Pups of all shapes and sizes brought their owners to Critters N’ Things last Saturday for the Fur-Sty Festival Dog Walk. The canines gallivanted around the Centennial Square/Park Avenue area and were even treated to waste bags and scrumptious treats. From left to right, a very excited Nixon drags along dog-mom Krystin Loughlin of Mount Pearl, while her own daughters Keira and Rose walk beside. Chad Feehan photo
Mount Pearl high schoolers take two top spots at Kiwanis
Alex Taylor and Riley Coombes-Lush of Mount Pearl are rising stars who impressed the judges at the Kiwanis Music Festival last week. Both profess a love of folk music, and the storytelling found therein. Submitted photo
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Mount Pearl had a strong showing at the 2024 Kiwanis Music Festival in St. John’s last weekend, with two youths from the city landing in top spots.
Fifteen-year-old Mount Pearl Senior High student Alex Taylor nabbed the top spot for the Traditional Folk - Solo category for his vocal rendition of “On the Water” by Newfoundland artist Anne Devine.
Taylor was drawn to the sentimentality in the lyrics of the song, thinking it would be a perfect contribution to the festival.
Devine even made an appearance for the performance, and praised the young musician afterward.
“It was an honor to sing her own song for her,” Taylor said. “I was told she was tearing up a bit… she got a bit emotional, and she thought I did really well.”
The Mount Pearl youth is no stranger to Kiwanis, having been performing at the festival since the age of seven. He came first in the category last year and placed 2nd and 3rd in previous years as well.
Taylor is ever mindful about the stories being told in the music he sings, and feels an improvement in this aspect, as well as vocal projection, since his last Kiwanis win.
“I try to become the character,” he said. “You can understand the story almost as if you’re listening to the actual author.”
Although the original piece was written for guitar, Taylor was accompanied by expert pianist Bill Brennan.
Taylor credited the efforts of his voice teacher, Angela Warren, for getting him ready for his winning performance.
“She’s a really great teacher and she well prepared me for it,” he said. “I’m glad she’s my teacher… and I’m also glad that I practiced it.”
Late last year, Taylor was awarded an Impact in Music, Arts and Culture Award from the City of Mount Pearl, capping off a busy year of performances and charity work.
He’ll be continuing on playing traditional Irish and Newfoundland music, and can be seen at Rocket Bakery every Sunday afternoon in Centennial Square.
“I love Irish music and traditional music,” he said. “There’s just something about the Newfoundland music that speaks to me.”
Riley Coombes-Lush, another burgeoning young musician from Mount Pearl, slid into second place behind her Mount Pearl Senior High schoolmate.
She performed The Punters’ version of “Candlelight and Wine”, which was originally recorded by local legends Ryan’s Fancy.
Coombes-Lush’s music teacher Justin Goulding suggested and accompanied her on the song, knowing how well she would identify with the message behind the music.
“We both felt that the song would be perfect because of how I could connect so well with what they were saying,” she said.
Now at the age of 15, Coombes-Lush has participated in Kiwanis since she was 10. She credits her experience in the festival for honing her performance, and for introducing her to new people in the business.
“The adjudicators they bring are really skilled and know what they’re talking about. They give really good feedback,” she said.
Like Taylor, the storytelling of folk music draws her into the genre.
“I really like folk because I love the aspect of being able to tell that story and being able to connect with a song,” she said.
In addition to the earnestness of folk music, she’s also experienced with the extravagance of musical theatre, having been involved with productions including Descendants the Musical, Matilda, and even an Etcetera production in Rochester, New York.
“I would really just love to pursue a career in music in the future, and even go to London and perform in the west end if I can,” she said.
Aker hopes residents will give their two cents on new Municipal Plan
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The City of Mount Pearl is reviewing and renewing its municipal plan, which will direct development in the coming decade.
The plan, which Mayor Dave Aker described as a “visionary” move for the city, will focus on transportation as well as zoning.
Councillor Bill Antle introduced the plan at a council meeting last week, highlighting the importance that input from residents will add to the plan, which will be facilitated through the City's website.
“It's a real opportunity for our residents to become involved and say how you want your city to grow, how you want your transportation plan to be, what type of housing you want in the city,” he said. “It’s a blueprint for our city.”
Councillor Mark Rice described the plan as determining a “common vision for the growth of the city,” noting the attention to zoning in areas such as the city centre and north of Topsail Road.
Many modes of transit will be assessed, including walking, biking, scooters, and public parking requirements.
Councillor Jim Locke brought attention to Mount Pearl’s shrinking population as well as the need to build upwards due to the necessity of adapting to a “changing environment.”
“We have to recruit newcomers,” Locke said. “To keep Mount Pearl sustainable we have to change the way we’re doing things, and it’s going to result in change.”
Councillor Isabelle Fry pointed out the new plan will come after years of amendments to the old one, and of the importance of residential input toward its development.
“If we have a consultant that’s going to help us put this together, it’s so important that it's the vision of the residents and what they want from the city rather than people sitting behind a desk,” she said.
Mayor Aker said he hopes the plan will inspire the involvement of residents, and warned staff to be prepared for both positive and negative feedback.
He also noted the importance staying the course when it comes to the City’s day-to-day operations in light of the big plans ahead.
In response, CAO Spurrell referenced a list of development priorities that staff is considering while keeping the municipal plan in mind.
“While we have the context of the municipal plan review and what we hope to achieve, we’re certainly not putting on hold development in the city and it is business as usual,” Spurrell said.
Tract Consulting will spearhead the work on the municipal plan for the City. It was awarded the contract for $271,664.
City seeks funding to make Glacier more accessible for the physically challenged
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The City of Mount Pearl is looking to improve accessibility inside the Glacier Arena through the submission of two grant applications to the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs.
One application is for $22,906 to cover the cost of installing a portable vertical lift onto the arena stage.
Installation of the lift is a part of the City’s recently released 2024-2026 Accessibility Plan which aims to open the door for equitable access to amenities and opportunities in the city.
Chief Administrative Officer Dana Spurrell, who worked on the plan, described the lift as an important asset in providing access to the Glacier’s stage.
“This is a very big step in ensuring all of our events are more accessible for performers,” she said.
In a move to facilitate para-hockey at the Glacier, the City also submitted an application for a Special Assistant Grant to replace the concrete flooring in the rink's bench areas with ice.
Councillor Mark Rice reminisced about watching para-hockey at the Paradise Double Ice Complex, noting that its inclusion at the Glacier Arena would be a move forward for the City.
“I think it’s phenomenal,” he said.
Starlites give ‘no ordinary’ performance at Canada Cup
Unlike most other synchronized skating teams, the members of the Mount Pearl Startlites are their own coaches. Team Captain Jillian Whiteway says the arrangement forces them to work hard at providing feedback to each other. The team members include, starting in the back row from left: Catherine Power, Lauren Quinlan, Katie Best, Keira Hancock, Sam Evans, Isabella Cura, Jakiera Rideout and Katie VanKoughnet; and in the front, from left, are: Veronica Cura, Leah Whitten, Anna Boland, Hayley Hynd, Katie Slaney, Dayton Fifield, Emily Thorne, Claire Bennett and Jillian Whiteway.
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Mount Pearl-Paradise Starlites Synchronized Skating Team came fourth place in the Open category at the 2024 Skate Canada Cup, but the members still felt like winners as it just might have been their best performance of the season in the biggest competition of the year.
Yet again representing all of Atlantic Canada, the Starlites competed against synchronized skating teams from across the country last weekend in Waterloo, Ontario.
Team Captain Jillian Whiteway said the skaters are proud of both of their performances last weekend.
“Despite the nerves, we felt like we were able to go out and individually perform our best, and certainly as a whole I think that really showed through in the program,” she said.
Among an impressive array of solid performances at home this winter, the Starlites placed third at Skate Ontario this January where they competed against many of the same teams they would meet again this past weekend.
“It really helped give us a feel for where we sat relative to other teams that we would be competing against,” she said. “It was a really good addition to our training this year because it set us up a little bit more for success.”
Cheering them on from the stands was a large number of friends, parents, and two teams from the Prince of Wales Skating Club, who were competing in other categories.
“I think we had the biggest cheering section of the whole event which is not normal for us when it comes to an Ontario competition,” Whiteway said.
"We didn't just skate for ourselves, we skated for those who showed up to support us; our family, our friends, and our province," added Anna Boland. "It's such a special feeling steeping onto the ice, skating alongside 16 of your best friends, and looking into the stands seeing all of the people you love there supporting you."
The Starlites skated to No Ordinary by Labirinth a song about finding love and hope, and opened their performance with the artistic wheel, a move that begins as an ‘X’ shape before evolving into rotating parallel lines.
Whiteway said opening with the artistic wheel was meant to introduce the character of the performance and demonstrate the beautiful quality of skating as soon as the music started.
“That was probably our strongest element in terms of how we felt skating, but also how it was received by the technical panel and the judges,” she said.
Perhaps most notable about the Starlites is the absence of any dedicated coach. Originally implemented out of necessity, multiple members of the team have taken on coaching responsibilities in more of a collective manner.
Whiteway admitted it is a rarity to see that at the national level, but the team is proud of the arrangement that ultimately works for them.
“There’s no single person who leads the charge. We kind of split up the responsibility across the team so that everyone has a little bit more ownership,” she said. “I think that’s something that has helped us to grow our skating over the last number of years.”
Despite being their own coaches, the Starlites aren’t totally on their own given the presence of choreographer Jennifer Beauchamp-Crichton and sports psychologist Dr. David Hancock who both lend their services to the team from time to time.
Working with the Starlites for the past number of years, Dr. Hancock helps the team manage nerves and stress as individuals, taking into account how to work these strategies into the team's broad dynamic.
“When you’re on a team with 16 other people, what one person needs before a competition isn't necessarily what the other person needs,” Whiteway said.
Going forward, the team looks forward to the provincials in March, which they begin training for in the next couple of weeks, before getting ready for the next skating season in the fall.
“Our goal next year is to continue improving our skating, improving our score,” Whiteway said. “We have proven to ourselves over the last couple of years that we can compete with the top teams in the country and that’s something that we want to continue to push.”
Underground surprises adding to clean up bills
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Work is underway to remove equipment from the old swimming pool on Stapleton Road, but additional work is adding time and money to the process.
Councillor Bill Antle highlighted the work so far for his colleagues at Tuesday’s public council meeting. He noted the removal of the underground storage tank work requires additional fieldwork, which will add some $2,195 to the overall bill.
After analyzing soil samples from the site, Pinchin Ltd., recommended an additional phase of environmental site assessment be completed, which will total $21,318.
Moving from old swimming pools to new buildings, the site that will house the new community centre, which will include a splash pad and ice surface, is experiencing some setbacks of its own. The building is slated to be built on the grounds of the Team Gushue Sports Complex.
After completing two phases of an environmental site assessment, it was decided further investigation was required to identify the full extent of contamination found in the site, which totals at $49,154 as calculated by consultant WSP.
Councillor Antle explained the cost includes nine boreholes, and two monitoring wells.
“Depending on the test results, there is a possibility that fewer boreholes and monitoring wells will be required. In this case, the total cost for delineation would be reduced,” he said.
Councillor Isabelle Fry, after looking at the cost of the third assessment, wondered about the feasibility of removing the ground full stop, taking into account all of the rising costs.
Public Works Director Gerard Antle clarified the situation.
“This is a continuation of the investigation of contamination of the site,” he said. “The third phase environmental site assessment happens when you are into more defined, extensive contamination, and that's the extent to where we're at now. We’ve identified the contamination that's there, and this proposal is to determine the full extent and delineate the boundaries of where the contamination is to.”
Once they find the extent of the contamination, a decision will be made whether removal, or another form of mitigation will be pursued.
Fry touts merits of cooking classes for people on a budget
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The City of Mount Pearl is offering a life skills slow cooker class, focusing on how to cook nutritional meals on a budget.
Councillor Isabelle Fry pointed out the need for the program and the importance of eating well on a budget, given the cost of groceries in recent years.
The first session will cover topics such as food skills and why they matter, how to read food labels, shelf life, and how to cook a pulled pork sandwich.
The second session will focus on cooking beans, lentils, and the protein that they offer, as well as useful tips for websites, flyers, and apps.
Councillor Jim Locke noted that while the registration cost is $10, the nutrition levels of many seniors, due to a variety of factors, are not always being met.
“I’m sure if the money is an issue for any seniors we could certainly reach out to the City and certainly, certainly help seniors if that is an issue here,” he said. “I would like to reach out to the seniors as an educational process, let them know at their particular age, the important nutrients for males and females, and what foods they could target to get the essential nutrients and vitamins.”
Locke then segued into an additional seniors issue, noting the thousands of seniors in the city who are not a part of the very active Mount Pearl Seniors Independence Group, which has hundreds of active members.
“I would like to take some initiatives to reach the thousands of seniors who are not as active, or as engaged, or as informed,” he said.
Registration for both winter sessions opened this week, but two more sessions will be open for registration in the spring on March 26 at 5:00 p.m. and March 28 also at 5:00 p.m. on the City’s website.
Frosty Fest survives snowy blitz
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Frosty Fest was a huge success despite some weather issues, councillor Jim Lock reported to council on Tuesday.
“It certainly didn't dampen the spirits of our volunteers, our Frosty board, and certainly all of our residents and non-residents who came out,” Locke said.
A deluge of snow and wind did cancel multiple events in the middle of last week week, like Thursday’s Bingo Bonanza, and Wednesday’s dinner theatre event with Spirit of Newfoundland.
Mayor Dave Aker said the two days of events that were cancelled were insured.
“Even though the events didn’t go ahead, it didn’t create great losses for the festival and therefore perhaps the City,” he said
When not hampered by bad weather, events like the Winter Block Party, Breakfast with Frosty, and the Snowball Dinner and Dance went off without a hitch.
Of course, last week's snow affected more than just the festival, as councillor Mark Rice pointed out. The primary focus is snow clearing and ice control as work continues with snow removal from city streets, sidewalks, cul-de-sacs, fire hydrants, and islands.
“Staff have been quite busy the last week, and they’re going to be pretty busy I’m sure for the next couple of weeks,” Rice said.
Due to heavy use over the past week, some vehicles in the City’s fleet are in need of repair, he added.
“We’ve got maintenance crews and repair technicians in 24/7 repairing that,” Rice said.
Director of Public Works Glen Dollimont outlined the work underway.
chimed in with his own assessment of the city’s snowy situation.
“As of this afternoon, we’ve had most, if not all the main drags blown back to what we think is satisfactory, and we've started to reach out into some of the secondary (streets) and neighborhoods to do some blowback in that area,” Dollimont said. “We have a crew doing fire hydrants which should be completed in the next couple of days… We’re removing snow from cul-de-sacs. We generally start on our smaller cul-de-sacs first because of the volume of snow in them. We’ll continue with that process 24/7 until we are well ahead of any predicted snowfall in the near future.”
Dollimont was, however, concerned with the mild temperatures and rain forecasted for later this week, and said catch basins will be cleared to deal with any significant rainfall.
While the city's skating rinks are closed, Locke wondered if residents would be within their rights to take a shovel and broom to the ice themselves.
“By all means,” said Dollimont.
Locke also brought up the tricky situation of private plows leaving a mess on the road after clearing residential driveways.
“It is a concern,” he said. “But it’s difficult because there are many people in our city who are unable to clear their own driveway so they rely on these pickup trucks and contractors that are clearing the snow. I understand in this circumstance under the extreme snow we've had, these trucks aren’t able to actually deposit the snow at a higher elevation.”
Aker, meanwhile commented on the observable phenomenon of Frosty Festival coinciding with stormy weather.
“This is the time of the year when the word Frosty collides with the word snow,” he said, “and unfortunately many go all out for the FF and it ends up creating what we call the Frosty Flu.”
Power's Pond Boathouse snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals
Maxine Power-Murrin, left, Iris Power, centre, and Sophie Kiefte, right were happy to enjoy the great outdoors and some time together earlier this month on the trails in Mount Pearl. The City offers free snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals at the Power's Pond Boathouse off Clyde Avenue. Residents can stick to the circumference of the pond or veer onto one of the many trails that spoke off into the surrounding area. Chad Feehan photo
Athletes and club are special in every way
By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Bowler Daniel Horn comes from St. John's to participate in Mount Pearl's Special Olympics program. Horn is part of Team Newfoundland and Labrador going to Calgary for the Winter Games.
Team Newfoundland and Labrador will have a sizable showing at this year's Special Olympics Canada Winter Games, with some very capable and motivated competitors representing Mount Pearl.
Daniel Horn of St. John’s has been bowling for 18 years with the Mount Pearl group, and is so proficient at getting three strikes in a row, that he has garnered himself the nickname “Mr. Turkey.”
Horn won gold at the provincial championships in Grand Falls last March, earning him a spot on the Olympic team.
“It felt very exciting,” he said.
While certainly an accomplished bowler in the competitive field, a major part of the games for him is spending time with his friends and cheering them on, whether they’re throwing gutterballs or strikes.
Horn’s mom Susan has watched him bowl since day one, and can certainly attest to the comradery of the game.
“He loves supporting them… it’s all about the high fives,” she said. “People could learn a lot from the Special Olympics.”
Horn also represented Newfoundland and Labrador at the Special Olympics in PEI in 2018, and was chosen to hold the flag during the team’s entrance into the Games.
“It was a really good time,” he said.
Leading up to the games, Horn is working on staying healthy, and keeping his form in check. He also wants to make these Games special.
How, you may ask?
“To win a medal,” he said.
Teammate Andrew Hynes is also looking forward to the Games. He grew up watching competitive sports on television and has played floor hockey since he was 10. Ever since that time, he knew he not only wanted to compete on a grand scale, but was capable of doing so, despite the remarks of a few naysayers.
“So many people told me I couldn’t do it because of my height or my size,” he said. “As long as you got the drive, you can accomplish anything.”
Hynes has a truly staggering number of medals at his home in Portugal Cove-St. Philips. One look at the collection is enough to make one wonder how a person can amass so many accomplishments in one lifetime.
Still, he’s making his way to Calgary for one thing: to get more.
“I want more and more and more, but I have to work to get more,” he said. It’s hard to go to a national games and try to win a gold medal… It’s not easy.”
He likens his commitment to that of Sidney Crosby, his favorite NHL player.
“He trains to win the Stanley Cup, that’s his mindset,” Hynes said.
Although Hynes is in it to win it, he also uses his position as team captain to inspire and guide younger players, something he wishes he had when he was a kid.
“When I first started I had to train myself and tell myself I’m going to be just like him,” Hynes said, referencing players who inspired him at the time.
“It’s cool to be a role model,” he said.
Beyond Calgary, his dreams are big. He’s got his eye on winning Special Olympics Male Athlete of the Year across Canada, but needs to make his way up though the municipal and provincial levels first.
And, eventually, being featured in Sports Illustrated would be one of the highest achievements he can think of.
“Wouldn’t it be cool if a Special Olympics athlete would be in this? That would be cool,” he said.
Also a member of Special Olympics Mount Pearl, Melanie Taylor has had an exceptionally good run during her time with the organization.
Taylor took home the gold medal for figure skating during the 2019 Games in Red Deer, Alberta, and is gearing to do it again this month in Calgary.
Taylor’s mother Michelle said the Special Olympics changed her daughter's life, but Melanie has largely been too focused on winning and having a good time to realize it.
Still, the Games can’t come soon enough.
“I’m very excited for Calgary, I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
Melanie’s father Derek said she’s been improving over the years, partially as a result of being pushed to succeed by her coaches.
“We just want her to have fun and go out there and do her best,” he said
Both Melanie and Derek were surprised at her win in Red Deer, though not due to any doubts about her abilities. In fact, she was the only Newfoundlander to win first place that year.
“It felt good… I was surprised, I didn’t think it was going to be me, but it felt good,” she said.
This year, Melanie is skating for her grandfather Gerry Taylor, who passed away in 2021. The well-known minor and junior hockey organizer bought Melanie her first pair of skates, as well as her first dress.
As important as the Games will be for Melanie, she still has her mind set on the pizza party at Papa John’s after everything is said and done.
“I’m totally getting that pizza,” she said.
Special Olympics coaches began coaching in Mount Pearl in the season of 1989-1990, but were still considered part of the St. John’s Club at the time.
They started with only eight or nine athletes who practiced a mix of athletics. The club has grown exponentially since then. Floor hockey, for example, was added in the mid-90s. In 1994 the club would compete in Carbonear with the athletes wearing their own colours, but would not become their own separate club until the season of 1995-1996.
Bettylou Russell remembers being the first chair of the Mount Pearl club, and said their initial function was fundraising, in hopes of taking some of the pressure off the coaches.
“First when we started, the coaches did everything,” she said. “After that it became a more organized committee.”
Doug Piercy would go on to chair the club after it congealed into a more organized state, before handing the reins over to Everett Russell, Bettylou’s husband.
The club would grow to over 120 athletes by the time Everrett retired from the position in the late 2000s. Now, the club has 143 registered athletes, with 109 volunteers who make everything happen.
