Paradise, Newfoundland Labrador, is a charming town nestled on the Avalon Peninsula. As the third-largest settlement in the province, it forms part of the St. John's metropolitan area, the 20th largest in Canada. Paradise shares its borders with the City of St. John's, the City of Mount Pearl, the Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, and the town of Conception Bay South. As of the 2021 Census, Paradise boasts a population of 22,957, marking a 7.3% increase from its 2016 population of 21,389.
Paradise, Newfoundland Labrador, is underlain by Precambrian bedrock, with a belt of volcanic rock along the coast and clastic sedimentary rock inland. The soil is predominantly a stony loam podzol, mapped as the Cochrane series. Peat is common in poorly drained areas, adding to the town's unique geographical features.
Paradise, Newfoundland Labrador, has been inhabited since the late nineteenth century, primarily as farmland. However, its growth as a "bedroom community" of nearby St. John's only took off in the 1830s and 1870s. The town's growth accelerated in the early 1990s when it was amalgamated with the Town of St. Thomas and other developed areas previously administered by the Southern Metropolitan Board. These areas include Three Island Pond, Topsail Pond, Elizabeth Park, and Evergreen Village.
From 1896 to 1915, the Octagon Castle, a four-storey, eight-sided hotel resort, operated in Paradise, Newfoundland Labrador. Despite being destroyed by fire in 1915, its legacy lives on in the nearby Octagon Pond. In 2022, a blue sculptural artwork inspired by the Octagon Castle was installed at the centre of a Paradise roundabout, paying homage to the town's history.
The town crest of Paradise, Newfoundland Labrador, was created in 1986 by a former town council member and one-time mayor, "Black" Arch Janes. The crest is a rich tapestry of symbols representing the town's history and culture. The caribou at the top is the provincial animal of Newfoundland. The two bulldogs holding up the crest represent Britain's Royal Navy, acknowledging Newfoundland's past as a British protectorate. The cross symbolizes the Christian religion, the foundation of Newfoundland's laws. The gear and electric bolt signify the community's industry, while the tree and sled filled with wood represent the town's name and past industry, respectively.
The War Memorial, located at the town hall of Paradise, Newfoundland Labrador, is another creation of Arch Janes. Designed before his death in 1987, it stands as a poignant reminder of the town's past and the sacrifices made by its residents.
