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REPORT
ENGINEERING SERVICES DEPARTMENT
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Meeting:
Date:
GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
Monday February 4,2008 Resolution #: f; PA--I OS-t:1!;;
Report #: EGO-009-08
File#:
By-law #:
Subject:
COURTICE SKATE PARK NAMING
Recommendations:
It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee
recommend to Council the following:
1. THAT the request to name the new skate park in Courtice after Rob Piontek be
approved; and
2. THAT interested parties be advised of Council's decision.
Respectfully by,
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Submitted by: A.S. Cannella
Director of Engineering Services
Reviewed by: Franklin Wu
Chief Administrative Officer
ASC/PW/jb
January 10, 2008
CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1C 3A6 T 905-623-3379 F 905-623-9282
Report #EGD-009-08
Page 2
1.0 BACKGROUND
1.1 At the September 10, 2007 Council Meeting the following resolution was
approved:
"That the request from Jason King, Alcatraz Skates to name the
new skateboard park at the Courtice Community Centre after Rob
Piontek be referred to staff for consideration in accordance with the
Naming of Municipal/Facilities Policy."
Rob Piontek was a former skateboard instructor with the Municipality who passed
away in August 2007. The following information was provided by Jason King in
support of his request:
"Certainly I believe that despite his young years, his two years of
service as a Skateboard Park Counselor for Clarington make him
an appropriate candidate for this nomination. In this role, he had a
major impact on skateboarders as a positive role model, teaching
them safe and respectful skateboarding and certainly he continued
this role to members of the skateboard community even after
leaving his job as a counselor."
The construction of the Courtice Skate Park will begin in the spring of 2008 with
an anticipated completion by June 15,2008.
2.0 ANALYSIS
2.1 The Municipality has a Policy for naming Parks and Open Spaces and a Policy
Regarding Memorial Tributes.
The policy for Naming Parks and Open Spaces was approved in 1990. It
recommends establishing park names based on the street that the Park or Open
Space fronts on to.
The policy Regarding Memorial Tributes was approved in 1998. It provides
guidelines for recognizing members of Council, members of the Community at
Large and National Tributes/Recognition of Royalty.
Report #EGD-009-08
Page 3
The section for Members of the Community at Large states:
"Recognition on an ad-hoc basis by Council as requests are
received, by the naming of any park, street or facility, based on the
length and degree of service to the community."
2.2 By all accounts Rob Piontek was an exemplary citizen of Clarington who helped
influence others through his work as a skateboard instructor for the Municipality.
Just as importantly, Rob Piontek was a significant role model within the
skateboard community, a community which often feels marginalized and outside
of the mainstream. As a member of the adidas national flow team, Rob Piontek
was among an elite group of Canada's best skaters and epitomized everything
that young skateboarders love about the sport. There are multiple paths to
success but many will agree that this young Clarington resident was an
impressive example of innovation and achievement and a leader within the
skateboard community in Clarington and across Canada.
2.3 The skateboard park that is to be constructed in Courtice provides us with a
unique opportunity to honour not just one young man's life, but the lives of all of
those young people who lobbied local politicians for an additional skatepark
facility to be built within Clarington. It has been said that often the ideas,
opinions, involvement and initiative of people considered to be "young", go
unheard. Naming the new Courtice skatepark facility after Rob Piontek allows us
to tap into what really matters to those who wanted this facility to be constructed
and provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate positive recognition of their
community.
Report #EGD-009-08
Page 4
3.0 CONCLUSION
The policy Regarding Memorial Tributes provides guidelines for recognizing
members of the Community at Large by naming parks and open spaces in their
honour based on degree of service during their lifetime. Rob Piontek was a
brilliant example of everything the skateboard community stands for and was an
outstanding role model for many young people within Clarington. Naming the
new Courtice skatepark after Rob Piontek may allow Clarington youth to feel
valued because they were meaningfully engaged in more than a token manner in
something that really matters to them.
I am therefore recommending to Council that the new skatepark facility currently
being constructed in Clarington. be named in honour of Rob Piontek.