Park naming honours athletic history of Crystal Beach
February 12, 2025 at 9:09 PM
A new Crystal Beach park will honour a piece of the community’s sporting history.
Councillors approved a naming request for the Ryan Avenue park that was submitted by Gary Pooler, a local resident and author of ‘Crystal Beach: Out of the Park.’ Built in 2021 as part of the South Coast Village development, the previously unnamed park will from now on be known as Stadium Park.
The end corner of Ryan Avenue. Credit: Town of Fort Erie | FacebookAccording to Pooler’s application, the name is in reference to the stadium that was once located in the area, across from the amusement park.
It dates back to the early 20th century, and during its heyday attracted some Canadian and international athletic stars. Those stars include Phil Edwards, a Canadian Olympic medalist and first ever winner of the Lou Marsh Award; American track star and Olympian Jesse Owens; and boxer Joe Louis.
Other notable people who visited the stadium included actress Gloria Swanson and former American Vice President Nelson Rockefeller.
“I was really quite enjoying myself as I read the history there,” said Mayor Wayne Redekop, thanking Pooler for his exhaustive research.
The site played host to countless school, recreational, and elite invitational athletics competitions over the years.
The Town has a park naming policy that offers several criteria and recommendations.
In Pooler’s submission, he said he originally sought to have the park named after Edwards, who in addition to winning five Olympic bronze medals was also a physician and leading expert on tropical diseases, but agreed to change it to Stadium Park to better align with the Town’s recommendations against using an individual name for a park.
Redekop suggested the Town consider putting up a sign at the park that can honour the former stadium.
“Maybe a picture of the old stadium so that when people come to that park…they’ll get at least a glimpse of what was there up until 40-50 years ago,” he said.
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About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
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