View source for Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2021}}
<!-- Infobox begins -->
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Paradise
| official_name      = Town of Paradise
| other_name         = 
| native_name        = 
| nickname           = 
| settlement_type    = Town
| motto              = 
| image_skyline      = NLA Paradise tango7174.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = At sunset
| image_flag         = 
| flag_size          = 
| image_map          = Paradisestthomas.png
| map_caption        = Location of Paradise (red) in the [[St. John's Metropolitan Area]].
| image_shield       = 
| shield_size        = 
| city_logo          = 
| image_blank_emblem = Town of Paradise Logo.svg
| blank_emblem_type  = Town logo
| citylogo_size      = 
| pushpin_map        = Newfoundland
| pushpin_label_position = bottom<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Paradise in [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]]
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| subdivision_type   = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = Canada
| subdivision_type1  = [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Province]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Newfoundland]]
| subdivision_type3  = <!-- [[Census divisions of Newfoundland and Labrador|Census division]] -->
| subdivision_name3  = 
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = late 19th century
| established_title2 = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
| established_date2  = 
| established_title3 = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
| established_date3  = 
| government_type    = 
| government_footnotes = 
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Dan Bobbett
| leader_title1      = MHA
| leader_name1       = [[Fred Hutton]] (LIB)<br />[[Paul Dinn]] (PC)<br />[[Sarah Stoodley]] (LIB)
| leader_title2      = MP
| leader_name2       =[[Tom Osborne (Canadian politician)|Tom Osborne]] ([[Liberal Party of Canada|LIB]])
| unit_pref          = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired-->
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_total_sq_mi   = 
| area_total_km2     = 29.24
| area_land_sq_mi    = 
| area_land_km2      = 
| area_water_sq_mi   = 
| area_water_km2     = 
| area_water_percent = 
| area_urban_sq_mi   = 
| area_urban_km2     = 
| area_metro_km2     = 
| area_metro_sq_mi   = 
| population_as_of   = 2021
| population_note    = 
| population_footnotes = <ref name=2021census/>
| population_total   = 22957
| population_urban   = 
| population_metro   = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 
| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone           = [[Newfoundland Time]]
| utc_offset         = -3:30
| timezone_DST       = [[Newfoundland Time|Newfoundland Daylight]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -2:30
| coordinates        = {{coord|47|32|N|52|52|W|region:CA-NL|display=inline}}
| elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
| elevation_ft       = 
| elevation_m        = 
| postal_code_type   = <!--Postal code span-->
| postal_code        = <!--[[List of A Postal Codes of Canada|Span]]-->
| area_code          = 709
| blank_name         = [[List of Newfoundland and Labrador highways|Highways]]
| blank_info         = {{jct|province=NL|TCH|1}}<br>{{jct|province=NL|NL|2}}<br>{{jct|province=NL|NL|50}}<br>{{jct|province=NL|NL|60}}<br>
[[Kenmount Road]]
| website            = [http://www.townofparadise.ca/ The Town of Paradise]
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Paradise''' is a [[town]] on the [[Avalon Peninsula]] in the province of [[Newfoundland and Labrador]], Canada. Paradise is the [[List of municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador|third largest settlement]] in the province and is part of the [[St. John's metropolitan area]], the [[List of census metropolitan areas and agglomerations in Canada|20th largest metropolitan area in Canada]]. The town borders the City of [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]], the City of [[Mount Pearl]], the Town of [[Portugal Cove-St. Philip's]], and the town of [[Conception Bay South]].

In the [[2021 Canadian census|2021 Census of Population]] conducted by [[Statistics Canada]], Paradise had a population of {{val|22957|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|8813|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|9331|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:22957-21389}}|21389|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|21389|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|29.67|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|22957|29.67|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.<ref name="2021census">{{cite web |date=February 9, 2022 |title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Newfoundland and Labrador |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000210 |accessdate=March 15, 2022 |publisher=[[Statistics Canada]]}}</ref> Based on the 2016 Census, the median income for the Town of Paradise was $107,542 before taxes and a median income of $89,037 after taxes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Paradise, T [Census subdivision], Newfoundland and Labrador and Newfoundland and Labrador [Province] (table). Census Profile. 2016 Census. |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=1001517&Geo2=PR&Code2=10&SearchText=Paradise&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=Income&TABID=1&type=0 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |website=Statistics Canada |publisher=Statistics Canada, division of the Canadian Government.}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[Precambrian]] bedrock underlies the town, with a belt of [[volcanic rock]] along the coast and [[clastic]] [[sedimentary rock]] inland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mines |date=4 September 2019 |url=http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/mines&en/geosurvey/maps/nl/html_nf/images/88-01.pdf}}</ref> The soil is for the most part a stony loam [[podzol]] mapped as Cochrane series.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 December 2013 |title=Soils of the Avalon Peninsula |url=http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/publications/surveys/nf/nf3/index.html}}</ref> Peat is common in poorly drained areas.

==History==
While parts of Paradise have been inhabited since the late nineteenth century, mainly as farmland, its growth only took off in the 1830s and 1870s as a "bedroom community" of nearby St. John's. It grew at a slow pace until the early 1990s, when the Town of Paradise was amalgamated with the Town of St. Thomas. Other developed areas which had previously been administered by the Southern Metropolitan Board--an agency of the [[Government of Newfoundland and Labrador]]--were also amalgamated with Paradise. These areas are Three Island Pond, Topsail Pond, Elizabeth Park, and Evergreen Village.

=== Octagon Castle ===
Operating from 1896 to 1915, the Octagon Castle was a four-storey, eight-sided hotel resort, named by its creator, "Professor" Charles Henry Danielle.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns_enl/id/8 |title=Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador |publisher=Harry Cuff Publications Ltd. |year=1993 |volume=4 |location=St. John's |pages=149 |chapter=Octagon Castle}}</ref> Destroyed by fire in 1915, its name survives in the nearby Octagon Pond.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bartlett |first=Steve |date=17 June 2013 |title=Paradise pond name has fascinating origin |work=Saltwire |url=https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundland-labrador/opinion/paradise-pond-name-has-fascinating-origin-135166/ |access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref> In 2022, a blue sculptural artwork inspired by Octagon Castle was installed at the centre of a Paradise roundabout.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ping |first=William |date=20 March 2022 |title=A lost Paradise landmark holds the key to mysterious new blue monument |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/octagon-castle-monument-1.6382936 |access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Squibb |first=Mark |date=17 February 2022 |title=Paradise roundabout art turns heads |work=The Shoreline News |url=http://theshoreline.ca/2022/02/23/paradise-roundabout-art-turns-heads/ |access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref>

==Sports==
Paradise is the starting point for the annual [[Tely 10 Mile Road Race]], one of the oldest races in Canada. The race begins near Octagon Pond in Paradise before heading towards Mount Pearl.<ref name="Tely_Location">{{Cite web|title = START TIME AND LOCATION|url = http://www.nlaa.ca/tely10/register_race_info/start_time_location.php|access-date = 2017-03-15}}</ref> The town of Paradise hosted the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] at its Paradise Double Ice Complex<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=Double Ice Complex|url=https://www.paradise.ca/en/parks-recreation-and-culture/Paradise-Double-Ice-Complex.aspx|access-date=January 10, 2022|website=Town of Paradise|date=22 September 2021}}</ref> in September 2019 when the [[National Hockey League|NHL]] club opened their 2019-2020 training camp in the town.<ref>{{Cite news|agency=The Canadian Press|date=September 14, 2019|title=Hockey fans in Paradise, N.L. buzzing with excitement over Leafs training camp|work=Global News|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5903526/hockey-fans-in-paradise-n-l-buzzing-with-excitement-over-leafs-training-camp/|access-date=January 10, 2022}}</ref> In December 2019, the town of Paradise hosted the [https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/team-canada/men/para-hockey/2019-phc 2019 Para Hockey Cup] at its Paradise Double Ice Complex, which saw teams from Canada, The United States of America, Russia, and the Czech Republic participating in the event.<ref>{{Cite news|last=CBC News|first=NL|date=December 7, 2019|title=Canada places 2nd in Para hockey cup, but winning wasn't their only goal|work=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/para-hockey-finals-paradise-1.5388225|access-date=January 10, 2022}}</ref>

==Town crest==
{{unreferenced section|date=March 2024}}
The town crest of Paradise was created by a former town council member and one time mayor, "Black" Arch Janes in 1986.   He also provided an explanation of what each element of the crest represented.

* The animal in the top of the crest is a caribou. The caribou is currently the provincial animal of Newfoundland.
* There are two bulldogs holding up the crest.  These are the representation of Britain's Royal Navy.  Newfoundland was a protectorate of Great Britain before becoming a province of Canada in 1949.
* The cross located on the center of the crest is a representation of the Christian religion on which the laws of Newfoundland are founded.
* The gear and electric bolt located in the top two portions of the crest represent industry in the community.
* The lower left corner of the crest bears a tree.  This symbol is a representation of the town's name.  Paradise in Greek means a park.
* The lower right corner of the crest is a sled filled with wood.  This symbol represents Paradise's past industry, which was primarily in the wood industry.

==War memorial==
The War memorial located at the town hall was also designed by Arch Janes before his death in 1987.

==Government==
The Paradise town council is made up of a mayor, deputy mayor, and five councillors. The current mayor of the town is Dan Bobbett, a former Paradise town councillor.

Paradise is part of three provincial electoral districts; [[Conception Bay East – Bell Island]], represented by [[Fred Hutton]], and [[Topsail (electoral district)|Topsail-Paradise]], which is represented by [[Paul Dinn]]. [[Sarah Stoodley]], the MHA for [[Mount Scio]], also represents the Elizabeth Park subdivision in Paradise, near the Mount Pearl border. [[Dianne Whalen]] was the mayor of Paradise for 18 years before entering provincial politics in [[2003 Newfoundland and Labrador general election|2003]].

The town is represented in Parliament by two MPs: [[Joanne Thompson (politician)|Joanne Thompson]], who represents the district of [[St. John's East (federal electoral district)|St. John's East]], and [[Ken McDonald (politician)|Ken McDonald]], who represents the district of [[Avalon (electoral district)|Avalon]].
{{stack begin}}
{|class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:400; font-size:90%; margin-left:1em;"
|+'''Paradise federal election results'''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=rep/off/44gedata&document=bypro&lang=e |title=Official Voting Results Raw Data (poll by poll results in Paradise) |publisher=Elections Canada |access-date=5 March 2023 |archive-date=5 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305223518/https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=rep/off/44gedata&document=bypro&lang=e |url-status=live }}</ref>
! colspan="2" scope="col" | Year
! colspan="2" scope="col" | [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
! colspan="2" scope="col" | [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
! colspan="2" scope="col" | [[New Democratic Party|New Democratic]]
! colspan="2" scope="col" | [[Green Party of Canada|Green]]
|-
| rowspan="2" style="width: 0.25em; background-color: {{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}|
! [[2021 Canadian federal election|2021]]
| {{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|background}} | '''47%'''
| style="text-align:right; background:#EA6D6A;"| ''4,131''
| {{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative|background}} | 31%
| style="text-align:right; background:#6495ED;"| ''2,706''
| {{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP|background}} | 21%
| style="text-align:right; background:#F4A460;"| ''1,816''
| {{Canadian party colour|CA|Green|background}} | 0%
| style="text-align:right; background:#99C955;"| ''0''
|-
! [[2019 Canadian federal election|2019]]
| {{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|background}} | '''39%'''
| style="text-align:right; background:#EA6D6A;"| ''4,009''
| {{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative|background}} | 26%
| style="text-align:right; background:#6495ED;"| ''2,701''
| {{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP|background}} | 31%
| style="text-align:right; background:#F4A460;"| ''3,217''
| {{Canadian party colour|CA|Green|background}} | 3%
| style="text-align:right; background:#99C955;"| ''333''
|-
|}

{|class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:400; font-size:90%; margin-left:1em;"
|+'''Paradise provincial election results'''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.elections.gov.nl.ca/elections/resources/ereports.html |title=Official Voting Results by polling station (poll by poll results in St. John's) |publisher=Elections Newfoundland & Labrador |access-date=5 March 2023 |archive-date=5 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305205359/https://www.elections.gov.nl.ca/elections/resources/ereports.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
! colspan="2" scope="col" | Year
! colspan="2" scope="col" | [[Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador|Liberal]]
! colspan="2" scope="col" | [[Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador|PC]]
! colspan="2" scope="col" | [[Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party|New Democratic]]
|-
| rowspan="2" style="width: 0.25em; background-color: {{Canadian party colour|NL|PC}}|
! [[2019 Newfoundland and Labrador general election|2019]]
| {{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal|background}} | 33%
| style="text-align:right; background:#EA6D6A;"| ''2,132''
| {{Canadian party colour|NL|PC|background}} | '''59%'''
| style="text-align:right; background:#9999FF;"| ''3,817''
| {{Canadian party colour|NL|NDP|background}} | 2%
| style="text-align:right; background:#F4A460;"| ''124''
|-
! [[2015 Newfoundland and Labrador general election|2015]]
| {{Canadian party colour|NL|Liberal|background}} | 39%
| style="text-align:right; background:#EA6D6A;"| ''2,474''
| {{Canadian party colour|NL|PC|background}} | '''51%'''
| style="text-align:right; background:#9999FF;"| ''3,235''
| {{Canadian party colour|NL|NDP|background}} | 10%
| style="text-align:right; background:#F4A460;"| ''631''
|-
|}
{{stack end}}{{-}}

===2009 mayoral election controversy===
On September 29, 2009, Newfoundland and Labrador [[2009 Newfoundland and Labrador municipal elections|held municipal elections]] in its municipalities. Paradise had two people running for mayor – incumbent [[Ralph Wiseman]] and 19-year-old Kurtis Coombs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ntv.ca/municipal_elections_2009.html |title=2009 Newfoundland & Labrador Municipal Elections Results |publisher=[[CJON-TV|Newfoundland Television]] |access-date=2009-10-06 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

On September 30, it was announced that Coombs had won the election, making him the youngest mayor in Canada.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/paradise-mayor-s-race-won-by-19-year-old-1.786552 |title=Paradise mayor's race won by 19-year-old |publisher=[[CBC.ca]] |date=2009-09-30 |access-date=2014-03-08}}</ref> He had beat Wiseman by three votes, having 1,821 votes compared to Wiseman's 1,818.<ref name="CBC2">{{cite web |url=http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/cbc-article.aspx?cp-documentid=22017592 |title=Paradise, N.L., chooses mayor by draw |publisher=[[CBC.ca]] |date=2009-10-02 |access-date=2014-03-08 |via =msn news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308104519/http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/cbc-article.aspx?cp-documentid=22017592 |archive-date=2014-03-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, a recount revealed that the two were tied. Under Newfoundland and Labrador's Municipal Elections Act, a draw is used to determine the winner if a recount results in a tie. Wiseman was announced the mayor when a piece of paper with his name was drawn out of a recycle bin that contained both his name and Coombs'. Coombs planned on requesting a judicial recount and recommended that another election be held.<ref name="CBC2" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thetelegram.com/Regional/2009-10-02/article-1442510/Luck-of-the-draw/1 |title=Luck of the draw |newspaper=[[The Telegram]] |date=2009-10-02 |access-date=2014-03-08}}</ref>

On October 6, a judge ordered that the results be recounted again, which took place on October 13.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/recount-paradise-election-again-n-l-judge-1.813889 |title=Recount Paradise election again: N.L. judge |publisher=[[CBC.ca]] |date=2009-10-06 |access-date=2014-03-08}}</ref> The following day it was announced that the recount resulted in another tie. Joyce Moss, the town's chief returning officer, stated that the result from the random draw will stand, resulting in Wiseman remaining as the town's mayor.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/incumbent-sworn-in-as-paradise-mayoral-race-ends-in-another-tie/article1322578/ |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=2009-10-13 |access-date=2009-10-15 |title=Incumbent sworn in as Paradise mayoral race ends in another tie}}</ref>

== Infrastructure ==

=== Medical centres and hospitals ===
[[Eastern Health]]'s [[Tuckamore Youth Treatment Centre]] is a [[Residential treatment center#Children and teens|residential treatment centre]] located in Paradise.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-19 |title=Tuckamore Youth Treatment Centre - Mental Health and Addictions |url=https://mha.easternhealth.ca/children-and-youth/treatment-centres-for-children-and-youth/tuckamore-youth-treatment-centre/ |access-date=2024-03-13 |language=en-CA}}</ref>

==Mayors==
{{Incomplete list|date=March 2025}}
The current mayor is Dan Bobbett, first elected in 2013.<ref name=mayordan>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-15 |title=Mayor Dan Bobbett |url=https://www.paradise.ca/en/government-and-engagement/Mayor-Dan-Bobbett.aspx |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=www.paradise.ca |language=en}}</ref>
* Dianne Waleman (1986–2003)<ref name=notable>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-12 |title=Notable People |url=https://www.paradise.ca/en/parks-recreation-and-culture/notable-people.aspx |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=www.paradise.ca |language=en}}</ref>
* Fred W. Brown (2003–2005)<ref name=notable/>
* [[Ralph Wiseman]] (2005–2013)<ref name=notable/>
* Dan Bobbett (2013–present)<ref name=mayordan/>

== Notable people ==
* [[Sarah Davis (ice hockey)|Sarah Davis]], women's hockey player
* [[Carl English]], professional basketball player

==See also==
{{Portal|Canada}}
* [[List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

<br />
{{Geographic location|
North=[[Portugal Cove-St. Philip's]], [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]] |
West=[[Conception Bay South]] |
Center=Paradise |
East=[[Mount Pearl]] |
South=[[Conception Bay South]], [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]]}}

{{coord|47|32|N|52|52|W|region:CA_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki|display=title}}
{{St. John's Metropolitan Area}}
{{NLDivision1}}
{{Subdivisions of Newfoundland and Labrador|towns=yes|ICG=yes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paradise, Newfoundland And Labrador}}
[[Category:Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador]]