Proposal to Rename Elgin Park to Apeldoorn Park
Elgin Park is being redesigned and includes three components: a children’s play area, Apeldoorn design/landscaping feature, and the new Roads and Parks Maintenance facility.
Recently, I was contacted by members of the Apeldoorn Sub-Committee of the city’s Mundialization Committee. This volunteer citizen’s committee of City Hall maintains relationships with Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, as recognition of Canada’s role in liberating the area during World War II. More information about the Mundialization Committee can be found here: http://cms.burlington.ca/Page100.aspx. Information on the Apeldoorn Sub-Committee can be found here: http://cms.burlington.ca/Page102.aspx.
As one of the many ways the city maintains and recognizes that bond of friendship and gratitude with Apeldoorn, a portion of Elgin Park has been designed in consultation with city officials in Apeldoorn. This feature was discussed at our public sessions on Elgin Park.
The members of the Apeldoorn sub-committee have advised me that they were under the impression that once the park was redesigned that it would be renamed Apeldoorn Park in honour of this bond. However, a formal name change never occurred, and this did not come up in our public meetings on the overall redesign of the park.
As a result, the city is now gathering public input on a proposed name change. To that end, city council passed the following staff direction on Monday July 16:
DIRECTION FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON RENAMING ELGIN PARK Authorize the Director of Parks and Recreation to consult on the request to rename Elgin Park to Apeldoorn Park by way of a web based survey; and Direct the Director of Parks and Recreation to bring forward a report on the results of the survey and potential renaming of Elgin Park to Apeldoorn Park. (Councillor Meed Ward) (SD-29-12)
