Park Naming

CONCLUSION

In accordance with the City’s Park Naming Policy and Procedures, which were adopted by Council in June 2005 (CR05-101) and amended in May 2007 (CR07-86), the Administration has consulted with the applicable developers and Community Associations to identify names for six neighbourhood parks.

During this process, Administration heard from Community Associations a desire for names chosen to be more aligned with the actions from the Cultural Plan and The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. At the same time, developers have created naming themes based on flora and fauna and would prefer to continue with park names that fit within the theme of the neighbourhood.

Administration is recommending that Yagar Developments Inc. be permitted to complete their development with two fauna names that are connected to the province’s natural heritage due to the fact that these two parks are the final parks to be named in the themed development. Administration is then recommending that developers who are in initial stages of development be asked to select names from the already approved Civic Naming List and/or identify new names that advance the cultural plan and/or the TRC calls to action.

The Administration also recommends that all flora and fauna names be suspended for the naming of parks until a review of the civic naming process can be completed. This is in an effort to encourage use of names on the lengthy list of approved names, while also ensuring park names celebrate Regina’s unique history and cultural diversity.

BACKGROUND

In 2016 the Regina Cultural Plan was approved by Council. During the engagement process Administration received significant feedback from the community about the importance of park and street naming. The main concern expressed through the feedback was ensuring that street and park names represented Regina’s unique history and cultural heritage. For this reason one of the actions from the plan was: to ensure that the naming of streets, parks and other civic assets is done to celebrate Regina’s unique history and cultural diversity and that it tells the whole story of Regina.

On June 2, 2015 The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (TRC calls to action) also put forth the following:

79. We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Survivors, Aboriginal organizations, and the arts community, to develop a reconciliation framework for Canadian Heritage and commemoration.

Corporately, Administration has determined that one way that the municipality can advance this call to action is to ensure that park and street names are representative of indigenous history and values.

Recently the Community Services Department has received requests for a number of flora and fauna names for parks in new developments with themed naming conventions. Although the names selected were on the list of approved civic names, the Administration believes that they were not truly representative of our culture or heritage, in keeping with the approved Cultural Plan or the TRC calls to action. Examples include Bumblebee and Gopher Park. Administration then requested developers select names from the approved Civic Naming List representing residents that have made a contribution to the city or names that represent indigenous culture or heritage of our region.

The Greens on Gardiner developed by Yagar Developments Inc. is nearing completion. The subdivision has used a flora and fauna theme, with most street and park names containing the word “green”. At this time there are two parks remaining to be named to complete the subdivision. The Administration is recommending that, as the subdivision is nearing full build out, flora and fauna names could be allowed to complete the themed development. However, rather than generic flora and fauna names, the names should have to be more closely related to provincial or local heritage.

Although Westerra is also a development that had been planned with a flora and fauna theme, this development is in its initial stages and is not fully built out. The Administration contacted Harvard Developments regarding their requested park name selections and requested that they consider new names that reflect Regina’s cultural heritage. 

DISCUSSION

The Administration is in the process of naming six neighbourhood parks in the Canterbury, Eastbrook, Westerra, Greens on Gardiner and Kensington Greens subdivisions (see attached maps). The Park Naming Policy requires the Administration to consider requests from the developer, Community Association and Zone Board to assign to parks. Names are first submitted to an internal Civic Naming Committee which considers the names within the context of the Park Naming Policy and Procedures, adopted by Council in June 2005 (CR05-101) and amended in May 2007 (CR07-86).  Upon approval by the Civic Naming Committee, names can be assigned to public open space with Council approval.

As part of the process for naming parks, names proposed by developers are shared with the affected Community Associations and Zone Boards. Through this review process a desire has been  expressed to adopt names aligned with Regina’s Cultural Plan. The recent trends for developers has been focused on flora and fauna names. As a result, the approved list of names continues to grow. The Administration is recommending that flora and fauna names for park spaces be suspended until a review of the civic naming process can be completed. This review will allow for consideration to be given to advancement of related actions in the Cultural Plan as well as Calls To Action through the TRC. 

The following list provides details on the names selected and which parks they are being requested for.

Names Recognizing Natural Heritage in Greens on Gardiner

Plains Minnow Park (Greens on Gardiner MR4)

The Plains Minnow is a small-sized fish between 50 and 90 millimeters in total length with a body colour that is tan to olive towards the back, silver along the sides and white along the belly. Individuals can live up to two to three years. The existence of the Plains Minnow in Canada was discovered in 2003 in southern Saskatchewan. The Plains Minnow lives in schools, and is found in sand-and silt-bottom rivers and streams of the Central Great Plains. The Plains Minnow prefers slow, relatively shallow to moderately deep waters with a range of turbidity.

Yellow Rail Park (Greens on Gardiner MR6)

Because of its secretive nature, the Yellow Rail bird is infrequently encountered. The second-smallest rail in North America, it breeds in sedge marshes and winters in marshes and hay fields. The Canadian breeding range includes the Mackenzie District of the Northwest Territories, eastern Alberta, central Saskatchewan, most of Manitoba and Ontario, the southern half of Quebec, all of New Brunswick, and northern Nova Scotia. There are thought to be roughly a few thousand pairs of Yellow Rails breeding in the Hudson/James Bay region, and another roughly 2,000 pairs in the rest of Canada (1998 estimates). Habitat availability has declined and is still declining throughout its southern breeding range and relatively small wintering range. In certain parts of the Hudson/James Bay region, habitat may be declining as a result of habitat degradation by Snow Geese. The Yellow Rail is protected by the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act. Under this Act, it is prohibited to kill, harm, or collect adults, young and eggs.

Names Recognizing Contributions to Regina’s Community and Culture in New Developments

Tony Cote Park (Canterbury Park MR1)

Tony Cote was born on the Cote First Nation Reservation to Frank and Ellen Cote. He was educated at the St. Phillips Residential School for seven years, then attended the Cote First Nation Day School for two years. At the age of seventeen, Tony joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1952 and served with the 81st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. His service was in Canada, then on March 22, 1953 his unit was shipped to Korea and remained there for

14 months. Upon returning from Korea, Tony re-enlisted for another three years. He was stationed in Utopia, NB Canadian Forces Base for one year then his unit was sent to Germany in October 1955 to December 1957. Tony was then released from the Army on May 18, 1958.

Tony founded the Saskatchewan Indian Summer Games and presents the most Improved Tribal Council with the Tony Cote Award.  He is quoted as saying “I always tell them, you’ve got to be a good sport.” Tony also says, “Someday, it probably won’t be in my time, but I would like to see more Aboriginal and First Nations people even compete in the Olympics. That was my goal to start off with.”

Tony is also the recipient of many honours the Tom Longboat in 1974, for outstanding sportsman, The Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2008, inducted into the SK Sports Hall of Fame in 2011, and received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in April 2013.

He also worked at the First Nations University of Canada as the commissionaire for many years and has now retired.

Crosbie Park (Eastbrook MR1)

Born in Abernethy, about 90 kilometers northeast of Regina, Eric Crosbie grew up in Regina and went on to study science at the University of Manitoba and law and administration at the University of Saskatchewan. Mr. Crosbie worked for several law firms before beginning a career with the Attorney General’s Department (the Justice Department) that spanned 25 years. Mr. Crosbie also served as a trustee of the Regina Board of Education from 1970 to 1985 and was a founding member of the Regina Optimist Dolphins Swim Club, serving as vice-president.

Tansley Park (Kensington Greens MR1)

Donald Dougans Tansley (1925-2007), born and raised in Regina, started his career as a government employee with the Budget Bureau in Saskatchewan.  He became Chair of the Saskatchewan Medical Care Insurance Committee, which was in charge of implementing Medicare. Tansley’s work caught the eye of the premier of New Brunswick, which appointed him to spearhead reform in the province. He became the President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in 1968. He was Administrator under the Anti-Inflation Act and was the first Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. In 1972, Tansley began his association with the Red Cross, where he produced the Tansley Report, a far-reaching document that outlined a role for the organization in worldwide humanitarian efforts. A member of the Order of Canada, the Order of the Red Cross and a recipient of the Henry Dunant medal for humanitarian service, Tansley was also a member of the Canadian Centre for Days of Peace, an organization that advocated for 10-day ceasefires in war zones in order to vaccinate children.

Sharp Park (Westerra MR1)

Benjamin Sharp (1896-1965) was born in Sîrcova, Moldova. He immigrated to Canada in 1921 when his new bride, Bessie, immigrated to Canada with her parents. The family settled in Regina, where Benjamin became an independent fruit and vegetable peddler in Market Square. When the open-air market was closed, Sharp co-founded the Regina Public Market and established “Food Paradise”, a produce and grocery market. He remained in this business until 1956, when he acquired Western Furs Ltd. with his son, Jack.

Benjamin Sharp became a proud member of the Regina community where he was involved in many charitable organizations and a leader in the local Jewish community.

Jack Sharp, now 89, was born and raised in Regina. He spent his working life as an entrepreneur owning and operating Western Furs and Westland Ventures, a real estate development and management company.

Jack was very involved in both the Jewish and Regina community at large. Jack was chairman of the Regina Zionist Council, chairman of the Regina chapter of the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University, chairman for the United Jewish Appeal in Regina, and a 50-year member of the B’nai Brith Lodge. Jack was a founding member and president of the Eastview Regina Rotary Club, a founding executive member of the Regina Downtown Merchants Association, member of the Advisory Board of Royal Trust (Regina), Chairman of the Regina Advisory Board for the Department of Social Services and a Commissioner and member of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. He volunteered on many private committees including the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Ovarian Cancer Society of Saskatchewan.

It should be noted that during the process Sharp was selected by Harvard Developments to assign to the park space, MR1 in the Westerra development. When this name was shared with the West Zone Board they expressed a desire to have a park name that recognized a resident that had contributed to the communities in the west part of Regina. The Zone Board did make suggestions for possible names, however one of the names has already been assigned to a street and the other one is not currently on the approved list of names. As there are a number of parks that will be developed in the west area of the city, the Administration is recommending that Sharp be assigned to Westerra MR1. The Administration will then submit the name selected by the Zone Board to the Civic Naming Committee for consideration. If approved, the Administration will recommend that this name be assigned to another park developed in the west.

RECOMMENDATION IMPLICATIONS

Financial Implications

There are no financial implications for the City of Regina related to the naming of the parks included in this report. All park signage will be installed within the parks at the expense of the developer.

Environmental Implications

There are no environmental implications associated with this report.

Policy and/or Strategic Implications

The Park Naming Policy contributes to the harmony of the City of Regina by providing an opportunity for Community Associations as well as other public organizations to participate in public process, allowing them to be informed and engaged in what is happening within their community. As mentioned earlier in the report park naming also supports the action from the cultural plan to “ensure that the naming of streets, parks and other civic assets is done to celebrate Regina’s unique history and cultural diversity and that it tells the whole story of Regina.”

Other Implications

There are no other implications associated with this report.

Accessibility Implications

There are no accessibility implications associated with this report.

COMMUNICATIONS

Community Associations, Zone Boards and developers were consulted during the park naming process to solicit ideas for names for the park spaces.

Once names are approved by Council, all park spaces will contain a park sign with a decal that explains who or what the park is named after, with a short biography.

DELEGATED AUTHORITY

In accordance with the Open Space Park Naming Policy and Procedures, City Council approval is required to name park space.

Report prepared by:

Janine Daradich, Manager Recreation Planning & Partnerships