A South Edmonton recreation centre will be donning a new name, but it came with a price tag.
Edmonton City Council met yesterday to discuss the Terwilliger rec centre receiving a new name with a sponsor title attached to it .
The idea came back in fall of 2020 when City Council directed officials to discuss the potential naming rights for fiv e of the city’s recreation centres and Terwilliger is the first to have a sponsors name attached to it.
Logistics including which company, as well as the dollar figure have not been made available.
A city report laid out specifics, noting that the business whom will have the naming rights to the facility is local to Edmononton.
City Councillors were divided when it came to the subject.
“I do not feel that the value in that agreement is proportionate to the value of recognizing public spaces and public dollars for public good,” according to Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford.
Of the total council votes councillors Michael Janz, Erin Rutherford Ashley Salvador and Jo-Anne Wright all voted against it, but the nine yes votes would pass the motion.
Although much of the proposed agreement is being kept under wraps at this time, councillor Aaron Paquette spoke openly about some of the finances that could potentially be a part of the contract.
“$150,000 on its own for one year does not sound like a lot, I agree, and if that was the deal I’d say no. But over 10 years that’s $1.5 million.”
Many councillors who voted in favour of the sponsorship, were still hesitant with privatizing a public space, however felt the financial need within the city.
“We need every dollar we can find — we’re in the ditch,” said Cartmell.
“In 2007 to 2015 when I was in council was a different financial reality than we are in today. We need to find every dollar that we can find,” said Sohi.
No details yet on when the name change will take place.
