DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Jim Baird, Commissioner of Development Services Valerie Shuttleworth, Director of Planning & Urban Design
	PREPARED BY:	Linda A. Irvine, Manager, Parks and Open Space Development
	DATE OF MEETING:	2005-Mar-22
	SUBJECT:	McLaren Park - Request for Renaming

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report to Development Services Committee, dated March 22, 2005, and entitled “McLaren Park – Request for Renaming” be received;

THAT “McLaren Park”, located at the corner of Simonston Blvd. and Don Mills Road in Thornhill, be renamed “Simonston Park” as requested by the majority of German Mills Community respondents who completed the McLaren Park Renaming Survey;

AND THAT an interpretive plaque be placed in Simonston Park to recognize the important contributions that the McLaren Family have made to both the German Mills and Thornhill communities;

AND THAT consideration be given to name a new park or facility in Markham or Thornhill, after “Susannah McLaren”, who fought and died in WWII;

AND FURTHER THAT consideration be given to recognize Jane McLaren, for her contributions to Thornhill, as the first librarian of the Thornhill Village Library, as a local historian and local activist, by placing a plaque in the Thornhill Village Library or naming a library or library room after her.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to request that “McLaren Park” be re-named “Simonston Park”, and that consideration be given to recognize the McLaren family, Susannah McLaren, and Jane McLaren in a number of possible ways.

BACKGROUND:

In September 2000, Council approved the name “McLaren Park”, based on the Town’s park naming criteria relating to War Veterans and the historical significance of the area as follows:

• These park lands were the former family farm of the McLaren Family
• Members of the McLaren family fought in WWI
• Susannah and Fred McLaren both fought and died in WWII
• Jane McLaren lived on the farm property for over 50 years and went to school at the German Mills School House
• Jane McLaren was the first librarian in Thornhill, ran the library on Colbourne Street and was active as a local historian and archivist
• Jane McLaren wrote the “Tweedsmire Histories of Unionville and Thornhill”
• Jane McLaren was also active on the Thornhill Heritage Committee and was instrumental in saving and protecting the one room schoolhouse now known as the German Mills Community Centre

In April 23, 2002, Patsy Bosomworth (nee McLaren), sister of Fred, Susannah and Jane McLaren, attended the Thornhill Sub-committee meeting and spoke about the family, its history and relevance to Thornhill and Markham. Also, in June, 2002, the Town received a letter from Patsy Bosomworth, in support of retaining the name “McLaren Park” to recognize the contributions of the McLaren family and to acknowledge that the name fits almost all of the criteria used for naming parks and facilities in the Town of Markham. She indicated in her letter, that “should the name be changed, it would be a great injustice to the contributions my mother and father, both of my sisters, and my brother, have made to the community”.

In a letter dated February 20, 2004, the Town received a petition by 191 residents in support of re-naming the park to “Simonston Park”. The petition was submitted by the German Mills Ratepayers Association requesting that the Town acknowledge the contributions of the German Mills Community in helping to preserve the property as parkland and requesting the entire parkland parcel be named “Simonston Park”. Since 2002, motions at the Annual General Meetings of the German Mills Ratepayers Association (GMRA) indicate support for the park to be named “Simonston Park” with the possibility of recognizing the contributions of the McLaren family in a section of the park, either through a plaque or other dedication.

At the Council Meeting of March 9, 2004, Council received letters from the German Mills Ratepayers Association in support of renaming the park to “Simonston Park” and directed that a survey be conducted in the community to gather input on the name of the park.

In early January, 2005, a survey was mailed to 1430 households in the German Mills Community asking residents to cast their votes for “Simonston Park”, “McLaren Park” or “Another Name”. Between January 10 to 31, 2005, residents could respond by telephone, with only one vote per household. The survey was issued through Councillor Shapero’s office, but the telephone calls were received and tabulated by the Town’s Contact Centre. The survey was conducted in the same way that traffic calming surveys are normally done.

OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:

The results of the McLaren Park Renaming Survey are as follows:

• 694 votes were received representing 48.5% of the 1430 households surveyed;
• 601 households or 86.6% voted for “Simonston Park” and for installing a commemorative plaque in the park recognizing the contributions of the McLaren family;
• 78 households or 11.2% voted for “McLaren Park”;
• 15 households or 11.2% voted for other names.

Based on the results of this survey, staff recommend that “McLaren Park”, be renamed “Simonston Park” and that an interpretive plaque be placed in Simonston Park to recognize the important contributions that the McLaren Family have made to both the German Mills and Thornhill communities as requested by the majority of German Mills Community respondents who completed the McLaren Park Re-naming Survey.

Staff also recommend that in recognition of the contributions of specific members of the McLaren family that consideration be given to name a new park or facility in Markham or Thornhill, after “Susannah McLaren”, who fought and died in WWII and that consideration be given to recognize Jane McLaren, for her contributions to Thornhill, as the first librarian of the Thornhill Village Library, as a local historian and local activist, by placing a plaque in the Thornhill Village Library or naming a library or library room after her.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

None at this time.

ATTACHMENTS:

Figure 1: McLaren Park Renaming Survey

Figure 2: Letter from Patsy Bosomworth

Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Director of Planning & Urban Design

Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Commissioner of Development Services

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