Shortlist announced and voting begins in naming contest for new waterfront
park

TORONTO, May 31 /CNW/ - The public is one step closer to choosing a new name for Sherbourne Park - an innovative new waterfront park opening this summer. From now until June 8, the public can review and rank their favourite park names from a shortlist culled from the more than five hundred submissions received during the first phase of the contest.

The "Rename Sherbourne Park" contest - www.torontoist.com/park - was launched on April 26 by Waterfront Toronto and online news website Torontoist.

Between April 26 and May 14, members of the public were invited to submit their park names to www.torontoist.com/park. Contest submissions had to follow the City's policy on park naming and were to reflect the park's location in one of Toronto's newest, most sustainable and technologically-advanced communities.

The shortlist, developed by a selection committee representing a broad range of voices in the community, including local City Councillor Pam McConnell, covers a range of historical, commemorative and geographical perspectives which strongly relate to the waterfront and aspects of urban revitalization.

    
    The eight shortlisted names for the Rename Sherbourne Park Contest
    are:*

    -   Bayfront Village Green
    -   Blue Edge Park
    -   Kanadario Park (from the Iroquois word meaning "sparkling" or
        "beautiful" water)
    -   Merchant's Wharf Park
    -   Ridout Park
    -   Sherbourne Commons
    -   Tkaronto Park (from the Mohawk word meaning "trees standing in
        water" also an early origin of the name Toronto)
    -   Waterside Park
    

The shortlist was also vetted by the City of Toronto Parks, Recreation and Forestry Division to ensure the names meet the parks naming criteria outlined in the City of Toronto's Policy Statement on Naming and Renaming Park & Recreation Facilities & Parks.

"It's clear from the overwhelming response to this contest that a lot of people are engaged in waterfront revitalization" said John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto. "We're now looking forward to broadening the conversation by having the entire city vote for a new name for the park."

Members of the public have two opportunities to vote for their favourite park name at www.torontoist.com/park. During the semi-final round of voting, from May 31 to June 7, members of the public can rank their favourite of the eight shortlisted park names. The three top ranked park names will move on to the final round of voting which will take place between June 9 and June 15. The name that receives the most number of votes will become the new name of the park.

The park's working name - Sherbourne Park - is based on its location at the foot of Lower Sherbourne Street in the heart of East Bayfront, a new waterfront community currently under construction between Jarvis St. and Parliament St. The new waterfront park is transforming a once grim, industrial area into much needed public greenspace on the lake. When it opens this summer, it will give Torontonians access to a part of the lakefront they have never been able to enjoy.

Sponsored by Waterfront Toronto and Torontoist in collaboration with the City of Toronto, the "Rename Sherbourne Park Contest" gives members of the public an opportunity to become part of the history of the waterfront. The winning park name will be announced on June 16, 2010 and must be formally approved by Toronto and East York Community Council.

The official contest rules and the City of Toronto's Policy Statement on Naming and Renaming Park & Recreation Facilities & Parks are available on www.torontoist.com/park.

*Details about the shortlisted submissions are available in the Rename Sherbourne Park Contest Backgrounder www.waterfrontoronto.ca or at www.torontoist.com/park.

Waterfront Toronto

The Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto's waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

Torontoist

Torontoist focuses on absolutely everything interesting related to Toronto, including news, arts, events, culture, transit, politics, photography, advertising, street art and graffiti, food, and a whole lot more. Established in October 2004 as part of the thirteen-city Gothamist network, Torontoist is now published by Ink Truck Media, and has become the largest, most influential, and most widely-read website of its kind in Canada.

For further information: Samantha Gileno, Waterfront Toronto, [phone] or [email protected]