The Our Town - Clarenville Blog by Paul Tilley

R alph Lethbridge is not your typical 71 year old  Entrepreneur, Husband, Dad and Grandfather.   He's what we call in Newfoundland & Labrador - a "Character".   He is Boonie. Boonie Lethbridge is one of those characters that you will find throughout small town Canada.   Boonie (as he is affectionately known) has been the go-to person to buy real, local Christmas trees in the Clarenville area since 1984.   EVERYONE knows him and kids in particular love him because he bears a striking resemblance to Santa!! That's not the only resemblance - his heart is as big as Santa's too!   His trade-mark white beard is the reason, and very few people remember seeing him without it.  Over the past few years several prominent citizens of Clarenville have died from ALS, including Corwin Mills,  Dolores Balsom &  Pat Cole . T his fall after the death of Mr. Mill's,  Dolores' husband Alex and Boonie were chatting.  Boonie suggeste...

Clarenville's Budget 2016 In her first budget as Chair of Finance, Deputy Mayor Ashling Avery presented Council’s 2016 planned revenues and planned spending for the Town of Clarenville for the 2016 year ahead.  The preparation of the 2016 budget was challenging.   Council has committed to significant renewal – new skilled staff as many long-time town employees retire, upgraded infrastructure to meet the needs of a modern growing town, and stronger commitment to community development to foster livability, growth and sustainability. At the same time, these commitments are met with significant challenges. The 2016 budget is a well-considered balance between the Town’s needs and the ability of taxpayers to pay.  THE BUDGET The budget was presented in light of the fact that growth has slowed and natural revenue growth has not been able to keep up with the demands of operating the town.  The balanced budget laid out plans for the projected collectio...

Finance Minister Wiseman summed up the Province's 2015 Budget reality succinctly: “We are in a very different spot”.  In a period in which oil is less than half the value than it was a year earlier, “different spot” is may be a bit of an understatement.  Things have changed a lot in a year and the minister and the government is facing some serious challenges.  Minister Wiseman talk to the Clarenville Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening focused exclusively on how and why the government is planning to deal with the downturn – while trying to have a minimal impact on the economy.   In his address he covered the following topics – each of which spoke to the basic principles government has looked at in its crafting the budget: ·                   A Culture of Cost Management     A Refocus our Health System           A Refocus of the College of the North At...