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A high school, a swimming pool, and a solution to Topsail Road congestion

Paradisers share their wish lists, concerns with consultant

By Mark Squibb\April 14, 2023

What do you think Paradise is lacking?

That’s one of the questions a consultant is posing to residents as its drafting a new strategic plan for Paradise that its hopes to present to council in September.

The Town of Paradise has held two virtual strategic planning sessions hosted by consultant Intelligent Futures, and will hold another two online sessions before holding an in-person session on April 27.

A number of councillors and a handful of members of the general public attended a session on Monday evening. A midday session on Tuesday was attended by Mayor Dan Bobbett, councillor Deborah Quilty, Paradise communications staff person Sherri Breen, and hosts Alastair Wycliffe-Jones and Helen Loghrin.

“We wanted to use our existing plan, Your Paradise Plan 2022, to move on into our new strategic plan, which is going to be a five-year plan,” explained Bobbett. “And the more people we can get involved, the better. We’re excited to be getting our new strategic plan into place, and looking forward to seeing the final product.”

Loghrin defined a strategic plan as a roadmap for making decisions over the next five years, a road map that will determine council’s priorities and how to best actualize them.

The two-hour session touched on what folks liked about Paradise (“As mayor, I like everything about Paradise,” Mayor Bobbett said cheekily) and what needs improving.

Councillor Quilty said Topsail Road congestion is one area that needs to be addressed.

“It has been a topic that’s been on the table for a number of years,” said Quilty. “We really need to be working on another way in and out of Paradise, because as we know right now, Topsail Road is so congested during the evening and morning commute. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Quilty also addressed some residents’ longstanding desire for an indoor public swimming pool.

“As a seasoned councillor of almost 30 years, I think the pool has been on the radar for all of those years,” said Quilty. “But as you can appreciate, there’s the cost to have one constructed and the maintenance and whatever comes after that as well. Certainly, there’s a fair number of residents who certainly would encourage the Town to move ahead with a pool. Right now, I don’t see it on the radar, to be honest with you, for next year or maybe even the year after. But hopefully, long after I’m retired, it will be number one priority on the Town’s radar.”

Quilty noted a pool caters to more than children and young families.

“A lot of seniors have approached me and asked about a swimming pool for the town,” said Quilty. “So, hopefully within the next five years, a pool will become a priority for the Town. We have our twin rinks, we have our ball fields. We have our splash pads, we have all of these amenities that service the town in terms of recreation, and I think a pool certainly would be considered a priority in the next number of years for sure.”

Besides the swimming pool, a high school was also high on people’s priority lists – Loghrin joked one resident she had spoken with had picked up a chant of “Pool! School!”

Some residents also wanted the plan to address the lack of public transportation and lack of a public library and public performance space, while also working to better the town’s recycling program, improve snow clearing, and diversify housing options, including construction of smaller homes, more seniors homes, and apartment buildings.

The consultants also shared a number of facts and figures relating to population, housing, business, and the general economy of Paradise in comparison with other communities and the province overall.

The facts indicate an explosive population growth of 139 percent between 2001 and 2021 – a growth that is certainly no secret, as folks have for years been touting Paradise as one of Canada’s fastest growing municipalities – and a younger than average population when compared to similar municipalities.

In 2021, 66 percent of Paradise residents lived in single detached homes while 31 percent lived in duplexes. Only three percent lived in either an apartment building, row home, or a semi-detached house.

On the business side of things, 54 percent of businesses in Paradise employ four people or less. Only 10 percent of businesses have more than 20 employees. Astonishingly, 82 percent of the work force leaves Paradise everyday to work elsewhere, meaning that only 18 percent of Paradise residents actually work in Paradise.

The next virtual session will be held on April 24 at 6 p.m.

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