Slade hoping to encourage next wave of leaders

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After 24 years in politics, there’s not much Carbonear Mayor Sam Slade hasn’t seen. But far from growing jaded, the fisherman and politician remains optimistic about his town’s future, as well as pragmatic.

Slade shared his thoughts on the year just ending and the 12 months ahead in a recent interview with The Shoreline. Perhaps not surprisingly, Slade cited the North Shore fire —officially referred to as the Kingston fire — as the biggest issue Carbonear faced in 2025.

“That took a lot of activity from the Town to get ready to implement our fire safety plan and stuff like that, so that was probably the worst thing,” he said.

During the wildfire, Carbonear Academy served as an evacuation centre for evacuees from North Shore communities.

“The brightest spot is the tourism industry in the town of Carbonear,” Slade said. “Of course, our big thing right now that we’re trying to do, is finish off downtown Water Street. That’s important to the town, and so we’re looking forward to that going ahead next spring for the third and final phase.”

The project will include water and sewer replacement from Route 66 to Church Street, as well as paving, sidewalk repair, and lamppost installations. Slade noted that’s not the only infrastructure work on the agenda. “While the downtown part of it was taking place, there was also roads to be done, bridges to be built and stuff like that,” he said. “There’s always that kind of thing there. There’s always something.”

Slade said the transition from deputy mayor to mayor wasn’t too difficult as he has held the position before, but agreed the mayoral role requires more of him. Slade was acclaimed to the position this past October. The last time he served as mayor, he made time every Wednesday afternoon at the Town Hall to be available for residents who wanted to talk with him. He has adopted this schedule once again. “I think it’s important that people are able to sit down with the mayor if they’ve got concerns,” said Slade.

Regarding what he would like to see prioritized for the town next year, Slade has a simple answer. “Everything in the town is a priority,” he said.

Among the priorities is making sure Carbonear gets its share of federal and provincial government funding for cost-shared projects important to the Town.

“And it depends on what the Province agrees to or disagrees with, so you never know really until the very end of it what projects you’re going to get and where you’re going to move forward,” Slade said, noting the past year was the first year in a long time that Carbonear did not receive any funding for capital works from the Province.

Also among the priorities for Slade is recreation. He said it’s a big focus for the town. Council will look at the feasibility of a splash pad for children, he indicated, and ways to make like easier for seniors. “They’re the people who brought us where we’re to today,” he said.

Slade noted Carbonear has seen a lot of immigration lately and commended the Town’s economic development officer, Kerri Abbott, for how she connects with residents old and new. “The job she does, she’s out there and she touches everybody’s lives in town in some way, shape, or form,” said the mayor.

Meanwhile, though he has been a staple of Carbonear politics, both municipally and provincially, for a quarter century, Slade believes this term on council may be his last. Once it is finished, he will have devoted 30 years of his life to public service. And so, if there is one thing in particular that he hopes to accomplish this term, it’s to encourage more young people to take on the role.

“If I could see making some headway on that part of it, then I’ve done a great lot to enhance that,” he said. “I’d be so happy with that because that’s what it’s going to come down to. They’re the leaders of tomorrow.”