Clarenville’s shoreline is one of its greatest natural and economic assets. The Town has already seen the tangible benefits of waterfront investment through the redevelopment of the Marina, the establishment of Waterfront Park, and ongoing enhancements to the coastal trail network. Building on this momentum, this proposal outlines an expansion of Waterfront Park designed to enhance its visual appeal, improve public amenities, and strengthen community access.

[Read My Full Proposal HERE]

Clarenville’s story began with bold vision. When John Tilley and his family settled here in the mid-1840s, they didn’t just clear land—they built the community’s first mills, farms, and places of worship, creating the foundation that drew others to settle and build a life here. Their pioneering spirit exemplifies the ingenuity that still defines our town today. It’s time we properly commemorate their contributions.

[Explore My Full Proposal Here]

Huntley Drive serves as a critical residential collector and the primary access corridor for Riverside Elementary. The street features an intense mix of high-volume vehicular traffic, school buses, and high pedestrian activity consisting predominantly of young elementary students.  It's also a 30km zone that is too often ignored.

A raised crosswalk (essentially a flat-topped speed table spanning the full roadway with a marked crossing at sidewalk height) is a proven, self-enforcing traffic engineering intervention. Replacing the standard painted crosswalk at Huntley and Thomas Streets with a raised structure addresses the acute vulnerability of school children and creates a permanent safety buffer.

Many people store firewood in the area adjacent to the water treatment plant; however, its visibility and its disorder can make it unsightly.  An easy fix is to clear the area as illustrated and build a simple screening berm between it and the road.

The Clarenville Events Centre attracts numerous visitors from outside the community, yet it remains difficult to locate because it sits away from the town’s main thoroughfares. However, the rear of the facility is clearly visible from the Trans-Canada Highway. With upwards of 25,000 vehicles passing daily, establishing prominent branding or visual signage on this highway-facing facade would significantly increase the Centre's visibility and drive local awareness.

A live community webcam installed at Town Hall provides an accessible, cost-effective digital window into the heart of the community. Beyond simple scenery, it functions as a municipal utility for public information, community engagement, and regional promotion.   Positioned with a view of Random Sound, it would showcase Clarenville’s natural assets to potential visitors, recreational travellers, and prospective residents exploring relocation.

The Town's water tower on Bare Mountain Road is among the most visible and prominent utility structures in our town. Applying the town’s official logo on both sides and visual branding transforms a purely functional piece of public infrastructure into a high-impact community landmark, navigational beacon, and economic marketing asset.  (Think of the Galway Tower!)

Clarenville's Trailway trail and Coastal Trail (Bonavista Branch through Shoal Harbour) is a heavily used asset for walkers, bikers and ATVers alike.  A 12-15ft wide paved path through the middle of town (Marine Drive-Random Island Road (approx 8km) would provide a relatively flat, multi-use trail that would support many users.

The Shoal Harbour River is the historic foundation of our community and one of Clarenville’s most valuable natural assets, providing an exceptional greenway directly through our town. However, access across this natural corridor remains limited, creating significant pedestrian bottlenecks and safety risks—most acutely along the Shoal Harbour Drive vehicular bridge.

To address pedestrian safety and unlock the river's full recreational potential, the Town should pursue the phased installation of two dedicated, multi-use bridges (suitable for pedestrians and ATV's):

Shoal Harbour Drive Cantilevered / Parallel Pedestrian Bridge: eliminating a hazardous conflict point on a busy collector route.

Huntley Drive River Crossing: Creates a vital neighbourhood loop link connecting the residential and school areas around Riverside Elementary with the broader river T'railway network.

Formal municipal meeting minutes are legal records: procedural, dense, and by necessity stripped of narrative context. While minutes record what was formally moved, seconded, and carried, they rarely explain why decisions were made, what practical effects they have on taxpayers, or what comes next.

Introducing a 1-to-2 page "Council Highlights" or Meeting Summary Sheet—published within 24 to 48 hours following each public council meeting—bridges the gap between statutory record-keeping and proactive civic communication.

Clarenville is a multi-million-dollar corporation managing critical public assets, essential services, and tax revenues. Yet, unlike publicly traded companies or provincial bodies, the Town of Clarenville communicates its performance in fragments—isolated meeting minutes, technical audited statements, or a single annual budget speech.

Instituting an Official Clarenville Town Annual Report bridges this gap. It consolidates financial performance, capital investments, and departmental milestones into a single, professional publication. At minimal administrative cost, it provides direct return on investment through taxpayer trust, intergovernmental grant competitiveness, economic recruitment, and institutional continuity.

The Parks Canada "Red Chairs" initiative—which started right in Newfoundland and Labrador at Gros Morne in 2011—demonstrates how two simple, thoughtfully placed chairs can transform a scenic viewpoint into a destination.

For Clarenville, deploying signature viewing chairs in town colours at flagship locations (such as Bare Mountain, Waterfront Park, and the Shoal Harbour Causeway) is a low-cost, high-impact initiative that delivers returns across tourism, trail utilization, community health, and place-branding.

Clarenville has a fleet of equipment, including sidewalk plows.   Other towns and cities have sought civic engagement by holding equipment-naming contests and have received enthusiastic responses.   This is a great community-building exercise and helps identify vehicles beyond numbers.  

Elizabeth Swan Park serves as Clarenville’s central destination for family recreation, community celebrations, and summer day camps. While the outdoor play structures and splash pad thrive in sun, prolonged rain or drizzle can quickly shut down outdoor activities.

Painting structured, permanent ground games—such as hopscotch, four-square, or agility mazes—directly onto the concrete floor of the park's sheltered cookhouse transforms an underutilized rainy-day refuge into an active, covered play zone.

Installing a permanent electronic civic information sign at Clarenville Town Hall ensures direct, high-visibility communication with residents regarding council proceedings, infrastructure updates, service deadlines, and community events—reaching the public daily. Recent advancements in LED and digital display technology have significantly increased visual clarity, energy efficiency, and weather durability, while capital costs have dropped dramatically, making this a cost-effective, high-impact investment in municipal transparency and public awareness.

Clarenville is blessed with striking natural topography and coastal vistas that contribute directly to local quality of life, civic pride, and visitor appeal. Two prime elevated locations stand out:

The Naked Man Lookoff along the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH).

The Lookoff on Church Hill overlooking the Marina and the Sound.

Both spots offer panoramic potential to showcase Clarenville at its best to residents, day-trippers, and highway travellers. Over the years, unchecked brush, alders, and tree growth have gradually crept in, heavily obstructing both viewpoints.  

Despite their high value as welcoming community focal points, they are currently underutilized and neglected assets. The cost and physical effort to selectively clear brush, prune sightlines, and establish a seasonal brushing routine are modest.

The return on investment is immediate, highly visible, and enhances everyday community pride while encouraging highway travellers to pause, enjoy the view, and consider stopping in town.

Mills Mill is a cornerstone of Shoal Harbour and Clarenville’s early growth. Tucked along the beach just below the Coastal Trail, this site is a true community treasure. With a straightforward cleanup and proper interpretive signage, we can preserve this piece of local history for residents and visitors alike.

While walking the Coastal Trail along the shore of Shoal Harbour (behind the playground), the beach is clearly visible, yet currently inaccessible from the main path. Adding a dedicated access trail would be a straightforward project that significantly enhances public access and enjoyment of the shoreline.

We need to make people aware of our beaches!!

Clarenville’s coastline is full of surprises. While it might not be known as a traditional "beach resort" town, locals know that if you step just a few feet off the beaten path, you’ll find some beautiful pockets of sand and stone hidden right in plain sight.

Here is a guide to Clarenville’s secret coastal gems:

Red Beach / Sally’s Hole Rock (Trail off Masonic Terrace) 

Tucked away near the Train Station, a trail leads to Red Beach, which gets its name from the distinct, beautiful reddish hue of its shoreline stones and sediment. This spot feels entirely tucked away from the hustle and bustle. Just off the shore sits Sally’s Hole Rock, a local geological landmark that breaks up the waves and gives the area a rugged, classic Newfoundland character. It is a fantastic, quiet spot for beachcombing, hunting for sea glass, or catching a moody, dramatic sunrise over the water.

Shoal Harbour Beach (Beach Road)

Located on the Coastal Trail on the shores of Shoal Harbour, this beach is a peaceful, soft-sand and pebble escape. It sits near the mouth of the valley’s active waterways and migratory bird sanctuary, making it a haven for wildlife lovers. At low tide, the shoals reveal themselves, leaving behind calm, shallow waters that are perfect for wading, launching a kayak, or watching sea birds hunt along the shoreline. It’s highly accessible yet remarkably quiet.

Stanley's Park Beach (Trail off Balbo Drive)

Stanley's Park Beach is a charming coastal pocket wrapped in lush, green surroundings. Following a trail from Balbo Drive to the shoreline, the beach offers a lovely, sheltered view of the Random Sound where you can watch the boats come and go. Ideal for a quick afternoon escape, a peaceful sit on the grass, or skipping stones into the calm harbour waters.

Causeway Beach (Random Island Road)

Located at the edge of the Hefferton Causeway that connects Clarenville to Random Island, Causeway Beach is the ultimate "hidden in plain sight" location. Thousands of drivers pass it every day, but few think to pull over and step down to the water. This narrow, sandy-pebble strip offers completely unobstructed, panoramic views of the entire sound. Because it borders the shallower flats of the estuary, it's a prime vantage point for spotting eagles, ducks, and seasonal marine life. It is the perfect spot for an impromptu leg-stretch or a breezy beach fire.