Doyle says return to politics a definite possibility

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Danielle Doyle served as a town councillor in Carbonear for two consecutive terms, stepping away late in her second term to run in the 2025 provincial election. As the Liberal candidate for the Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde district, Doyle ran against PC candidate Riley Balsom. While the election ended in a victory for Balsom, Doyle said she benefited from the experience and is not ruling out a return to politics.

Doyle said her upbringing had a lot to do with her decision to run for municipal council. As a child she was involved in community programs, and saw her parents volunteer a lot in the town. “It was kind of just a natural fit for me that, when my daughter was a bit older and I had some extra time, that I would find more ways to try to be involved and try to give back,” she said. 

That led her to municipal politics, said Doyle, which opened doors to other volunteer opportunities. Running provincially this past fall was a natural extension of that, she said.

“I like regional approaches to things, so it seemed like a natural progression that I would try it,” Doyle said. 

Doyle added her unique experience in education, most recently as a special education teacher at Carbonear Collegiate, would have been an asset had she won.

“I really liked knocking on doors, I really like going to events and getting to know people,” said Doyle. “I’m still following up with some of those people who reached out to me, and they needed help with this or they needed help with that. I’m still helping them in whatever capacity I can help them.” 

Doyle said the campaign allowed her to see all parts of the district, and to meet or get reacquainted with people throughout it. She expressed gratitude to everyone who helped with her campaign.

It was a unique year for Doyle. While the wildfires were happening, she was heavily involved at the evacuation centre for people displaced from their homes on the North Shore. Following this, she went straight into the provincial election campaign. After the campaign, Doyle took some downtime to do things she had not been able to do due to her busy schedule; she cleaned her house, gardened, walked the dog, and so on. She also returned to her job at Carbonear Collegiate, from which she had taken a leave of absence in order to run for government. Doyle said she is getting back into the volunteering scene, as well and readjusting to the position of a community advocate.

Doyle isn’t ruling out a return to politics, municipal or provincial.

“I’m certainly going to keep all avenues open,” she said, noting she is still in touch with the Liberal party, and is keeping herself informed of the news, from local to global. 

“I will let people know that I am available,” Doyle said. “That, if there’s an issue or a situation or a cause where you need some help in organizing your thoughts or setting out a plan to see how you can approach particular situations, that I have a great deal of experience in some of these matters and I’m available to help with any of those things, and happy to do so. I love being involved not only with my community, but with the region and its people.”