Pasadena, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Pasadena is an incorporated town located in census division 5 which is in the western portion of Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 and it is a picturesque community on the shores of Deer Lake
Deer Lake
-Canada:*Deer Lake *Deer Lake , a large lake in western Newfoundland** Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador, a town located on Deer Lake** Deer Lake Regional Airport, an airport located in the town of Deer Lake*Deer Lake, Ontario...

 at the junction of the North Arm Valley and the Humber Valley
Humber Valley
The Humber Valley is a region in the western part of the island of Newfoundland. The Humber Valley is formed by the Humber River.The upper part of the valley follows the Upper Humber River and contains the communities of Reidville and Cormack.After the river discharges into Deer Lake, the valley...

.

The town was named after Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...

. The meaning of the name is sometimes claimed to be "crown of the valley". The Town of Pasadena claims the name is Spanish for "crown of the valley". However, the name, first applied to the city in California, is a corruption of an Ojibwe phrase meaning "valley" or "of the valley". The founders of Pasadena, California, claimed it was Ojibwe for "crown of the valley" or "key of the valley" when in fact it only meant, roughly "of the valley".

History

The Town of Pasadena formerly consisted of three separate communities: South Brook, Pasadena and Midland.

South Brook

South Brook was located on the sandy shore of Deer Lake
Deer Lake
-Canada:*Deer Lake *Deer Lake , a large lake in western Newfoundland** Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador, a town located on Deer Lake** Deer Lake Regional Airport, an airport located in the town of Deer Lake*Deer Lake, Ontario...

. It evolved much earlier than Pasadena, starting out in the early 1920s as a logging camp for the Bowater
Bowater
Bowater was an American pulp and paper company based in Greenville, South Carolina. Bowater had 12 pulp and paper mills in the United States, Canada and South Korea and 13 North American sawmills. It had approximately 10,000 employees...

 Company from Corner Brook. The railway also used South Brook, but only as a stop along its route across the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

. In 1921, the census showed that South Brook only had a population of 6 people, within 2 families.

However, South Brook soon became a hive of activity, when the Bowaters Company started up its woods operations. It established a bunkhouse
Bunkhouse
A bunkhouse is a hostel or barracks-like building that historically was used to house working cowboys on ranches in North America. As most cowboys were young single men, the standard bunkhouse was a large open room with narrow beds or cots for each individual and little privacy...

, cook-house and a company store to supply the needs of the areas wood camps. These camps would employ as many as 100 loggers during the winter months. Logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...

 was the main industry in South Brook, but it also had a good supply of rock, which was suitable for the building of the power house in Deer Lake, so a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...

 was set up and the rock was shipped to Deer Lake by train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...

.

Homes began to spring up in South Brook as the men coming to work in the wood camps brought their families with them. With women and children living there, schools, medical aid, and recreation facilities were needed. church services were held in people’s houses at first, but later, all religions used the school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

 as their church.

Pasadena

The second piece of the puzzle begins in St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...

. In 1923, Leonard Earle, a business man in St. John’s, who had a small 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) farm on the outskirts of the city, heard about some suitable farm land on the West Coast in the Humber Valley area. Wanting to get into farming full time, he decided to visit the area and attempt to purchase some land. He discussed the acquisition of the land with the paper company officials, but the talks foundered when it was discovered that the company did not own the land. Thus, Earle was forced to return to his small farm in the city.

Ten years later, in 1933, Earle was informed that a 2500 acres (10.1 km²) block of land, the same land that he had been interested in years earlier, was for sale. Seizing the opportunity, he sold his St. John’s farm and immediately purchased the farmland in the Humber Valley. In the summer of 1933, he hired a group of men from Corner Brook to build a house, and with the help of some men that came with him, he cleared the land by hand and capstan. They built bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

s and barns and planted vegetables. The flat fertile land and the temperate climate provided ideal conditions for growing such crops as potatoes and carrots. Earle decided to call this beautiful part of the Humber Valley, Pasadena, in honour of his wife, who had once lived in Pasadena, California, and also in honour of their marriage, as that is where they were married. The name Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...

 is derived from an Ojibwa (or Chippewa) word meaning "valley", "valley town", "key of the big valley", or "crown of the valley", depending on which expert you ask.

The Earles may have been the first family to settle in Pasadena, but it wasn’t long before others became interested in the little community. The first winter, the Earles were joined by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ryan. Later that same year, three section men with the Newfoundland Railway, Ned Carter, Jim Carter, and Douglas Tapp were transferred to the area. It was these five families that formed the nucleus of what was to become the Community of Pasadena.

Midland

The third and final piece of the puzzle
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...

, the community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...

 of Midland, evolved in 1936 as part of a government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...

 relocation program. Due to a severe decline in the inshore fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...

 around the Avalon Peninsula
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland.The peninsula is home to 257,223 people, which is approximately 51% of Newfoundland's population in 2009, and is the location of the provincial capital, St. John's. It is connected to the...

, many families were starving and the government of Commission began to look for some other means of livelihood for them.

It was on the picturesque, forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

-covered, level land, next door to Pasadena, that the government land settlement began. It was named Midland because of its position - halfway between Deer Lake and Corner Brook. Potential settlers for this community came from outlying areas of the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

 deeply affected by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

. The 25 men involved in the resettlement program came from Argentia
Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador
Argentia is a community on the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on a flat headland located along the southwest coast of the Avalon Peninsula on Placentia Bay...

, Red Island, Lamaline, Burin
Burin, Newfoundland and Labrador
Burin is a town on the Burin Peninsula in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Burin Peninsula is often affectionately nicknamed "The Boot" due to its resemblance to the footwear when seen on a map, with the town of Burin located near the "heel". Burin is approximately 318 km...

, Bell Island
Bell Island
Bell Island is a Canadian island located off Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula in Conception Bay.Measuring 9 km in length and 3 km in width, Bell Island has an area of 34 km²...

, and Clarke’s Beach.
In June 1936, the men came to Midland. With just one tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...

, supplied by the government, they started clearing the land, in preparation for their families to join them. The men cleared two 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) fields and used them as a community farm until their own individual land was ready. All vegetables grown were taken to the government store to be sold and any profits were shared among the men.

In September 1936, all 25 homes were ready for occupancy. The homes were very simple. There was no electricity or running water and all the bathroom
Bathroom
A bathroom is a room for bathing in containing a bathtub and/or a shower and optionally a toilet, a sink/hand basin/wash basin and possibly also a bidet....

s were located about thirty feet back in the woods. All homes were built and painted alike, and therefore it was difficult to tell one home from another.

Finally that day in September arrived when the men settlers from Midland went to the railway in Pasadena to meet their excited families. To transport their families and their few belongings from the station, a platform with seats was built on a horse-drawn cart.

Over the years, roads were improved and more land was cleared, but the farms never materialized. Each settler had been given 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) of land but they only cleared enough land to meet their immediate requirements. It wasn’t long before many of the men were seeking employment elsewhere, such as the American base: Ernest Harmon Air Force Base
Ernest Harmon Air Force Base
Ernest Harmon Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. The base was built by the United States Army Air Forces in 1941 under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement with the United Kingdom....

 in Stephenville and with the Pulp and Paper Industry in Corner Brook. Several of the original settlers even returned to their home towns, preferring the uncertainty of fishing to the drudgery of farming.

Joining together

Being in such close proximity to each other, it was inevitable that Pasadena and Midland would eventually become one. They were incorporated in 1955, adopting the name of The Community of Pasadena-Midland. The first Community Council of Pasadena-Midland consisted of Charles Bonnell, Chairman; Nelson Bennett, Secretary; and Allan French, Councillor.

Very little growth took place in the Community of Pasadena-Midland until 1969 when the community status gave way to town status, and was named the Town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 of Pasadena. The first mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 was Gordon Clarke.

The town experienced rapid growth after receiving its town status. In 1971, the population of Pasadena was 891, but by 1985, it had risen to more than 3,200. In 1985, after much persistence from the town council, the whole town was serviced with municipal water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...

 and sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...

, all main street
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...

s were paved, and a Town Plan and Development Regulations were in place to ensure the orderly growth and development of the town.

It was about this time that the Department of Municipal Affairs in St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...

 began to see the possibilities of another merger, this time between the Town of Pasadena and its much smaller neighbor to the west, the Community of South Brook. South Brook had not received nearly as much attention as Pasadena, and could benefit greatly if merged with Pasadena. In 1985, negotiations between the two Councils and the Department of Municipal Affairs for the amalgamation of the Town of Pasadena and the Community of South Brook began.

After much debate between both communities, a satisfactory consensus was reached, and on January 1, 1986, the Community of South Brook was amalgamated with the Town of Pasadena. Once again, the town had become a hive of activity. A new town plan had to be drawn up to incorporate the increased municipal boundaries
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...

, a new Comprehensive Development Plan was also prepared to ensure proper linkage of existing municipal services and pre-planned future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...

 expansion. As a result of the continued growth and the addition of the smaller neighboring community, the projections for the future are showing a continuing steady growth in all sections.

As a town, Pasadena is proud of its growth and the high standards of service and quality of life it provides. It prides itself in being one of the best laid out towns in the province, and looks forward with confidence to the future. It is Pasadena, South Brook, and Midland that make Pasadena a complete town and the “Crown” of the beautiful Humber Valley.

Culture

Demographics
  Population in 2006     3,180  
  Population change from 2001     1.5%  
  Median age     39.5  
  Number of families     985  
  Number of married couples     795  
  Total number of dwellings     1,258  
  Catholic     28.2%  
  Protestant     69.9%  
  Land Area (km²)     49.16  

Statistics Canada detail demographics follow link here

Tourist attractions

  • The Humber Valley Resort
  • Marble Mountain Ski Resort
  • Pasadena Beach
  • Pasadena Ski and Nature Park

2009 Election


Pasadena Council 2009







MayorGary Bishop
Deputy MayorGemma Walsh
CouncilorDerrick Anthony
CouncilorSharon Evans
CouncilorOtto Goulding
CouncilorBarry Walsh
CouncilorTom Wheaton


2005 Election


Pasadena Council 2005







MayorBob Mercer
Bob Mercer (politician)
Bob Mercer was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Humber East in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1996 to 2003. He was a member of the Liberals....

Deputy MayorGary Bishop
CouncilorDoug Beattie
CouncilorNathan Lehr
CouncilorLester Sparkes
CouncilorMac Turner
CouncilorTom Wheaton



2003 Election


Pasadena Council 2003







MayorBrian Pike
Deputy MayorGary Bishop
CouncilorD. Anthony
CouncilorJ. Hutchings
CouncilorN. Lehr
CouncilorM. Turner
CouncilorT. Wheaton


2002 Election


Pasadena Council 2002







MayorBrian Pike
Deputy MayorF.R. Hutchings
CouncilorD. Anthony
CouncilorG. Bishop
CouncilorJ. Hutchings
CouncilorM. Turner
CouncilorT. Wheaton


2001 Election


Pasadena Council 2001







MayorBrian Pike
Deputy MayorF.R. Hutchings
CouncilorD. Anthony
CouncilorJ.Hutchings
CouncilorP. McBreairty
CouncilorM. Turner
CouncilorT. Wheaton


1999 Election


Pasadena Council 1999







MayorDerek Simmons
Deputy MayorG. Bishop
CouncilorP. McBreairty
CouncilorC. Taylor
CouncilorM. Osmond
CouncilorB. Pike
CouncilorM. Turner


1997 Election


Pasadena Council 1997







MayorDerek Simmons
Deputy MayorG. Bishop
CouncilorP. McBreairty
CouncilorC. Noseworthy
CouncilorM. Osmond
CouncilorB. Pike
CouncilorM. Turner



1996 Election


Pasadena Council 1996







MayorDavid Osmond
Deputy MayorD. Simmons
CouncilorD. Beattie
CouncilorI. Downton
CouncilorD. Langdon
CouncilorJ. Noseworthy
CouncilorM. Turner




1993 Election


Pasadena Council 1993







MayorBob Mercer
Bob Mercer (politician)
Bob Mercer was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Humber East in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1996 to 2003. He was a member of the Liberals....

Deputy MayorD. Osmond
CouncilorE. Ryan
CouncilorD. Langdon
CouncilorD. Simmons
CouncilorJ. Noseworthy
CouncilorI. Downton


1989 Election


Pasadena Council 1989








MayorFrank Bonnell
Deputy MayorD. Langdon
CouncilorE. Ryan
CouncilorL. Taylor
CouncilorJ. Cheeseman
CouncilorD. Simmons
CouncilorJ. Noseworthy


1985 Election


Pasadena Council 1985








MayorFrank Bonnell
Deputy MayorL. Janes
CouncilorH. Camp
CouncilorD. Langdon
CouncilorW. Martin
CouncilorJ. Cheeseman
CouncilorD. Simmons
CouncilorM. Ryan


1981 Election


Pasadena Council 1981







MayorB. Pardy
Deputy MayorF. Bonnell
CouncilorD. Langdon
CouncilorD. Walsh
CouncilorN. Gillard
CouncilorW. Martin
CouncilorH. Butt


1977 Election


Pasadena Council 1977







MayorB. Pardy
Deputy MayorP. Cruikshark
CouncilorD. Langdon
CouncilorE. Norman
CouncilorM. Turner
CouncilorW. Chaulk
CouncilorM. Rice


1973 Election


Pasadena Council 1973







MayorN. Bennett
Deputy MayorR. Pike
CouncilorJ. Loughlin
CouncilorF. Moores
CouncilorC. French
CouncilorB. Pardy
CouncilorM. Rice


1969 Election


Pasadena Council 1969







MayorC, Clarke
Deputy MayorJ.J. Smith
CouncilorH. Wight
CouncilorH. Rowe
CouncilorC. Bonnell
CouncilorA. Stentaford
CouncilorR. Pike


**1969 Election**


Pre-Incorporation July 1969





ChairpersonC, Clarke
MemberS. Goodyear
MemberW. Power
MemberH. Wight
MemberF. Ledrew


  • All time before this was Pre-Incorporation of the Town of Pasadena

1967 Election


Pre-Incorporation 1967






ChairpersonG. Clarke
Vice ChairH. Wight
SecretaryJ. French
MemberW. Power
MemberH. Yetman
MemberS. Goodyear


1965 Election


Pre-Incorporation 1965






ChairpersonN. Bennett
SecretaryE.J. French
MemberC. Bonnell
MemberH. Rowe
MemberR. Pike
MemberH. Wight


1965 Election


Pre-Incorporation 1965






ChairpersonN. Bennett
SecretaryH. Taylor
MemberC. Bonnell
MemberJ. Crocker
MemberR. Pike
MemberH. Wight


1964 Election


Pre-Incorporation 1964





ChairpersonC. Bonnell
Vice ChairH. Wight
SecretaryH.T. Butt
Building InspectorJ.J. Smith
MemberS. Bonia


1960 Election


Pre-Incorporation 1960





ChairpersonC. Bonnell
Vice ChairN. Bennett
SecretaryH.T. Butt
Building InspectorJ.J. Smith
Fire ChiefR. Pike


1958 Election


Pre-Incorporation 1958





ChairpersonC. Bonnell
SecretaryH.T. Butt
MemberN. Bennett
Building InspectorL. Martin
Fire ChiefS. Bonia


See also


External links

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