Community to Help Name Neighbourhood Park at 823 5th Avenue East, Formerly Ryerson Park (Phase 2)

Residents are invited to participate in the second phase of public engagement to help choose a new name for the City park located at 823 5th Avenue East, north of 8th Street East. Following the first phase, which gathered community suggestions, residents are now encouraged to visit the project page at OurCity.OwenSound.ca/Park-Naming to review and rank their top three preferred names.

The park, previously known as Ryerson Park, is undergoing a naming process guided by the City’s Naming and Re‑Naming Policy for City Parks and Facilities.

Earlier this year, name suggestions were submitted through the OurCity Owen Sound engagement platform, with 70 unique submissions received. Council previously directed that priority be given to names with a locational reference. All submissions received during Phase 1 were reviewed, and 25 names that best met the criteria outlined in the City's Naming and Re-Naming Policy for City Parks and Facilities have been short-listed for public voting.  For more information on submitted names, please view the report presented to Community Services Committee on June 24 here.

Participants can review the shortlisted names and submit their rankings through the City's online engagement platform now until Friday, August 28, 2026. Feedback collected during this phase will help Council better understand community preferences before making a final decision. Once public engagement is complete, the top scoring names will be presented to Community Services Committee with a final recommendation to be considered by Council. The City will provide at least 10 days’ notice before a final decision is made.

In 2021, the City of Owen Sound adopted Policy No. CS087 to establish a transparent and consistent framework for naming and renaming City parks and facilities. The policy sets out clear criteria and a structured process for reviewing naming requests. Following the submission of a formal application, Council initiated the renaming process, including the establishment of a Council Working Group to review the request for the park formerly known as Ryerson Park and subsequently approved the renaming of the park. The current engagement process will help inform Council's final decision on a new name.

For more information, please contact Pamela Coulter, Director of Community Services, at pcoulter@owensound.ca

Quick Facts:

-      The request to rename Ryerson Park is the first to be considered under the Naming and Re-Naming Policy for City Parks and Facilities, adopted by Council in 2021.

-      The opportunity for voting on suggested names will remain open until August 28, 2026.

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