Civic buildings, arenas, trails and even storm ponds could be renamed under a city policy approved this week.
The new naming policy sets out standards for naming or renaming an existing civic building in honour of a prominent member of the community.
The policy does not cover naming rights sponsorships for facilities like Servus Credit Union Place or the Landrex Water Play Centre.
The policy establishes that individuals must have been a resident of the community for at least 10 years before their name is even considered.
Former politicians who have served the community at any level of government are considered strong applicants, as are community volunteers, individuals who have made a significant contribution to the city, and people who have risked their lives to save others.
Coun. Roger Lemieux believes the new policy is a good idea, especially because council will be able to adapt it in the future.
"I believe it is important to have a policy on most everything, it doesn't mean we can't change it later on."
Lemieux said he particularly believes there is a lot of opportunity to recognize local volunteers.
"There are a lot of very, very strong volunteers that have not been recognized."
Coun. Carol Watamaniuk said she is also pleased with the new policy because it will give the city the chance to recognize so many of the citizens who helped build it.
"We really need to recognize a lot of the individuals who built our city and came up with solutions to many problems."
While some people might be concerned that soon every building and section of trail will be named after some figure, Watamaniuk said she doesn't know if that is something to be worried about.
"Is that a problem? I love when I go to other cities and there is history of why is that name there."
Trail renamed
The policy was employed for the first time Monday when council voted to rename a section of the Red Willow Trail after former fire chief and director of community services George Todd.
Todd was fire chief between 1978 and 1981 and director of community services from 1981 until 1990.
The name change will apply to the portion of the trail from Sir Winston Churchill and Gresham Boulevard past fire hall No. 1 to about Grenfell Avenue.
Watamaniuk, who worked with Todd when she was the city's cultural director, said he was a tremendous asset to the community and a force for change. He often ran along that section of trail to clear his head and figure out solutions to difficult problems, so the naming is fitting, she said.
"The trail was a very significant part of his life and not to get too philosophical, but that trail solved a lot of problems for the city."
Coun. Roger Lemieux was the lone vote against the change. While he said he believes Todd is worthy of the honour, he also thinks the trail has already been named once.
"I like to honour and respect the people from the past who named that trail and there must have been a lot of good reasons."
Council could vote on another name change in the coming weeks after Watamaniuk gave notice of a motion to rename Riel Pond "Elke's Pond" after environmentalist Elke Blodgett.
