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Regional Overview |
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The Clarenville-Bonavista Rural Secretariat region includes the Bonavista Peninsula, Clarenville area and the Isthmus - extending from the tip of the Bonavista Peninsula to Terra Nova, Swift Current and Long Harbour. Deep rooted in John Cabot's discovery of this province in 1497, the region has a long history in diversification of people, culture, and economic activity.
The Bonavista-Clarenville Rural Secretariat Region is a pre-eminent rural area in the province comprised of coastal communities, villages and scenic attractions. It is a well- established rural region and has achieved a diversified, strong regional economy balanced with an increasing commitment to environmental stewardship. Communities throughout the region are beginning to work collaboratively together as a population and there is an increased focus on a healthy, active lifestyle committed to protecting and promoting its cultural heritage.
In 2001, the region had approximately 29,950, or 6.2% of the total provincial population, living in 109 communities. The largest community is Clarenville, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006 and there are three other communities or community clusters with over 1000 population – Arnold’s Cove, Bonavista and Trinity Bay North. There were approximately 105 other towns with less than one thousand residents and these small communities constituted 44% of the region’s population.
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As the main service centre for the entire region, Clarenville is the site of major government services, a hospital, post secondary schools, as well as, large retail and professional services. The region has three successful golf courses at Port Blandford, Princeton and Hatchet Cove. Additionally, the White Hills Ski Resort near Clarenville provides for winter tourism activities and attracts visitors from around the province and throughout the rest of Canada and the United States every year.
Following an open nomination process, a Regional Council was established consisting of 14 individuals within the region with varying backgrounds and interests from larger and smaller communities throughout the region. The Regional Council has a Chairperson, Ms. Violet Parsons who resides in Musgravetown and a Vice-chairperson, Mr. Leo Bonnell of Clarenville.
The Council has met at least 5 times since it’s been established in August 2005. The Council is supported by a Regional Partnership Planner, Colin Holloway, and the regional office is co-located within the Bonavista campus of the College of the North Atlantic.
The Clarenville-Bonavista region is bound by coastal waterways given its deep roots in the fishing industry. The region has also benefited from a number of major employers in the oil & gas sector; agricultural industries and the forestry sector: Similarly, the possibility of a second oil refinery at the base of Placentia Bay and the potential of a new Liquefied Natural Gas Facility located in the same sub-region will have implications for long-term employment of the entire region and the province.
The region contains many sites of great importance to the history & culture of Newfoundland and Labrador, including the Ryan Premises National Historic Site and The Matthew Legacy in Bonavista; the Sir William Coaker Historic District in Port Union; the Rising Tide Theatre, Historical Community of Trinity & Random Passage Film Set in Trinity Bight and the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse.
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Council
