09/08/2026
History of street names.
Many of our town streets bear the names of people, places and events that shaped this community and contributed to its growth.
Those names include Cormack, Tilley, and Vardy to name a few.
Many streets are named in recognition of former mayors of Clarenville and Shoal Harbour such as Drover Place after Clarenville’s first mayor, Ernest Drover, Butler Crescent after Eric Butler, Shoal Harbour’s first mayor, and Sheppard Place after Lloyd Sheppard, the last mayor of Shoal Harbour before amalgamation.
Some streets recognize business leaders and other people who also made significant contributions. Coish Place is named after Bram Coish, O’Mahony Drive for Dr. Albert O’Mahony and Corwin Street for lawyer Corwin Mills.
While typically the town doesn’t use first names for designating streets, Mills Place already existed in the community so Council decided on Corwin Street to avoid confusion.
Did you know that Blackmore Avenue is named after Betty Blackmore (1935-1996), who served as town clerk for many years and was very active in the community?
Paul Tilley compiled this partial list of street name origins:
Clarenville’s street names are a map of the town’s evolution—from its beginnings as five separate logging settlements to its role as a pivotal railway and telecommunications hub.
Here is the background behind some of the most prominent street names.
Tilley’s Road: Named for the Tilley family, specifically "Scholar John" Tilley, who arrived in 1848. He was one of the first settlers of Lower Shoal Harbour and a self-taught community leader who acted as a teacher and lay reader.
Vardy’s Lane / Balsom’s Lane: These honor the original families (the Vardys, Balsoms, Pearces, and Seawards) of Dark Hole, one of the five original communities that amalgamated to form Clarenville in 1892.
Stanley Road: Commemorates the Stanley family, who were the first settlers of Red Beach.
Cormack Drive: Named after William Epps Cormack, the first European to trek across the interior of Newfoundland (1822). His journey began nearby, at the border of Clarenville/Shoal Harbour and Milton.
Balbo Drive: This is perhaps the town's most unique namesake. It honors General Italo Balbo, an Italian aviator who led a fleet of 24 seaplanes to Shoal Harbour in 1933 during a historic transatlantic flight to Chicago.
Memorial Drive: Originally part of the old Bonavista Highway, it was named to honor those who served and sacrificed in the World Wars.
Beaumont Hamel Drive: A direct reference to the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel (1916), a defining and somber moment in Newfoundland’s history during WWI.
Manitoba Drive: While it seems like a nod to the province, this name emerged during the town’s mid-century expansion when the "Western" provinces were used as a naming theme for new developments.
Bare Mountain Road: Named for the prominent peak that physically separates Clarenville from Shoal Harbour. The mountain was famously "bare" of trees for years due to historical logging and fires, though it has since seen significant regrowth.
Shipyard Road: A nod to the Clarenville Shipyard, which was vital during WWII for building the "Splinter Fleet"—ten wooden vessels commissioned by the government.
Hardwoods Road: Marks the location of the Newfoundland Hardwoods plant (originally the Colas Plant, established in 1937), which was a major employer and cornerstone of the local economy for decades.
Check out Paul’s page for more stories about our history: https://www.paultilley.ca/
