Every move they make…

Blades tailoring junior hockey season towards hosting the big one this spring

By Chad Feehan
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
October 27, 2023 Edition

Hosting the 2024 Don Johnson Cup is unavoidably in the back of the Mount Pearl Junior Blades collective mind, but for now their eyes are set on winning the St. John’s Junior Hockey League championship again.
Blades president Wally O’Neill said the players are keenly aware of hosting the Atlantic Junior B hockey championships this coming spring, with all the duties and prestige that goes along with it, but ideally would like to go into the cup as league champions.
“The league this year is highly competitive with very balanced teams,” O’Neill said. “The team is focused on the season, the year, and the playoffs.”
He said head coach Adam Collins is preparing them over time for the level of competition that will be seen at the Don Johnson Cup.
“It will be high-caliber competition…the best of the best are coming,” O’Neill said. “While we need to focus on this year, we still understand the challenge and the type of team we’ll need to compete for the Don Johnson Cup.”
St. John’s Junior Hockey League Direction of Communications Nicholas Hillier has noticed an uptick in league attendance since the announcement that Mount Pearl will be hosting the Cup.
“It really adds a level of excitement,” said Hillier. “We’ve seen a noticeable increase in fans coming to the games.”
Hillier said having such a stretch of time between the announcement last year and the kickoff in 2024 gives the team ample time to prepare in different ways.
“It’s in every single one of their decisions, every single one of their trades, every single one of their draft picks, everyone single one of their roster moves, everything is so calculated in an attempt to get to the Don Johnson,” he said
Newfoundland last hosted the Don Johnson Cup in 2016, but the last time a team from this province actually won the cup was in 2009, when it bested the Sherwood Falcons in Bay Roberts.
The 2024 Don Johnson Cup will take place at the Glacier in Mount Pearl from April 23rd to the 28th.
League winners from Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador will compete during the six-day competition.
The tournament's namesake, the late Don Johnson, was elected president of the Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association, the predecessor of Hockey NL, in 1966, and was president of the Canadian Hockey Association from 1975-1977.

If Mount Pearl doesn’t win the St. John’s league championship this year, the team that does will also get to play for the Cup at the Glacier. That would make for even more local fans in the stands, O’Neill allowed.

“We’re certainly hoping we’re going to get the momentum and get the fans out to come to the Glacier and take in some great junior hockey,” he said.

The Mount Pearl Blades are getting ready to host the Atlantic Junior B hockey championships this coming spring at The Glacier. Mount Pearl last hosted the prestigious tourney in 2003 and won the championship in 1986. In the meantime, the players, including from left to right, Sean Rodgers, Lucas White, Andrew Stamp, Evan Kennedy, and Jacob Payne, are also hoping to capture the St. John’s Junior Hockey League championship, which was won last year by the CBN Junior Stars. Submitted photo

Marie Hackett of the Mount Pearl Blades passes the puck as Joshua Veitch of the St. John's Caps skates determinedly close behind. The U11A exhibition game ended with a 4-4 tie last Saturday at the Glacier. Chad Feehan Photo

Rush for the Ball

The Mount Pearl Senior High Huskies and O'Donel Senior High Patriots engaged in fierce competition during a Boys 4A Provincial Championship soccer game at Smallwood Turf in Mount Pearl last Friday afternoon. From left to right are Zach Earle, Logan Holloway and Alex Hanrahan. O'Donel went on to beat MPSH by a score of 5-2. Chad Feehan Photo.

Facebook won’t pay your rent, says award winning music industry builder

By Chad Feehan
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
October 20, 2023 Edition

Mount Pearl resident Robert Buck is this year’s recipient of the Music NL Denis Parker Industry Builder Award.
Buck’s career within the Newfoundland and Labrador music industry is long and involved, enjoying much time in distribution and manufacturing, but also design, print, and performance.
Buck doesn’t put “a whole lot of credence” into winning awards, but appreciates the acknowledgement all the same.
“It’s really nice to be recognized, especially an industry builder award, because that recognized the history and longevity in the industry,” Buck said.
He looks back to the early nineties, when he made the move from working retail at Fred’s Records to getting into industry work at Duckworth Distribution. Around this time, the owner of Fred’s Records, Fred Brokenshire, co-founded the Music Industry Association.
“That was really the beginnings of the industry from an industry perspective in Newfoundland. That was the first time there was something cohesive for distribution,” Buck said. “Prior to that, artists would have to sell their records on their own unless you had a major record company deal… but for independent artists in our region there was really nothing.”
Buck has seen the music industry change over the years, from the days when tours supported record sales. Now he says the situation has flipped, with streaming complicating things even further.
“It’s probably one of the most misunderstood industries in terms of how artists generate revenue,” Buck said.
In 2022, Buck formed Atlantic Music Store and Atlantic Merchandise to support independent artists with product manufacturing and e-commerce.
For him, buying records is a meaningful way to support artists in this current phase of the industry.
“It’s a tangible connection, and it’s a tangible way for artists to connect to their fans,” he said.
Buck notices a great deal of focus put on the number of followers and views young bands can accrue, while letting the grind of playing shows and building a tangible fanbase fall to the wayside.
“If I was measuring an artist's value in terms of supporting them financially, I want to know how many shows are you doing, how many tickets are you selling, how much merchandise revenue are you generating,” he said. “An extra thousand followers on Facebook won’t pay your rent, won't buy your groceries, won’t put gas in your car.”
Spoken like a true industry builder, Buck wants to see just that: more efforts made to build the infrastructure of the local music industry.
“If that was developed more, it would give artists with potential a better shot, a better opportunity,” he said. “It’s not right to expect the artists would understand the business intricacies of what's involved in music as a career, as a business. They understand the performance, the art… but truly successful artists have an infrastructure.”

Robert Buck is the latest winner of the Denis Parker Industry Builder Award.

‘Friends, taxpayers, Mount Pearlites, fill up our ears,’ asks council

By Chad Feehan
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
October 13, 2023 Edition

The City of Mount Pearl is looking for residents to guide council as it prepares to set a new budget for next year.

In addition to a survey posted on the City's website, budget booths have been set up at City Hall and the Summit Center where residents and business operators can offer their two cents worth on how the City manages more than $50 million annually to provide municipal services.

Council is supposed to use the public input to get a read on residents’ priorities.
“It’s all about priorities. There’s only so much money going around,” said councillor Jim Locke. “We welcome this feedback from our residents and our business community as well.”
Councillor Bill Antle suggested setting up a booth at The Glacier due to the high number of people who walk through its doors. That is part of the consultation plan as well, Antle was told.

‘Mother of Mount Pearl’ delights in life, faith

By Chad Feehan
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
October 13, 2023 Edition

To many, Joan O’Keefe is known as the “Mother of Mount Pearl” on account of her kindness and generosity to those in her midst. She celebrates her 98th birthday this week at Hillcrest Estates in Mount Pearl.

From at-risk children to those who had too much to drink, O’Keefe’s home was always open to those in need.

“Everyone came to my house,” O’Keefe said. “They had nowhere else to go… I was the only one they could turn to.”

Some children in her neighborhood lived in troubled homes. O’Keefe’s was a haven for these children and would make them molasses bread in addition to offering them a loving atmosphere to turn to.

“They’d have naked feet in their shoes sometimes, they were only little children,” she said. “What can you do? Poor little darlings.”

Every year the Thistle family throws her a party at her home in Hillcrest Estates, even getting a few members from the band back for a few tunes.

The Thistle family has been close to the O’Keefes for many years, going back to the days when they would play music in her house.

O’Keefe’s only son Robert lives in Vancouver, but will help organize the party from afar to make sure she has a good time.

Among the annual attendees to the birthday parties are councillors from the City of Mount Pearl, whom O’Keefe delights in calling her friends.

“They all knew my name,” she said.

Hillcrest Estates fitness coordinator Mary Elizabeth Furlong has been witness to some of these nonagenarian celebrations.

“She has a really good birthday every year,” she confirmed.

Furlong mentions the abundance of things O’Keefe is known for within Mount Pearl, and the people who appreciate her generosity.

“She’s known for her swimming, she’s known for being kind to everybody, she’s known for taking everybody in, everybody knew where she lived,” said Furlong. “If there was no one else to take care of you, she was there and they often called on her for that kind of help.”

To this day, O’Keefe continues to be a woman of faith - a devout Christian.
“I pray three and four times a day. I wake up and I pray. I look up and I see Him,” Thistle said. “He was so good to me.”

During her working years, Joan O'Keefe worked in social services, a fitting role for someone inclined to benevolence. She also had a brief modelling stint in Australia, and is known throughout the community for her love of swimming.

Councillors get cooking advice from fire officer

By Chad Feehan
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
October 13, 2023 Edition

Mount Pearl councillors got a quick lesson Tuesday on how to keep safety in mind when cooking at home.

The advice was offered by Fire Prevention Officer Cara Pardy of the St. John’s Regional Fire Department, which is responsible for answering fire calls in Mount Pearl and Paradise, maintaining stations in both municipalities along with St. John’s. 

Pardy’s visit was part of Fire Prevention Week, which runs October 8th to the 14th.

As cooking is the leading cause of house fires, the motto this year is “Cooking safety starts with you. Pay attention to fire prevention.”

During her presentation, Pardy said cooking fires often start because people are not paying attention.

“If you’re sleepy or if you consume some alcoholic beverages or other substances that may make you sleepy, my best advice is what I tell everybody: have a sandwich or a bowl of cereal. Something that you don’t have to heat up. If you’re going to cook, use a timer to remind you.”

Pardy suggested changing the batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors when the clocks change twice a year, and reminded everyone that smoke alarms are only useful for 10 years.

“Without good, fresh working batteries your smoke alarms aren’t going to do what they’re supposed to do,” she said.

The Fire Department kicked off the week this past Saturday with family friendly open-house events at the Paradise station on Topsail Road, the Mount Pearl station on Olympic Drive, and the fire station on Blackmarsh Road. that featured a variety of activities aimed at fire prevention awareness.

Pardy said they like to teach small children because “their brains are like little sponges, and then they go home and teach their parents and grandparents.”

In addition to the open-houses, there will be an information booth in the Avalon Mall, fire drills throughout the region, and a poster contest.

Mayor Dave Aker echoed Pardy’s sentiments and read a proclamation declaring Fire Prevention Week in Mount Pearl.
“I call upon the people of the City of Mount Pearl to participate in fire prevention activities at home, work, and school and to take the steps needed to make their homes and families safe from the leading causes of home fires,” he said.

Fire Prevention Officer Cara Pardy appeared before Mount Pearl city council this week to offer some advice on safe habits in the kitchen. On hand were, from left: councillors Jim Locke, Chelsea Lane, Mayor Dave Aker, Cara Pardy, and councillors Bill Antle and Mark Rice. Photo by Chad Feehan.

Today’s a lucky Friday 13th for some Newtown Elementary supporter

By Chad Feehan
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
October 13, 2023 Edition

Newtown Elementary’s annual 50/50 fundraiser is well underway, having raised just over $70,000 at the time of writing.

For the past three years, the Mount Pearl school has held a 50/50 fundraiser to raise money for school operations and projects.

Assistant Principal Sarah Baird Whelan said the children and school community get really involved and have a lot of fun with the fundraiser every year.

Every day the school announces the total, and the class that raises the most money gets a party after the end of the two-week fundraising period.

“We hype it up. We get them interested and engaged in selling their tickets,” Whelan said.

In previous years, the school has used the money to buy furniture and Chromebooks and improved its internet capabilities to better serve the needs of the students.

The school puts stickers on items purchased by the funds so that students and staff can easily identify where the fundraiser money goes.

Last year’s prize was $55,000, which means the total money raised was somewhere upwards of $110,000.

Newtown Elementary Principal Deon Perry said he has the students and the families of the students to thank for playing such a major role in the annual project.

“It really is a big undertaking,” Perry said.

And it’s always a busy two weeks for the school. Faculty still have their day-to-day teaching responsibilities, and the students’ homework never lets up.

Whelan made a special note to acknowledge the participation of the school's staff.

“We couldn't do this without our staff,” she said. “Our teachers have to collect the money in the morning, count it, promote it with the children… Without their support, we couldn’t do this.”

The fundraiser had been held during the winter in previous years, which came with its own set of complications. In addition to making it easier for everyone involved to navigate the community, as well as avoiding snow days, collecting the money earlier in the year allows for all of the students currently enrolled in the school to see its benefits before graduation.

“We’re still fresh, our eyes and our hands can count easier than they can in March after the winter and six months of school,” said Perry with a laugh.

The final draw for the fundraiser is today Friday, October 13. A video posted to the school’s Twitter page last week showed Mayor Dave Aker pulling the name of the $500 early bird draw winner.

Jennifer Jenkins and her daughter Olivia were awarded the $500 early bird prize last Friday by Newtown Elementary Principal Deon Perry. The most recent estimate for the 50/50 jackpot prize being drawn today was $35,727 and climbing.

Construction crews hurrying to get work done before the snow flies

By Chad Feehan
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
October 13, 2023 Edition

City staff are currently overseeing a number of construction projects within Mount Pearl as the season for such work winds to a close for the winter.
Construction has begun on Birch Avenue, and is estimated to remain in effect until November 15th, 2023. Temporary loss of water service, traffic impediments, and restrictions to driveway access are expected.
Underground components to Roosevelt Avenue are currently being replaced. Work is scheduled to be completed sometime this month.
Ongoing work to the underground replacement operation on Farrell Drive is set to end in November of this year for the winter, and restart in the spring of 2024.
Olympic Drive is set to receive a re-surfacing of asphalt this month, and also see sidewalk and curb replacement.
Manhole repairs in the city are estimated to finish on October 15th.

National Breastfeeding Week

October 13, 2023 Edition

Nutritionist Tracy English and lactation consultant Lisa Roberts of Health and Community Services visited Mount Pearl council this week for a proclamation on National Breastfeeding Week. They are advising mothers to maintain breastfeeding their infants for six months, and to continue breastfeeding for two years and beyond if possible. On hand for the proclamation were, from left: councillors Jim Locke and Chelsea Lane, Lisa Roberts, Mayor Dave Aker, Tracy English, and councillors Bill Antle and Mark Rice.

Turkey Tea 10 kilometre road race

October 6, 2023 Edition

O’Donel Patriots past and present made a good showing at the Turkey Tea 10 kilometre road race this past Sunday in Mount Pearl. From left, teacher Sandi Porter placed third in her category with a time of 45:21; O’Donel alumni Brady Lalor placed first in his category with a time of 39:37; and principal Sheldon Marsh placed first in his category with a new personal best time of 35:06.