Abandoned St. Mary's fish sauce plant finally getting cleaned up, says mayor
After years of calling for the clean up at a long-abandoned fish sauce plant, the mayor of St. Mary's is celebrating that the end is finally in sight — something he says he once doubted would ever happen.
The Atlantic Seafood Sauce Co. plant in St. Mary's, on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, has not operated in two decades. Over the years, residents have complained about the rancid smell and vats of decomposing sauce inside the derelict building.
Mayor Steve Ryan said the provincial government has set aside money in the recent budget for its clean up, an amount he declined to disclose.
"We finally are almost over the finish line," Ryan told CBC Radio's The Broadcast.
He said the town is working with the Department of Environment and Climate Change to write a tender for a consultant, who will then help the town select a company that can clean the site of the former plant.
In 2023, CBC Investigates uncovered an Environment Canada report in 2016 on testing results on effluent from the abandoned facility. It had found effluent killed fish within 15 minutes, and was described as "acutely lethal" to fish.
A pipe was sealed to stop the effluent from running into the water.
In a previous interview, Ryan told CBC News the community was never informed about the Environment Canada laboratory results.
Ryan said the funding is good news for the town, and it comes after years of trying to get movement on the problem. He credits Placentia-St. Mary's MHA Sherry Gambin-Walsh for the help, as well as former premier Andrew Furey.
Many residents thought the clean up would never happen, he said. It's been a for the last 10-year battle of his own, and there were times when he almost gave up.
"The day that I got a call from our MHA to say that this has happened, it's in the budget, I got to say, it was pretty emotional," he said.
Gambin-Walsh said she has been working on the problem since she was first elected in 2015, and after a lot of collaboration the province is going to financially support the removal of the vats.
"As the MHA, all I can tell you is that I've been persistent in getting this cleaned up," she told CBC News.
WATCH | There's relief over a potential clean up that could clear the air in St. Mary's:
She said the town taking ownership of the plant was a key part in solving the problem. Like Ryan, she declined to state the amount the province is providing.
"I don't think it will be a good idea for me to disclose that amount in this tendering competitive process," said Gambin-Walsh.
Timing was also a key part of moving the work forward, as there are concerns that the aging building will collapse. Gambin-Walsh said cleaning it up now is a precautionary measure.
"The building is getting old and, you know, I don't think it can safely contain the material much longer," she said. "So we really do need to remove it."
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Former News 8 newsman Tom Ryan remembered
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)- News 8 is saddened to report that a beloved former member of WROC-TV passed away June 12th. Tom Ryan died peacefully early Thursday morning in Switzerland, according to his son Paul Ryan. Tom Ryan worked at WROC for about 25 years. As a reporter in the 60's and 70's Ryan covered a wide range of stories including the Mt. Vernon Church Bombing in 1971. He flew with Blue Angels and reported on their teamwork in the sky. He also participated in lighthearted interviews demonstrating his humor. Ryan embodied the classic 'old school' newsman. In a recent interview with News 8's first black reporter reminisced about the good old days working with Ryan at the building on Humboldt Street. Ryan also reportedly did a morning show with Ann Keefe and took over as news anchor after Tom Decker. In a note to News 8 his son wrote this about Ryan, He lived an amazing life and remembered it all until the very end. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
19 hours ago
- Newsweek
Adoptive Mom of Five Thinks Her Family Is Complete, Then She Gets a Call
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. After more than a decade of foster parenting, a New Jersey mom thought her family's journey was coming to a close. With two biological children and three adopted through foster care, Jamie Finn and her husband, Alan, had spent years opening their hearts and home to over 30 children in need. "Foster parenting brings a lot of beauty and joy, but it also brings a lot of heartache and loss and stress," Jamie told Newsweek. "We had our hands full." Split view of baby Ryan being cradled viewed from above; and sitting in a high chair. Split view of baby Ryan being cradled viewed from above; and sitting in a high chair. @fosterthefamilyblog But then came a phone call about a baby boy in foster care who needed a loving home. In a reel on Instagram (@fosterthefamilyblog), the 40-year-old captured the emotional turning point when she thought her family was "complete." The clip features footage of how little Ryan settled into their growing family and eventually became their son. Jamie said that their journey to foster care began after the birth of their two biological children, Liv and Wes. "We wanted our family to make a difference," she said. "We wanted our home to become a place of healing and belonging for kids who needed us. We became a family on a mission, and we're still going strong after 11 years." And yet, even the most-committed foster families wrestle with limits. The decision to step back from fostering wasn't easy, but it felt right—until that call. "There is a huge difference between the theoretical idea of being done with foster care and the actual call that there's a living, breathing child who needs a home and a family," Jamie told Newsweek. "All of the beds in our home were full, but we had room for a baby in our bedroom with us, so we said yes." Jamie's post has since gone viral, amassing more than 800,000 views. The hundreds of viewers who commented were moved by the family's generosity. "Bless you and your family!! All babies need this kind of love," one user wrote. "Oh, that heartbroken baby in the beginning. And then his little face turns to joy as time passes by," added another. But the surprises didn't stop there. On the very day they agreed to adopt Ryan, Jamie received another call: a little boy they had once welcomed home from the hospital—and again several times over the years—was reentering foster care. In addition to Liv and Wes, the family now includes Bella, Em, their foster son who remains anonymous, Jax and Ryan. "Being a foster parent is full of beauty and brokenness," Jamie said. "We get to be the landing place for kids who need love and safety, which is such a joy and privilege. But each of the kids who enter our home have experienced loss and trauma. We are so happy that we get to be their families for as long as they need us, but we also wish that we didn't have to be."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Abandoned St. Mary's fish sauce plant finally getting cleaned up, says mayor
After years of calling for the clean up at a long-abandoned fish sauce plant, the mayor of St. Mary's is celebrating that the end is finally in sight — something he says he once doubted would ever happen. The Atlantic Seafood Sauce Co. plant in St. Mary's, on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, has not operated in two decades. Over the years, residents have complained about the rancid smell and vats of decomposing sauce inside the derelict building. Mayor Steve Ryan said the provincial government has set aside money in the recent budget for its clean up, an amount he declined to disclose. "We finally are almost over the finish line," Ryan told CBC Radio's The Broadcast. He said the town is working with the Department of Environment and Climate Change to write a tender for a consultant, who will then help the town select a company that can clean the site of the former plant. In 2023, CBC Investigates uncovered an Environment Canada report in 2016 on testing results on effluent from the abandoned facility. It had found effluent killed fish within 15 minutes, and was described as "acutely lethal" to fish. A pipe was sealed to stop the effluent from running into the water. In a previous interview, Ryan told CBC News the community was never informed about the Environment Canada laboratory results. Ryan said the funding is good news for the town, and it comes after years of trying to get movement on the problem. He credits Placentia-St. Mary's MHA Sherry Gambin-Walsh for the help, as well as former premier Andrew Furey. Many residents thought the clean up would never happen, he said. It's been a for the last 10-year battle of his own, and there were times when he almost gave up. "The day that I got a call from our MHA to say that this has happened, it's in the budget, I got to say, it was pretty emotional," he said. Gambin-Walsh said she has been working on the problem since she was first elected in 2015, and after a lot of collaboration the province is going to financially support the removal of the vats. "As the MHA, all I can tell you is that I've been persistent in getting this cleaned up," she told CBC News. WATCH | There's relief over a potential clean up that could clear the air in St. Mary's: She said the town taking ownership of the plant was a key part in solving the problem. Like Ryan, she declined to state the amount the province is providing. "I don't think it will be a good idea for me to disclose that amount in this tendering competitive process," said Gambin-Walsh. Timing was also a key part of moving the work forward, as there are concerns that the aging building will collapse. Gambin-Walsh said cleaning it up now is a precautionary measure. "The building is getting old and, you know, I don't think it can safely contain the material much longer," she said. "So we really do need to remove it." Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page
