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2. Commemorative naming
committee proposal – “JÉRÉMIE J. AUDETTE SPLASH PAD”
proposition du comité sur
les dénominations comméroratives – « AIRE DE JETS D’EAU JÉRÉMIE-J.-AUDETTE »
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COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
That Council approve the commemorative
naming of a splash pad at Portobello Park,
located at 670 Aquaview
Drive, as Jérémie J. Audette Splash
Pad.
Recommandation DU Comité
Que le Conseil municipal approuve la proposition de nommer l’aire de jets d’eau au Parc Portobello, situé au 670, promenade Aquaview
« aire de jets d’eau Jérémie-J.-Audette. »
Documentation
1.
City
Clerk and Solicitor’s report dated 11 August 2011 (ACS2011-CMR-CCB-0044).
Report to/Rapport au :
Community and
Protective Services Committee
Comité des services communautaires et de protection
and Council / et au
Conseil
August 11, 2011
/ le 11 août 2011
Submitted by/Soumis par :
M. Rick O’Connor
City Clerk and Solicitor / Greffier et Chef du
contentieux
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Leslie Donnelly,
Deputy City Clerk/Greffière adjointe
City Clerk
and Solicitor Department/Direction du greffe et Chef
du contentieux
613-580-2424
ext. 28857, Leslie.Donnelly@ottawa.ca
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Ref
N°:
ACS2011-CMR-CCB-0044
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SUBJECT:
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Commemorative naming committee proposal – “JÉRÉMIE J.
AUDETTE SPLASH PAD”
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OBJET :
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proposition du comité sur les dénominations comméroratives –
« AIRE DE JETS D’EAU JÉRÉMIE-J.-AUDETTE »
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REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Community and Protective Services Committee recommend Council
approve the commemorative naming of a splash pad at Portobello Park, located at 670 Aquaview Drive, as Jérémie
J. Audette Splash Pad.
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité des
services communautaires et de protection recommande au Conseil municipal d’approuver
la proposition de nommer l’aire
de jets d’eau au Parc Portobello, situé
au 670, promenade Aquaview « aire
de jets d’eau Jérémie-J.-Audette. »
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 and affected Members of Council — provides an initial approval based
on the policy’s criteria and the 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 reviews the public feedback and makes a final
recommendation on the nomination, which is subsequently considered by the
appropriate Standing Committee and City Council.
DISCUSSION
A naming application for the
commemoration of Jérémie J. Audette was
received from resident Sophie
Lafontaine to name a
splash pad at Portobello Park, located at 670 Aquaview Drive, as “Jérémie J. Audette Splash Pad.” Supporting
information about Jérémie J. Audette
is found in the attached Document 1.
At its meeting of 22 March 2011,
the Commemorative Naming Committee reviewed the above-noted application, which
was submitted under the following criteria of the Commemorative Naming Policy: The nominated name has historical
significance to the community, City of Ottawa, Province of Ontario, or Canada.
At its aforementioned meeting,
the Commemorative Naming Committee noted that the proposal was unlike other
commemorations made under the “historical significance” criterion, which had
normally been reserved for “original settlers” or long-time residents. Unlike
these previous commemorations, the proposal before the Commemorative Naming
Committee was to commemorate a child who had recently passed away at the age of
two years.
And while the proposal was uncommon, the Commemorative Naming Committee
also noted that the applicant had demonstrated that the nominee’s death significantly
touched the community, and was in that sense “historic.” The Commemorative
Naming Committee also noted the proposed commemoration presented an opportunity
to raise awareness about children’s water safety and, thereby, there could be a
community benefit. The proposal was also supported by the Ward Councillor. The Committee was unclear whether Council
intended to exclude commemorations such as the one before it, or whether the
criteria of the Commemorative Naming Policy were only intended as guidelines. In light of the uncertainty and the considerations
above, the Commemorative Naming Committee opted to conduct a 60-day public
consultation on the proposal to allow residents an opportunity to provide
feedback on the idea.
Summary of Public Consultation
The public comments received
during the consultation revealed that the public was overwhelmingly in support
of the proposal. In fact, staff believe
the proposal to commemorate Jérémie J. Audette generated the most support of
any proposal in the history of the commemorative naming program.
The City received 400 emails and telephone calls in response to the
proposal: 397 in support, 3 in opposition. In addition to the emails and
telephone calls, a hard copy petition was also submitted, which included the
signatures of 1,043 residents who supported the proposal. Furthermore,
supporters of the application successfully used social media to reach out to
residents. At the time of writing this
report, 1,338 Facebook users have supported the proposal to commemorate
Jérémie.
Many residents simply said they support the initiative.
However, a great deal of residents also included details and personal comments
as part of their feedback.
In reading the feedback, the Avalon community’s “family
character” is apparent. There was an
overwhelming expression of empathy from other parents, some of whom noted they
had young children who play at Portobello Park.
Several respondents noted they did not know the Audette family, but they
nevertheless found the story of Jérémie’s death deeply saddening and personally
touching.
Many residents also expressed admiration for Jérémie’s parents. They felt Jérémie’s parents were courageous
for raising awareness about children’s water safety, in the painful wake
of Jérémie’s death. It is worth noting that demonstrating courage
is a criterion for commemoration under the Commemorative Naming Policy.
Another segment of supporters also noted the proposal commemorated a
Francophone name and noted this was appropriate given the importance of Cumberland’s
French-language heritage.
However, a few respondents did
not support the proposal. One resident felt a pool should be named after
Jérémie instead of a splash pad. Another resident opposed the proposal,
expressing opposition to memorial-type commemorations. Another resident felt the
nominee did not meet the City’s criteria for commemorations.
Following the consultation
process, the Commemorative Naming Committee reconvened on 27 July 2011 to
review all comments received. At this
time, the Commemorative Naming Committee acknowledged its responsibility to respect
the community’s wishes. Accordingly, the CNC endorsed the proposal by directing
staff to forward its supportive recommendation to the Community and Protective
Services Committee and City Council.
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 “Jérémie
J. Audette Splash Pad” application:
- A public service announcement was released on 21
April 2011;
- The public consultation notice was placed on
Ottawa.ca/namingottawa on 21 April 2011;
- Multiple media organizations covered this proposal
including CFRA.com, Le Droit, L’Expresse, Orléans Online¸ Orléans EMC, Ottawa Citizen,
and Ottawa Sun;
- The City of Ottawa Parks and Recreation Advisory
Committee were advised of this commemoration and provided the opportunity
to submit a comment.
The public comments received
during the public consultation were overwhelmingly in support of the
proposal. In fact, staff believe the
proposal to commemorate Jérémie J. Audette generated the most support of any
proposal in the history of the commemorative naming program.
The Parks and Recreation Advisory
Committee supported the proposal at its meetings of 24 May 2011. Of the 400 emails and telephone responses,
397 were in support of the proposal. In addition to the emails and telephone
calls, a hard copy petition was also submitted, which included the signatures
of 1,043 residents who supported the proposal. Furthermore, at the time of
writing this report, 1,338 Facebook users have supported the proposal to
commemorate Jérémie.
COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)
Councillor S. Blais
fully supports the commemoration of Jérémie J. Audette.
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 no available funds in
the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Department's 2011 budget for
signage.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 – “Jérémie J. Audette Splash” Pad
Commemorative Naming Public Notice (English and French)
Document 2 - Location
Plan – Proposed “Jérémie J. Audette
Splash Pad” at Portobello Park
DISPOSITION
Following Council approval of the
“Jérémie J. Audette Splash
Pad” Commemorative Naming proposal, staff will work
with the Ward Councillor to coordinate a ceremonial event to unveil a
plaque.
Commemorative Naming Proposal –
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 and parts thereof.
Further to an application
received under the Commemorative Naming Program, the City is considering a
proposal to name the new splash pad at Portobello Park, located at 670 Aquaview
Drive, as “Jérémie J. Audette Splash Pad.”
Jérémie J. Audette was two years
old when he passed away suddenly on July 28th 2010 in a backyard
pool in Orléans. His tragic passing
resonated throughout the community and across Canada. Jérémie’s death serves as a reminder of
vulnerability of children and the importance of practicing water safety while
enjoying aquatic activities.
To honour the significant impact
of Jérémie’s death on the community and to raise awareness about children’s
water safety, the City of Ottawa has been asked to name the new splash pad at
Portobello Park as “Jérémie J. Audette
Splash Pad.”
If you would like to provide
comment on this proposal or require any further information, please contact:
Tyler Cox, Policy & Projects Coordinator
City Clerk & Solicitor Department
Ottawa City Hall
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
Tel: 613-580-2424 ext. 15636
Fax: 613-580-2416
Email: namingottawa@ottawa.ca
Comments on this proposal must be received by 4:30
p.m. on Monday, June 20, 2011.
Proposition
de nom commémoratif –
« aire de
jets d’eau Jérémie-J.-Audette »
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 mène une consultation publique sur la
proposition de nommer « aire de
jets d’eau Jérémie-J.-Audette » l'aire de
jets d’eau du parc Portobello, situé au 670, promenade Aquaview.
Jérémie J. Audette était âgé de deux ans lorsqu'il
s'est noyé le 28 juillet 2010 dans une piscine privée à Orléans. Cette mort
tragique a eu un grand retentissement dans la communauté et partout au Canada.
Le décès de Jérémie est un rappel de la vulnérabilité des enfants et de
l'importance de la sécurité aquatique dans la pratique des activités
aquatiques.
La Ville d'Ottawa a été invitée à souligner les
répercussions importantes du décès de Jérémie sur la communauté et à faire
prendre conscience de la sécurité nautique des enfants en nommant
« aire de jets d’eau Jérémie-J.-Audette » la nouvelle aire de jets d’eau au parc
Portobello.
Si vous souhaitez formuler des commentaires sur
cette proposition ou obtenir de plus amples renseignements, veuillez
communiquer avec :
Tyler Cox,
coordonnateur, Politiques et Projets
Service du greffe et
du contentieux
Hôtel de ville
d'Ottawa
110, avenue Laurier
Ouest
Ottawa (Ontario), K1P
1J1
Tél. : 613-580-2424,
poste 15636
Téléc.: 613-580-2416
Courriel : namingottawa@ottawa.ca
Les commentaires sur
cette proposition doivent nous parvenir au plus tard le lundi 20 juin 2011, à
16 h 30.
Location Plan –
Proposed Jérémie J. Audette Splash Pad at Portobello Park
