Riverdale Park to possibly be renamed after Gord Downie.
Downie lived in Riverdale for several years towards the end of his life
exclaim.ca
I have nothing against Mr. Downe, but I'm not sure that this is a good use of money/time.
He really isn't connected to Riverdale Park in a meaningful way. It existed long before he was born, he was not a major donor/funder or contributor to the space.
Despite his moderate fame today, in Canada.........I expect his name will also largely be unrecognizable to most in a generation as 'The Hip' become grandpa's music.
Renaming a park, means changing several signs, that are about $2,500 a pop, plus lots of smaller stuff (website updates, Parks Maps).
I would also express concern for Mr. Downe's friends, that once you slap someone's name on a space, you can expect someone else will spend too much time looking for a reason to take their name off it.
I don't know if there's any money of significance remaining in Gord's estate, but maybe finding a project to improve the park and donating 50k+ towards it would be a better choice. That contribution could then be recognized with a plaque next to the pool/playground/tennis courts etc.
