undergoing service and maintenance.
As far as public utilities go, the City is currently dealing with plugged sewers and other water and sewer repairs, leak detection, hydrant repair and replacement, and lift station inspection and maintenance.
Councilor Bill Antle noted too that the 2024 construction season in Mount Pearl has already begun.
Work on Birch Avenue, Farrell Drive, and Carroll Drive has resumed, while Olympic Drive will see some activity early this month.
The tender for asphalt and concrete repairs closed last month, as did a request for proposals for engineering and design for Holden Street upgrades, as well as the design for Jackman Drive upgrades.
The tender for the Wyatt Boulevard lift station upgrades is scheduled to close in the fall, as is a request for proposals for a water storage tank.
Prompted by an inquiry by Mayor Dave Aker, Director of Planning and Engineering Gerard Antle said line painting on city roads will start soon.
“We have a schedule within our contract,” Antle said. “Once we have that established and confirmed we’ll share that with council.”
Hall of Fame inductee Bennett had his own definition of winning
Gonzo Bennett accepted his induction into the Mount Pearl Minor Hockey Association in the Builder category last month. He grew up playing hockey on the ponds of Stoneville in his youth, but found he was better suited to making things happen off ice. From left are Gonzo Bennett and President of the Mount Pearl Minor Hockey Association Mike Kelly.
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Gonzo Bennet was inducted into the Mount Pearl Hockey Association Hall of Fame last month after spending 15 years building the sport behind the scenes.
Bennett began his journey as a coach in 2008 where he would spend eight years with house league and all-star teams. He would then go on to hold a list of executive positions within the association including both president and vice president of Mount Pearl Minor Hockey, co-chair of the inaugural Bantam Mega tournament, and inaugural president of the Don Johnson Hockey League, among a host of other roles.
Although he’s held many a role of influence, he maintains it’s never been about power and always about the children.
“Ultimately, that’s the goal, to make sure the kids are having a positive experience when it comes to the hockey rink,” Bennett said.
From the beginning, getting involved was a utilitarian move. Bennett could see where improvements could be made in minor hockey and decided to do something about it. Openness and transparency for parents was among his priorities. He also wanted to make sure teams were balanced, and that children across the board had an opportunity to succeed.
“Rather than sit in the stands and complain about things that I thought could be better, I decided to get involved and try to make a positive change,” he said.
For Bennett, it’s always been about respect: respect for players, parents and his fellow coaches.
Rather than big wins and trophies, Bennett said he is most proud of the impact he’s been able to make on his community after all these years.
“I felt that I was approachable in the rink so that any parent who had a concern could come to the association and feel their concerns were being addressed,” he said.
While being neck-deep in minor hockey, he also taught at Mount Pearl Senior High School where he retired in 2018. Teaching and coaching gave Bennett ample opportunity to make an impact on young hockey players.
“They do remember,” he said. “Treating kids fairly and with respect goes a long way to treating you with the same respect.”
Bennett got to watch many of the children grow up with the sport and follow promising careers in junior hockey, playing in such high profile tournaments as the Don Johnson Cup just this past weekend.
He said watching them grow up into not only good hockey players, but good people, is his main reward.
“I was less concerned with how we developed them as hockey players,” he said. “That was important, but I think it was just as important to develop them as human beings.”
Bennett acknowledges that very few players ever go on to pursue high profile careers in the sport, but that’s not the point. Creating players for life, no matter where they go on to play, is the goal.
“I always measure our success by how many kids are still playing hockey when they’re 35 years old,” he said. “That’s the true measure of success.”
Team Gushue grounds to get a spruce up
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The City of Mount Pearl’s urban forestry plan is taking seed after a recent approval at council to spruce up the grounds at the Team Gushue Sports Complex on Arena Road.
Councillor Jim Locke told his colleagues last week that 18 deciduous trees, seven coniferous trees, and 68 shrubs will be planted to beautify the area. The tender also includes the supply of soil, mulch, stakes, and 14 months of maintenance.
O’Neill’s Gardenland of Spaniards Bay will supply, install and maintain the new greenery at a total cost of $49,450. The company was the lowest of five qualified bidders for the work.
Down towards the other end of Smallwood Drive, the Glacier Arena will also be home to some new purchases with the arrival of two battery powered ice resurfacers.
Engo Equipment Sales, the lowest of three bidders, will both supply and deliver the two machines for a total of $374,387.
Delivery of the two machines will be staggered with one arriving this year and the other arriving in 2025.
The City’s snowclearing fleet will also be bolstered next winter with the delivery of a brand new salt truck. Harvey & Company, the only bidder on the tender, will supply a 2024 or newer truck with a landscape body and salt spreading unit at a total cost of $214,123.
