Public Council Meeting Highlights

1. Proclamations

• June is Recreation Month – It’s important to remember that recreation is all of the ways that bring health and wellness to your life! That could be from the comforts of your home, your backyard, your neighbourhood or planned activities.
  • Stay tuned on Facebook and the website for weekly challenges to enter for prize draws, book bingos, orienteering and more
• June is Pride Month – June is a time to celebrate the vibrant 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and reaffirm our commitment to building a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming town where everyone feels safe, valued, and loved for exactly who they are.
• June is National Indigenous History Month – June is dedicated to recognize, celebrate, and honour the rich cultures, diverse heritages, and outstanding contributions of Indigenous People.

2. Public Works and Safety

• Council resolved to amend the consultant agreement for the UV System project to account for changes in scope related to extra work that came up during construction.
• Council resolved to amend the consultant agreement for the Third Train Upgrades project to adjust for changes in the work required of the consultant.
• Council resolved to approve repairs to one of the Town’s dump trucks to address issues with the exhaust system.

3. Fire and Emergency Services

• The Town’s existing Fire Chief has given notice to the Town that he will be retiring this year. The date of his retirement is dependent on operation requirements and succession planning.
• Council approved a motion to hire Terry Scott as the Town’s new full time Fire Chief, effective June 29^th, 2026.
• After 11 years of dedicated service to the Town, Fire Chief Fred Hollett will be concluding his career with the Town in 2026 and beginning a well-deserved retirement.

Fred joined the Town in 2015, bringing with him a lengthy and distinguished career in Fire and Emergency Services. Throughout his time with the Town, he has been an invaluable asset to operations, a trusted advisor, and a mentor to many members of the Fire Department. His wealth of knowledge, practical experience, and calm leadership have helped guide the organization through countless situations and challenges.

Many of us have had the opportunity to enjoy great conversations with Fred over the years. Whether sharing lessons learned from emergency responses across Newfoundland and Labrador or discussing the evolution of emergency services. Fred has always been generous with his time and expertise. His stories, knowledge, and perspective have left a lasting impact on the Town.

On behalf of the Town, we would like to sincerely thank Fred for his years of service and dedication, we wish him all the very best in retirement.

At the same time, we are pleased to welcome Terry Scott as the Town’s new Fire Chief. Terry has been a member of the Fire Department since 2012 and has served as Deputy Fire Chief for the past five years. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to professional development, completing fire and emergency services education programs through Dalhousie University, the Marine Institute, Oklahoma State University, and Fire and Emergency Services training programs.

Terry brings a wealth of operational experience, leadership, and dedication to the role, and we look forward to working with him in this new capacity.

4. Planning and Development

• Council adopted Municipal Plan Amendment No. 25, 2025 and Development Regulations Amendment No. 42, 2025 which propose to introduce garden suites into the Town’s Municipal Plan and Development Regulations. Commissioner Marie Ryan was also appointed to oversee a public hearing on these amendments. Details of the public hearing will be advertised once scheduled.

5. Admin and Governance

• Council moved to name June 21 “National Indigenous Peoples Day”. The office closure will be observed on June 22.
• Council moved to support Councillor Will at the upcoming Federation of Canadian Municipalities Annual Conference, in standing for election as part of the board.

6. Community Services

• The Town’s Inclusion and Accessibility Advisory Committee (IAAC) held its first meeting on June 1, marking an exciting step forward in supporting a more inclusive and accessible community for all residents.
  • During the meeting, committee members selected their leadership team. The town is pleased to announce that Chad Herridge was elected Chair, and Johnny Hanlon was elected Vice Chair.
  • The Town would like to extend their congratulations to Chad and Johnny on their appointments and offer sincere thanks to all committee members who have volunteered their time, experience, and perspectives to support this important work. Their commitment will help guide initiatives that promote accessibility, inclusion and equitable opportunities for residents of all ages and abilities.
  • We look forward to working with the committee as they begin their efforts to help make Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s an even more welcoming and accessible community for everyone.
• The annual Regatta and Canada Day celebrations will take place from July 1 to July 11. A detailed event brochure will be released in the coming weeks that will include favourites such as Community Breakfast, Seniors socials, Drive in Movie, Splash Pad Party, and so much more. There will be change in the flow of traffic around the marina area on Wednesday July 1 to allow for better and safer flow of traffic, those details will be released shortly. The Town would like to thank all the local community organizations and staff that make this week a success.