Clarke’s Beach by-election attracts candidates with the political bug

By Olivia Bradbury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A business studies student with a keen interest in politics and a volunteer firefighter with political experience of his own are among the candidates vying for a seat on Clarke’s Beach council.

The by-election to fill the hole on council will take place April 14. It follows the passing of Deputy Mayor June Anne Batten in January, and her replacement as deputy mayor by councillor Stephen Dawe.

At the close of nominations March 17, three candidates had put their names forward: Keegan Healey, Dion Hynes, and Jamie Morgan.

Healey is 19 years old, and has lived in Clarke’s Beach his whole life. He is studying business at the College of the North Atlantic, and has worked at the local Tim Horton’s for four and a half years. He cited his work ethic as a reason residents should consider him for council.

“As soon as I entered high school, let me tell you, I was looking for a job. I wanted to go to work. Now, I’m looking to go to work for the community of Clarke’s Beach,” Healey said.

Healey did some volunteer work in his district during last fall’s provincial election, but this is his first time running for a form of government. He got him interested in politics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Quite like everybody else, I wanted to know what was going on in the world, and to figure that out, you had to listen to the ministers, the premier and the prime minister,” Healey said. “So ever since then that interest has certainly stuck with me.”

Healey said he tries to attend Question Period at the House of Assembly at least once a week. “It’s very interesting that, free of charge, you get to watch decisions get made in the House that could potentially change Newfoundland and Labrador forever,” he said.

When the by-election was called, Healey said, he felt it was his chance to give back to his community and serve the people of Clarke’s Beach.

“Emphasis on the ‘serve’ part because I find that some politicians, when they actually get elected, they’re just solely focused on governing and they forget that they have to serve the people, because at the end of the day it’s the people that are the bosses and they make the decisions of who’s in power and who’s not,” he said.

Healey said many residents he has spoken with are concerned about speeding and would like to see a speed bump or two installed on Main Street. Residents are also concerned about speeding on Otterbury Road, which falls under the Department of Transportation. Healey said he would help council lobby the Province to take action.

Raised in Otterbury, candidate Dion Hynes is also a Clarke’s Beach native. He lived in St. John’s for a period of time, but returned to his hometown as he felt it was a better place to raise his children. He has been a member of the Bay de Grave Regional Fire Department since 2019.

Hynes was a rotational construction worker for many years, but now works from home for the Newfoundland office of an insurance company that serves unionized workers.

“We’re there to make sure the union members are protected and I love the gig,” said Hynes. “For me it’s about protecting families so it all translates to what I’m all about — I do that for work, with the fire department, and I’d like to do it on this (council) level as well, if they’ll have me.”

Hynes said he has always had an interest in politics. He participated in the student council when he was in school, and ran for provincial office in 2021 and 2025.

“I really like to give back to the community however I can,” he said. “That’s why I’m on the fire department.”.

Hynes said he sees a lot of cooperation between fire departments in the region, and would like to see similar cooperation between town councils.

“I’d like to see that kind of translate over to the whole day-to-day running of the whole area,” he said.

Hynes said communities could share resources and services, and work together to make the whole area nicer.

This is Hynes’ first time running for council. Asked to name his priorities if elected, Hynes returned to the idea of regionalized services, citing snow-clearing and garbage collection. Regionalizing those services between the cluster of communities in the area could create jobs for locals rather than having to outsource them, he said.

“Everything I’m involved in I give my heart and soul to, so it would be the same approach for this,” Hynes said when asked why people should vote for him. Hynes said his job gives him a lot of freedom and flexibility to be available for council work.

The Shoreline made several attempts to reach candidate Jamie Morgan for an interview, but he did not return requests for an interview.

Clarke’s Beach candidate Dion Hynes

Clarke’s Beach candidate Keegan Healey