How Pasadena — in N.L., not California — is bucking small town trends
Population has grown by 13 per cent between the past two census years
Nestled between the mountains and the nearby hubs of Corner Brook and Deer Lake, Pasadena is barely visible from the highway and easy to miss if you don't know it's there.
But if you find the western Newfoundland town you'll discover that it's a beehive of activity.
Not to be confused with the better known city in California, Pasadena, Newfoundland and Labrador is home to a little more than 3,600 people, according to the 2016 census.
In recent years, that population count has been increasing. Births in the area are up, from 28 births in 2007 to 42 in 2017. The local school recently had to build on an addition to accommodate all-day kindergarten, and for the first time this year they'll be adding a third kindergarten class.
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But the town is also popular with older residents, who keep its seniors' centre so busy that its waiting list is half the size of its capacity.
The end result of this widespread generational popularity is that unlike many communities in western Newfoundland, Pasadena is growing — by 13 per cent between the 2006 and 2016 census years.
'It's very family friendly'
Some of that growth comes from new arrivals. Two-time mayor Gary Bishop is a real estate agent, a job that helps him keep his finger on the pulse of who is moving in and out of town. Based on recent developments, he says things are trending in more than out.
"Over the last ten to 12 years, we've averaged 20-plus new builds each year," he said.
"So far this year we're up to seven or eight, and it's really only the beginning of the season."
Jacenta Hudson is a nurse and the mother of three girls, all under age five. Like many young families in Pasadena, neither she nor her husband are originally from the area. But after moving there in 2011 to be close to a job opportunity, it didn't take long for the town to feel like home.
We feel like living here is the best of all worlds.- Jacenta Hudson
"We feel like living here is the best of all worlds. My children have good schools to attend, we're flat, we've got the beach around us, we're more inland — weather tends to be just a little better here in Pasadena," she said.
"Families know that when they come to Pasadena it's very family friendly, and you can tell that by just driving through the streets."
On such a drive you would come across no less than three new subdivisions with large family homes, with prices starting at $290,000. On a warm, sunny day in Pasadena you'll see more children biking than cars on the road. The baseball field is full of kids doing sprints and learning how to field a ground ball, proudly sporting the beloved "Pasadena Pirates" logo.
Hudson also sits on the board of the Pasadena Tree House Family Resource Centre, a non-profit community-based organization that offers various services and programming to young families.
The centre recently had to move to a larger space just to keep up with demand, with 63 additional families added in the past year and 230 children younger than six through the doors in that time.
"It speaks volumes that people in Pasadena are involved and we go the one step further from getting to know your neighbour, we get involved in the community, and you'll see that in any community gathering," Hudson said.
Vibrant seniors' social scene
This old fashioned sense of community seems to be a major draw for the area — one that extends beyond the town's younger residents.
The Humber Valley Senior Citizens' Club is another popular spot and currently at capacity, with 180 members and a 60-member waiting list. If you walk in on a Wednesday afternoon you'll find tables of seniors playing a friendly — but competitive — game of bridge or rummoli as they enjoy snacks in the cool, air-conditioned building.
"Most of the seniors I know moved here for work, raised their children and stayed," said Brian Wyeth, club vice-president. He originally moved to St. John's from London, England before moving to Pasadena for a job opportunity.
In addition to the club, Wyeth said he thinks many seniors are drawn to the area because it's easy to lead a healthy, active lifestyle here.
"We do have really good ski trails. It's a perfect place for walking or biking because it's flat. There's just everything you want here on a day-to-day basis. Anything above that you have to go to Corner Brook, but that's just a short distance away."
And it's true. Pasadena has a grocery store, a medical centre, a gas station, a building supply store, hair salons and a few restaurants. If you didn't want to leave, you could go some time before you had to.
Building an attractive community
Some of that is by design. Bishop attributes much of the town's success to knowing how to play up its strengths. What they're lacking in size and shopping, they more than make up for in natural beauty, recreation opportunities and overall quality of life.
The town prides itself on the pristine condition of its baseball and soccer fields. It's also equipped with tennis courts, a skate park, a dog park and what Bishop says is the nicest beach in western Newfoundland.
Pasadena Place, a $10-million facility, opened in 2016 equipped with a fitness centre, a large gymnasium, a rock climbing wall, three multipurpose rooms, a community kitchen and an outdoor stage for concerts.
There's just everything you want here on a day-to-day basis.- Brian Wyeth
The council has asked itself what would make Pasadena attractive to young families, Bishop said, and acted accordingly.
"What we've tried to do is create good recreational facilities, but not just the usual things. We've gone into developing our trail system because we feel the young families now are more into hiking, biking, that sort of thing."
He wouldn't share details, but Bishop said the town has also recently received "several" inquires on commercial developments. He would also like to see someone open up some sort of accommodations in the area — say, something that could host a conference.
Quality over convenience
As for the future of the town, Bishop said he'd like to see more commercial businesses move into the area, creating jobs that would help at least some people cut back on highway commutes.
With a limited number of jobs in town, many of Pasadena's younger residents work elsewhere. The nearest city, Corner Brook, is a about a 30-kilometre drive down a stretch of highway running along the Humber River.
The commute is a small trade off, according to Bishop.
"If you're living in downtown Toronto they'd love that — only a 15 or 20 minute drive to work," he said with a laugh.
Unlike Canada's largest city, Pasadena has no hotels, no shopping malls and no movie theatres. But the according to Bishop, the people living there are on to something.
"People want to be able to be alive and breathe the fresh air. You haven't got all that smog around you. When you come here — it's just fresh," he said.
"You can come here and just sit back on your deck and say 'life's great' ... and that's what we're trying to sell to people."