Ryerson Park in Owen Sound had its namebar removed in 2021. (photo by Nathan Shubert/Bayshore Broadcasting News)
An Owen Sound city committee eliminated a couple of suggestions brought forward in the renaming process of Ryerson Park.
Six potential options for the new park name had been brought forward, and that list was narrowed to four during a community services committee meeting on Feb. 18.
Those four potential names are Eighth Street Park, Boyd Street Park, Old School Park and Ningaawendam Miikana — Friendship Land in Anishinaabe — Park.
Committee passed a recommendation to have staff undertake public engagement regarding the four potential park names. City council still needs to formally approve it.
The two ideas eliminated from the renaming process were W. Douglas Park and Ovid Jackson Park.
Douglas was the first principal of the former Ryerson School, which was what the public park playground was named for. While Jackson is a former city mayor and was a Liberal MP for then the riding of Bruce-Grey from 1993-2004.
Owen Sound’s Director of Community Services Pam Coulter told committee members the suggestion to remove the two individual names came because of council’s direction for the new park name to have a locational reference.
Last month, Owen Sound council signed off on moving ahead with a formal name change for Ryerson Park, which is located at the bottom of the 8th Street East hill. The resolution also included direction to staff to prioritize a new park name with a “locational reference.”
It’s possible more names for the park aside from the four brought to committee could be considered as well.
“Speaking as a resident of that neighbourhood, I’ve heard a lot of conversation from people excited about when they’ll open up (an online process) to receive park names,” Community services committee member Aly Bousfield-Bastedo says. “I’m a little worried that this is being presented in a way that is not fully representing that we are open to receiving new names.”
Coulter says next steps the park renaming process include the creation of a project page on the city’s online public engagement platform, OurCity. It would feature the opportunity to vote on one of the four names suggested, or provide a different name entirely.
“We’ll try to make sure … there’s enough information so people understand we are open to receiving an additional name,” Coulter explains.