Four Names Proposed for Former Ryerson Park as Committee Recommends Public Consultation
Owen Sound’s Community Services Committee has recommended public consultation on four possible new names for the former Ryerson Park. Council will make the final decision.
Owen Sound’s Community Services Committee is recommending that City Council authorize public engagement on four potential names for the park at 823 5th Avenue East, formerly known as Ryerson Park.
At its February 18 meeting, the committee supported a recommendation in Staff Report CS-26-009 directing Council to have staff undertake engagement on the following names:
Eighth Street Park
Boyd Street Park
Old School Park
Ningaawendam Miikana (Friendship Land)
Council has not yet approved the shortlist. The matter will come forward on a future Council agenda.
The park sign was removed in 2021, nearly five years ago. A formal application under the City’s naming policy was submitted in May 2025, and Council voted in January 2026 to rename the park.
The City is now nine months into the formal policy process and has reached the stage of selecting a new name through public engagement.
How The Names Were Selected
The naming process follows Council’s July 2025 decision to rename Ryerson Park and proceed under the City’s Naming and Re-Naming Policy (CS-087).
At that time, Council ratified a working group’s recommendation to rename the park, directed that the naming process proceed under policy, prioritized a name with a locational reference, and required that a plaque or marker be installed to explain the park’s history and previous names.
Director of Community Services Pamela Coulter told the committee that several name suggestions were received during the earlier renaming process.
Those included Old School Park, Eighth Street Park, Boyd Street Park, W. Douglas Park, Ningaawendam Miikana, and Ovid Jackson Park.
Because Council directed staff to prioritize a locational reference, the two individual names were removed from the proposed shortlist. Boyd Street Park remains under consideration because it references the former street name.
The Anishinaabe name, Ningaawendam Miikana (Friendship Land), was also included. The staff report notes that the translation has not yet been verified with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Environmental Office.
Public Engagement Process
If Council approves the committee’s recommendation, staff plan to launch engagement in the first quarter of 2026 using the City’s OurCity public engagement platform.
The platform would include background information on the renaming and allow residents to vote on the four proposed names. Residents would also have the opportunity to suggest an alternative name.
Under Policy CS-087, once a final name is recommended, the City must issue a public notice providing at least 10 days for public comment before Council enacts the name by bylaw.
Staff anticipate returning to committee with engagement results in April. A bylaw could follow in May.
Concerns About Public Understanding
During discussion, committee member Aly Bousfield-Bastedo raised concerns about how the engagement process may be perceived by residents.
“I just had a question about receiving names through an online platform,” she said, noting that some residents believe they will have an opportunity to submit names directly rather than choose from a shortlist.
“I’m a little worried that maybe this is being presented in a way that is not maybe fully representing that we are open to receiving new names,” Bousfield-Bastedo said. “I think that there will be some misunderstanding from the public.”
She also questioned how new name suggestions would be considered if they are not included in the initial list and whether those names would receive the same opportunity for public support.
Coulter responded that the OurCity platform allows engagement in multiple ways, including options for residents to submit additional suggestions outside of the survey.
“When we bring that feedback back and we say, ‘Here’s the results,’” Coulter said, staff can identify additional names that emerged through engagement and recommend further steps if needed. “If we have to add a step and engage twice, we can certainly do that based on the feedback that we receive.”
She said staff will ensure the platform clearly communicates that the City remains open to receiving additional name suggestions.
Questions About Voting Controls
Councillor Marion Koepke asked whether the City could limit residents to one vote each. Coulter said staff can ask participants to vote only once but may not be able to enforce that restriction.
Councillor Travis Dodd asked whether collecting email addresses or other identifying information could help prevent duplicate voting. Coulter said she was unsure and would consult communications staff.
Dodd moved the recommendation, and the committee supported it.
Council will make the final decision on whether to proceed with engagement on the four proposed names at an upcoming meeting.
Readers can watch the full discussion beginning at 1:57:00 in the February 18 Community Services Committee meeting recording.
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