⛸️ Skate the Loop, Avoid Heavy Tree, and Celebrate Gushue’s Girls

Good morning, St. John’s. This is St. John’s Living —the local newsletter that’s the friendly neighbour with gossip that won’t hold you, or other shoppers up, in the aisles at Costco.

In this week’s St. John’s Living:

• The Loop Opens for the Season ⛸️

• Heavy Tree Road Closed until January 10 🚧

• Like Father, Like Daughters 🥌

• Christmas Tree Recycling 🎄

Let’s get into it…

Digest

⛸️ The Loop is Open for a Spin

The skating trail in Bannerman Park opened for the season on Christmas Eve. It’ll be open every day from 10am-10pm with a few exceptions. Tue/Thu from 1pm-2pm and Mon/Wed/Fri 1pm-2pm & 4pm-5pm the Loop will be closed for maintenance. Skating will be weather-dependent so you can always call the Loop Line at 709-733-LOOP (5667) to check if it's open.

🚧 Heavy Tree Road Closed for Construction

Heavy Tree Road will remain closed until January 10, 2025 to facilitate the construction of the Team Gushue Highway between Brookfield Road and Commonwealth Avenue.

🥌 Like Father, Like Daughters

And speaking of Gushue…We’d like to send out congrats to Team Locke, featuring Haley and Marissa Gushue, who are the new provincial U18 curling champions. The team went undefeated and will be heading to Saskatoon to represent Newfoundland and Labrador at the nationals.

🎄 Give Your Christmas Tree a Second Life

If you had a real Christmas tree this year, give it another use by dropping it off for recycling. From now until January 12th, you can bring your undecorated tree to the large Quidi Vidi parking lot off The Boulevard or to Robin Hood Bay. The resulting mulch will be used in the city’s horticultural projects this summer.

Local Business

• Get Messy NL recently acquired the mascot collection from The Party Studio so if you need a member of Paw Patrol, Elsa, a Minion, or Luigi for your next event, you know who to call.

• Tilt House Bakery lives on! Charlene and Brad Dunn are now the new owners taking the reins from Ann Davis, who built the business and retired on Tibbs Eve. The bakery will re-open on January 3rd full of delicious treats.

What’s Happening

Wednesday

🎉 Happy New Year!

🐻‍❄️ Want to kick off your new year with a shock? Join the annual polar bear dip at Chapel’s Cove Beach at 2:00pm! 

Thursday

💃 Looking for an unforgettable night celebrating Afro-Latin music, dance, and culture? Learn the rhythms of Semba Cadencia and Kizomba Angola, and then after the workshop, take part in a vibrant social dance party with curated Afro-Latin beats.

Friday

🚗 St. John’s Winter Parking Ban begins. From now until April 12th, parking is prohibited in the downtown business district from 4am-6am and daily outside of downtown from 12:30am-7:30am.

Saturday

🎨 Have an artistic kid in your household? Magic Storm Events hosts a drop-in group art lesson for kids 7-12 on Saturdays. Through sketchbook activities and portfolio projects, students can experiment with multiple artistic mediums in a fun environment.

🎻 Grab your guitar, bodhran, or fiddle and head down to The Peter Easton for their weekly Saturday session. It’s an open session so grab a friend and grab a pint and enjoy the trad tunes.

Sunday

🖌️ Learn how to get started rug-hooking using recycled t-shirts a three-week beginner class at the Anna Templeton Centre. Create your own design, hook using various techniques, and learn how to finish your piece like a professional.

🎶 Check out the Wonderful  Jam Band  at The Black Sheep tonight featuring Colin Harris, Dan Smith, and Rob Pittman.

🎉 Missed out on the Mummer’s Festival? Drop by the CBS Kiwanis Club for their mummers’ parade. There will be hot chocolate for the kids and the kids at heart. The building will be open at 1:30pm for a rig up.

Monday

🎭 It’s your last chance to see the 12 Bays of Christmas. Only in NL can a Legge marry a Butt from the arm and have the reception in the Gut. Prepare to laugh at this Hallmark movie inspired dinner theatre.

🐐 What’s a better way to spend the first Monday of 2025 than by painting with goats? We can’t think of one. Clay Cafe is sure to provide one of the most fun events of the year.

📺 Get ready to watch Jake Doyle chase the bad guys again. Allan Hawco stars as Inspector Donny “Fitz” Fitzpatrick on CBC’s new series, Saint-Pierre, which debuts tonight at 9pm.

Tuesday

📺 It’s a 1-2 Newfoundland punch on tv as season 4 of Son of a Critch premieres tonight on CBC. So gather the family around the tv at 8:30pm and watch 14-year-old Mark navigate those awkward teenage years.

Municipal News

⚖️City Council Meeting

City council meetings will resume on January 14, 2025.

Thanks!

Thanks for reading St. John’s Living today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who still has their holiday lights up.