Town council seeks more historic name for Thunder Bay park
July 10, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Fort Erie councillors are asking staff to get a little more creative with the renaming of a local park.
A staff report at the July 7 meeting recommended naming the park, which will be located at 3440 Thunder Bay Road, as Thunder Bay Park. The original name proposal was Thunder Bay Road Park, though public feedback found neighbours thought the name was too long.
The shortened name didn’t impress Mayor Wayne Redekop.
“I have to say I’m a little disappointed we’re going to adopt a pretty mundane name for an area that has a lot of history,” he said.
Redekop listed off a few historical events that happened in the area, such as the Fenian retreat or the presence of the Butler’s Rangers. Those pieces of history or other significant events could be fodder for a better name.
“I think there’s a lot of history there that could be looked at,” he said.
Fort Erie has a set of guidelines for naming things like parks. Project manager and parks planner Elizabeth Latif said the proposed Thunder Bay name fits those guidelines. However, CAO Chris McQueen said it was something they could look at.
Councillors voted to refer the report back to staff to see if they can come up with a more creative name that utilizes a piece of local history or significance.
The name Thunder Bay Park did receive positive feedback from the public, the report said.
Whatever the name ends up being, design for the park is planned for this year, with construction taking place in 2026.
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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.
Make some money for the city by allowing any one to name a park in their name
You can put your name for this parkland it will coast you 1 million..simple
I like it!