HomeMy WebLinkAboutEGD-017-11~jari~gton REPORT
g y ENGINEERING SERVICES
Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
Date: Monday April 4, 2011
Report #: EGD-017-11
File #: (~(~ ~89-II By-law #:
Subject: NEWCASTLE MEMORIAL PARK -PROPOSAL TO RENAME
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee
recommend to Council the following:
THAT Newcastle Memorial Park continue to be known by that name;ana
THAT all interested parties be notified of Council's decision
ly by:
i_.-,
~~
Submitted by: .Cannella, C.E.T. Reviewed by:
Director of Engineering Services ice./
ASC/PWfjo
March 25, 2011
G-'
ranklin Wu,
Chief Administrative Officer
CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1 C 3A6 T 905-623-3379 F 905-623-9282
REPORT NO.: EGD-017-11
PAGE 2
1.0 BACKGROUND
1.1 At the Council meeting of January 17, 2011, Myno Van Dyke of the Newcastle Village
and District Historical Society made a presentation to Council and provided
correspondence to recommend that Newcastle Memorial Park be re-named to honour
Joseph Atkinson. A copy of his correspondence is Attachment 1 of this report. The
correspondence describes the early life of Mr. Atkinson who was born and raised in
Newcastle and went on to become a leading newspaper publisher and social activist. Mr
Atkinson was the editor and majority owner of the Toronto Star from 1899 until his death
in 1948. A Provincial Heritage Plaque honouring Mr. Atkinson is located at King and Mill.
Street in front of the Newcastle Town Hall.
1.2 Council direction from the presentation was as follows:
THAT Correspondence Item D-6 from Myno Van Dyke, Director, Newcastle Village &
District Historical Society, with respect to naming the park area surrounding the new
library in Newcastle "Joseph Atkinson Park" be referred to staff for follow-up and
processing.
2.0 ANALYSIS
2.1 The Clarington Museums and Archives were asked to investigate the original naming of
Newcastle Memorial Park. Their findings are summarized in Attachment 2 of this report.
They concluded that the park was once the location of a Drill Shed. Drill Sheds were
used for the purpose of training local military regiments. While the Museum was unable
to locate a document signifying the meaning of the name Newcastle Memorial Park, they
believe the intent was to honour local veterans with the park name.
2.2 The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 178 was asked to provide their input on the possible
re-naming of Newcastle Memorial Park. Their letter is Attachment 3 of this report. The
Legion disagrees with re-naming the park and feel that it was, originally named in honour
of veterans and should continue in their memory.
REPORT NO.: EGD-017-11
3.0 CONCLUSION
PAGE 3
3.1 Joseph Atkinson was a Newcastle native who rose to national prominence in the
newspaper industry and as a social activist. The Atkinson Foundation remains today
and has granted more than $55 million since its inception. The Municipality's policy
regarding Memorial Tributes allows for the naming of parks, streets or facilities in honour
of Members of the Community at Large or Nationally recognized individuals at Councils.
discretion (Attachment No. 4).
3.2 While no documentation could be found regarding the naming of Newcastle Memorial
Park it is evident that "Memorial Park" has been applied to parks in various communities
to honour war veterans.
3.3 New residential development in the Foster Neighbourhood and North Newcastle will
result in the development of new schools and Neighbourhood Parks. The Municipality
also has an unnamed.Community Park site on Rudell Road. So there are certainly future
opportunities to name a facility to honour Mr. Atkinson. It is staffs recommendation that
a future park in Newcastle be named ih honour of Joseph E. Atkinson and that the name
Newcastle Memorial Park be maintained for the park surrounding the library.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 -Letter from Newcastle Village and District Historical Society
Attachment 2 -Letter from Clarington Museums and Archives
Attachment 3 -Letter from The Royal Canadian Legion
Attachment 4 -Policy Regarding Memorial Tributes
Interested parties to be advised of Council's decision:
Rick Saunders -The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 178
Myno Van Dyke -Newcastle Village and District Historical Society
Martha Rutherford Conrad -Clarington Museums and Archives
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and Members of The Municipality of Clarington Council:
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#1e~s~le Village & District Historical Society sent Council a letter on
April 30, 2010 requesting that a street in Newcastle be named after
Joseph E. Atkinson. This was turned down by the Region of Durham as
there is a duplication issue regarding a similar named street in Ajax. As
per recent correspondence from the Municipality, it appears that it is not.
possible to name a street in Newcastle after Mr. Atkinson.
At a Newcastle Village & District Historical Society Director's Meeting on
November 9, 2010, the following motion was made and passed.-
"That a letter be sent to the Municipality of Clarington Council
requesting that the parkland immediately surrounding the new
Clarington Library at 150 King Avenue East be named "Joseph
Atkinson Park"."
Prior to the new Library being built on this property, the park was initially
called "Jubilee Park" (around 1900) and later referred to as "Memorial
Park". During construction of the new Library, the Memorial Park sign
was removed and it was not placed back on the property. At our
Newcastle Village and District Historical Society Archives, we can find no
evidence that this area around the library was ever officially called
"Memorial Park". We do know that this was the site of the Newcastle
Armouries at one time- and the public outdoor skating rink. This site was
used for many village activities and more, recently was the site of a
baseball diamond. The baseball diamond~'r~~s removed and now the
property has the beautiful new library, a parkin lot to the north, and north
of that, two small soccer pitches and a children's, layground.
p--;
- ATTACHMENT N0.:1
REPORT NO.: EGD-017-11
Joseph E. Atkinson was born in 1865, in a rented house just east of the
Village of Newcastle. Although the home is no longer there it was on the
east side of Golf Course Road where the Newcastle Golf Course is today.
In 1866, after his father was killed by a train in Newcastle, Joe's mother
Hannah moved her family into a house at 44 King Street East, Newcastle.
This home is now owned by Jack and Peggy Pruner. Here Mrs. Atkinson
ran a boarding house where she took in men who worked at the
Newcastle Woollen Mill and the Massey Foundry.
Just before Joe's 14th birthday his mother died and Joe took a job at the
Woollen Mill. After the Woollen Mill burned down he took a job at the Post
Office as a clerk. Later he got a job as a clerk at the Port Hope Times. and
this began a spectacular career in the newspaper business. The house
that Joseph Atkinson grew up in is only a short walk west of this park.
Presently, there is a Provincial Heritage Plaque honouring Mr. Atkinson at
the corner of King and Mill Streets in Newcastle. If Council grants this
request to name the park area around the library, "Joseph Atkinson Park",
we would also recommend that this plaque be moved to the park.
The Newcastle Horticultural Society will soon be undertaking a project to
completely redo the gardens around the Newcastle Community Hafl and
have plans to move the plaque to a slightly drfferent location. In a recent
conversation with their President Jeany Barrett, they are in full support of
moving the plaque to the park if this takes place.
Note: We would be pleased to present this information to Council as a
Delegation.
R~ ctfully submitte ,
I
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1 ~
Myno V n yke, Dire\\\ctor,
Newcastle Village & District Histo ~ Society.
905-987-5482
28 February 2011
Municipality of Clarington
40 Temperance Street
Bowmanville, Ontazio
L1C 3A6
RE: Newcastle Memorial Park
At Clarington Museums and Archives, we advocate the preservation of the history of Clarington.
With this in mind and due to requests from the public, we undertook research into the naming of
Newcastle Memorial Park. Through our research, we verified that there was only one Armoury
built in the Municipality of Clarington and it is located in Orono. Other communities, including
Newcastle and Bowmanville, built Drill Sheds for the purpose of militazy training of local
regiments. The Drill Sheds, which were a more temporary structure than an Armoury, no longer
exist. However, in Bowmanville, Memorial Park was named and dedicated to our World War II
Veterans in order to ensure the memory of their sacrifices remained a part of the history of
Bowmanville. In Newcastle, the Drill Shed was located on the grounds of the current day
Newcastle Memorial Park. While our Archivist was unable to locate a document signifying the
meaning of that name, we feel that due to the intent ofMemorial Park in Bowmanville and the
location of Memorial Pazk in Newcastle on the former Drill Shed grounds, it is highly likely that
this park was named in honour of their Veterans.
While Clarington Museums and Archives applauds the efforts of the Newcastle Village and
District Historical Society in recognizing the accomplishments of Joseph E. Atkinson along with
his affiliation with Newcastle, we respectfully request that this recognition takes place without
the removal of an existing historical name. Even though today people may not specifically recall
the motive for the naming of a site, we view this as an opportunity to educate our residents on
that historical name rather than removing it from the face of our community. Newcastle is a
growing community and that growth presents opportunities for recognition through the naming
of their new pazks, schools and even library. We are requesting that the Municipality employ
one of these new opportunities to recognize Atkinson and allow the history of Newcastle
Memorial Park to remain in place.
Sincerely,
Martha Rutherford Conrad
Executive Director
.cc Peter Windolf, Planning Department
ATTACHMENT N0.:2
REPORT NO.: EGO-077-11
~~~'°"~`~e The Royal Canadian Legion
4~
-.-
BOWMANVILLE (ONT. NO. 178) BRANCH
BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO
LiC 3K8
March 18, 2011
Municipality of Clarington
40 Temperance Street
Bowmanville, Ontario
L1C 3A6
Re: Newcastle Memorial Park
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 178 Bowmanville Disagrees with the name
change of Memorial Park Newcastle. We feel that the original name of Memorial
Park was named in memory of our World War 11 Veterans and that the name should
continue in their memory.
Si ely
cc n e s
President
"They served till death? Why noF we7" ATTACHMENT N0.:3
REPORT NO.: EGD-017-11
..~.r~-rrc~ NV.:ADMIN.lfi-98
PAGE 3
Attachment # 1 to Report Admin.-16.98
.POLICY REGARDING MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
A) MEM8ER3 OF COUNCIL:
Mayors: recognize pest or present Mayors by the naming of a facility.
CayRaillors Oer~ased During Terfn of Officelor Deceased in First Tenn After Leaving Office: may be
recognized upon requesE, by the naming of a street or a park within the Municipality.
B} MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE
Members of the Community At Lame recognition on an ad-hoc basis by Council, as requests are
received, by the naming of any park, street ar facility, based on the lerrgth and degree of service tD
the community.
C} NATIONAL TRIBUTESIRECOGNITION OF ROYALTY
Nationatky recognized individuals, such as Terry Fox, anti recognition of Royalty through visits to
Municipally hosted events, may be reoognized by the naming of a street, park, or facilhy.
STREET NAMES:
The suggestion of any street names will be processetl in conjunction with the Planning Departmerd's
registry and street naming process.
FUNDS:
Funds required to implement recognition memorial tributes will be budgeted in any given year that the
tribute is anticipated, and otherwise may be drawn from the UnGassified Administration Receptions and
Tributes account.
INITIATION:
Requests will be considered by Council on an as requestetl basis.
Irderestetl parties are to be notified of Council's decision.
ATTACHMENT N0.:4
REPORT NO.: EGD-017-17