Report to/Rapport au :

Community and Protective Services Committee

Comité des services communautaires et de protection

and Council / et au Conseil

9 September 2010 / le 9 septembre 2010

Submitted by/Soumis par : Leslie Donnelly

Deputy City Clerk/Greffière adjointe

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Beverley Watt, A/Coordinator, Policy & Projects/Coordinatrice par intérim de politiques et de projets

City Clerk and Solicitor Department/Direction du greffe et Chef du contentieux

613-580-2424 ext. 21835, Beverley.Watt@ottawa.ca

Ward / Quartier 16 (River)

Ref N°: ACS2010-CMR-CCB-0095

SUBJECT:	COMMEMORATIVE NAMING APPLICATION – Park – IN CAMERA - PERSONAL MATTERS ABOUT AN IDENTIFIABLE INDIVIDUAL. REPORTING OUT DATE: SUBSEQUENT TO COUNCIL APPROVAL
OBJET :	demande d'attribution de nom commÉmoratif - Parc - À huis clos - questions personnelles concernant une personne identifiable. date de rapport : à la suite de l’approbation du Conseil

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Community and Protective Services Committee refer to City Council approval of the Commemorative Naming proposal to name the field at Raven Park located at 1500 Larose Avenue as John Smith Field.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité des services communautaires et de protection réfère au Conseil municipal l’approbation de la proposition de nom commémoratif visant à nommer le terrain du parc Raven, situé au 1500, avenue Larose, terrain John-Smith.

BACKGROUND

The Commemorative Naming Policy, approved by City Council on July 24, 2002, outlines the criteria and process for commemoratively naming municipal streets, parks and facilities (or parts thereof).

With respect to criteria, a commemorative name honours individuals who are (or have been) citizens of the City of Ottawa or have made a specific contribution to the City of Ottawa and:

• Demonstrated excellence, courage or exceptional service to the citizens of the City of Ottawa, the Province of Ontario and / or Canada;
• Provided extensive community service, or who have an extraordinary community service record;
• Worked to foster equality and reduce discrimination;
• Where the nominated individual is a current City employee, the individual shall have made an outstanding contribution to the City of Ottawa outside of his/her capacity and duties as a City employee or they may be recognized for their exceptional service once they are no longer a City employee;
• The nominated individual has made a significant financial contribution to a park or facility and the contribution significantly benefits the community that the park or facility serves (i.e. the park or facility may not have otherwise been possible without the financial assistance);
• The nominated name has historical significance to the community, City of Ottawa, Province of Ontario, or Canada.

Any member of the public or City Council may submit a name to the City for consideration. The process is initiated through submission of a Commemorative Naming application and support material. The policy provides a process for the nomination of the following: a name to be added to the commemorative names reserve list for future consideration; a name for a particular venue selected by the applicant; a name for a venue that is presently named.

As part of the process, the Commemorative Naming Committee (“CNC”) -- consisting of applicable City staff, the Mayor or his designate and the Ward Councillor -- will provide initial approval relating to criteria and the supporting documents or information provided by the nominator. Staff is then directed to ensure there is community support for the choice by initiating a 60-day consultation phase. Following the consultation process, the Commemorative Naming Committee will review the public feedback and make a final recommendation on the nomination, to be subsequently considered by the appropriate Standing Committee and City Council.

DISCUSSION

A naming application for the commemoration of John Smith Field was received from Mr. Keith Lewis, a volunteer in the Bel-Air Lions Football Club, to name the field at Raven Park located at 1500 Larose Avenue.

The Commemorative Naming Committee reviewed the application and endorsed the proposed name under the policy criteria of: “The nominated individual has provided extensive community service and has an extraordinary community service record.” Supporting information about John Smith is found in the attached Document 1.

Following the initial endorsement of the application, the public consultation process (outlined below) was carried out for the mandated 60-day period. Following the consultation process, the Commemorative Naming Committee reconvened to review all comments received. At its meeting of 9 September 2010, the Commemorative Naming Committee endorsed the naming application and directed staff to forward this recommendation to the Community and Protective Services Committee and City Council.

Membership of the Commemorative Naming Committee is as follows:

• The Mayor (or designate)
• The Councillor in whose ward the park or facility or part thereof is located
• The City Clerk (or designate)
• The Deputy City Manager, City Operations (or designate)
• The Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability (or designate)

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

CONSULTATION

An integral part of the Commemorative Naming process is public consultation on the proposed name. The following outlines the consultation undertaken for the John Smith Field application:

• The City of Ottawa Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee was advised of this commemoration and provided the opportunity to submit a comment;
• A public notice was printed in the EMC Ottawa South newspaper on 8 July 2010;
• A public notice was printed in the EMC Ottawa West newspaper on 8 July 2010; and
• The public consultation notice was placed on Ottawa.ca.

The majority of the public comments received during the consultation period were in favour of the proposal. Two (2) oppositions were submitted that were based on the assumption that Raven Park would be renamed altogether, which is not the premise of this proposal. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee reviewed the proposal at their meeting of 24 August 2010.

COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)

Councillor Maria McRae supports the application to name the field at Raven Park as John Smith Field.  However, Councillor McRae is supportive of community objection to rename the Park as a whole, and Councillor McRae understands this is not included as part of this application.

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS:

There are no legal/risk management implications associated with this report.

CITY STRATEGIC PLAN

N/A

TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

City Clerk and Solicitor Department

Financial expenditures associated with this Commemorative Naming proposal for advertisements and the costs of purchasing a plaque and/or hosting a naming ceremony are provided through the City Clerk’s operating budget.

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Department

There are available funds in the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Department's 2010 budget for signage.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 – John Smith Field Commemorative Naming Public Notice (English and French)

DISPOSITION

Following Council approval of the John Smith Field Commemorative Naming proposal, staff will work with the Ward Councillor to coordinate a ceremonial event to unveil a plaque.

Commemorative Naming Proposal –

“John Smith Field” in Raven Park

 In 2002, City Council created the Commemorative Naming Program as a means to formally recognize individuals who demonstrate excellence, courage or exceptional service to the citizens of Ottawa, the Province of Ontario, or Canada. This program provides the opportunity for the contribution and dedication of these individuals to be honoured through the naming of municipal streets, parks and facilities.

Further to an application received under the Commemorative Naming Program, the City is considering a proposal to name the sportsfield in Raven Park located in the Carlington area as “John Smith Field.”

As President of the Bel-Air Copeland Lions Football Club for over 20 years, John Smith is an admired community leader, spirited volunteer, and mentor. He is known as a quiet and caring leader who promotes teamwork, fairness and respect, and is accepting of anyone who would like to enjoy the sport. During his term as Club President, John worked with other volunteers to grow the Club from 60 youth on two teams, to over 200 youth on six teams.

In addition to his dedication to the Bel-Air Copeland Lions Football Club, John is an active member of the National Capital Amateur Football Association (NCAFA), the largest football league in Canada. John coordinates all league scheduling, volunteers for tournaments and other activities, and is involved in league-wide fundraising initiatives. In recognition of his outstanding contributions and efforts, the NCAFA created a bursary in John’s honour to promote education for players. John also played an integral role in the redevelopment of the National Coaching Certification Program Course and the creation of reference materials for coaches, players and their family members across Canada. In addition, he works with local officials and high schools to promote high school football in the city.

Outside of football, John is heavily involved in other community causes and events. He is the President of the Bingoland South Charities Association which benefits over 30 charitable organizations, including Boy Scouts and arts and cultural groups. He also participates in, and volunteers for, several charitable running events each year in support of such organizations as the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research, and the Salvation Army.

John’s friends and colleagues would like to formally recognize John’s commitment to improving the quality of life for his fellow neighbours by naming the field in Raven Park “John Smith Field.”

If you would like to provide comment on this proposal or require any further information, please contact:

Beverley Watt, Policy & Projects Coordinator

City Clerk & Solicitor Department

Ottawa City Hall

110 Laurier Avenue West

Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1

Tel: 613-580-2424 ext. 21835

Fax: 613-580-2416

Email: namingottawa@ottawa.ca

Comments on this proposal must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, September 6, 2010.

Proposition de nom commémoratif –

« Terrain John-Smith »

En 2002, le Conseil municipal a mis en place le programme de noms commémoratifs dans le but d’officiellement rendre hommage à des personnes qui ont fait preuve d’excellence, de courage ou qui ont rendu des services exceptionnels aux résidents de la Ville d’Ottawa, de l’Ontario ou du Canada. Ce programme donne l’occasion à la Ville d’honorer la contribution et le dévouement de ces gens en attribuant leur nom à une rue, à un parc ou à une installation d’Ottawa.

En réponse à une demande reçue dans le cadre du programme de noms commémoratifs, la Ville propose d’attribuer le nom commémoratif Terrain John-Smith au terrain de sport du parc Raven situé à Carlington.

Président du Bel-Air Copeland Lions Football Club depuis plus de 20 ans, John Smith est un leader, un bénévole dévoué et un mentor admiré de son entourage. C’est un homme calme et attentif qui défend l’effort d’équipe, l’équité et le respect, et qui accueille à bras ouverts tous ceux qui veulent pratiquer le football. En tant que président du club, John a travaillé avec d’autres bénévoles à faire passer le club de 60 jeunes, répartis en 2 équipes, à plus de 200 jeunes, jouant dans 6 équipes.

En plus de son dévouement pour le Bel-Air Copeland Lions Football Club, John est un membre actif de la National Capital Amateur Football Association (NCAFA), la plus importante ligue de football au Canada. John est responsable des horaires de toute la ligue, des bénévoles pour les tournois et autres activités, et participe aux activités de financement de la ligue. Pour souligner sa contribution et ses efforts remarquables, la NCAFA a créé une bourse en son honneur pour soutenir l’éducation des joueurs. John a aussi joué un rôle de premier plan dans la refonte du cours du Programme national de certification des entraîneurs et l’élaboration de documents de référence pour les entraîneurs, les joueurs et les familles des joueurs de tout le pays. Il a en outre travaillé avec des arbitres et des écoles secondaires de la région pour promouvoir le football dans la ville.

John s’implique également dans d’autres causes et événements communautaires. Il préside la Bingoland South Charities Association, qui soutient plus de 30 organismes de bienfaisance, comme Scouts Canada et des groupes culturels et artistiques. Il participe aussi, souvent comme bénévole, à plusieurs événements de financement annuels d’organismes comme la Fondation canadienne du cancer du sein, la Fondation de la recherche sur le diabète juvénile Canada et l’Armée du Salut.

Les amis et collègues de John souhaitent officiellement rendre hommage aux efforts qu’il a déployés pour améliorer la qualité de vie de ses concitoyens en nommant le terrain du parc Raven « Terrain John-Smith ».

Les personnes qui désirent formuler des commentaires ou obtenir plus de renseignements sur cette proposition sont priées de communiquer avec :

Beverley Watt, coordonnatrice des politiques et projets

Service du greffier municipal et chef du contentieux

Hôtel de ville d’Ottawa

110, avenue Laurier Ouest

Ottawa (Ontario)  K1P 1J1

Téléphone : 613-580-2424, poste 21835

Télécopieur : 613-580-2416

Courriel : nommezottawa@ottawa.ca

Les commentaires sur cette proposition doivent être reçus avant 16 h 30 le lundi 6 septembre 2010.