Striking a deal

Targa Newfoundland and Labrador has secured a stop in Gander until 2014.

The Town approved a recommendation to sign a new four-year contract with Targa at the April 21 council meeting. The contract has a provision that either the Town or Targa can pull out of the contract in November of each year should circumstances warrant.

Although local race fans have a reason to celebrate, not everybody was as joyous.

Dave Blundon was the only councillor to oppose the recommendation, citing safety reasons as the reason why. Blundon told The Beacon in February that he can't even bring himself to watch the race, as he feels the cars racing through local neighbourhoods presents too much of a safety hazard.

"I didn't agree with it (the contact) in the beginning. A one-year, five-year, 10-year, 15-year contract, it didn't make any difference to me," said Blundon. "There have been several incidents in the past...some people say they've been corrected and others say they haven't, but it's still the aspect of racing through the community."

It's not that Blundon is against Targa coming to Gander, he just doesn't want to see drivers racing their cars through residential streets. He'd have nothing against the Town having Targa pass through, just as long as the racing occurred somewhere other than neighbourhoods.

"I have no problem with Targa coming to Gander, it's just the racing through the streets," he said. "If they could find another place to race, like the highway, just not through the residential streets. I approved of this in the beginning. I was one of the original people that said, 'Yes, let's bring this to Gander.' After some incidents that happened in the past, nothing specifically sticks out in my mind, I started to get more concerned."

Blundon said there have been incidents where breakdown in communication occurred with Targa officialS, and he remembers occasions where accidents occurred on the side of the road. He also remembers a time when an unsuspecting, grieving man returned home to find his car missing, and a time when a person's lawn was damaged.

"There was one particular case where a person was gone to a family funeral. His car was left on the road for a couple of days, and when he came back there was no car," he said. "There was an incident where a car skidded across the road and unto somebody's lawn.

"The streets in the community aren't made for it, just not built for it. They might say it is, and they may have professionals, but in my thinking, I don't think it is."

Besides accidents, Blundon also feels that the race can be an inconvenience for those living in the area drivers race through. He said he's received calls at his Gander home from people who couldn't drive to their homes after returning home from a trip to the doctor.

"What the residents on the route have to go through during that particular time is of an inconvenience. I've had calls at my home from people who had to take their kid to the Janeway in St. John's and couldn't get to their home once they got home," said Blundon. "Even though it's always posted where the Targa road rally is going to run through the community, what happens to the person who has an appointment with a specialist and wants to get back home again?"

Through it all, Blundon reiterates that his biggest concern is with the people of Gander, and what could happen if something goes terribly wrong in the race. The councillor has no problem expressing those concerns, and said he's entitled to his opinion.

"They could run this year with no incidents, and they could run next year with no incidents, and maybe something will change, but I voted against this the past couple of years because there have been some incidents, and I'm entitled to my own opinion," he said. "I wouldn't call it a major concern, but I have a concern over the safety of our residents and the people that live on the route the cars race through."

The rally is scheduled to stop in Gander Sept. 13 for a car show, and departs town two days later for the start of leg three of the race.

Calls to Robert Giannou, president of Targa Newfoundland and Labrador, went unreturned as of The Beacon's deadline.

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