Powell River’s new amphitheatre at Willingdon Beach will be named through a public contest.
According to one member of a committee choosing the name, every entry will be looked at. However, the winning entry will not be Boaty McBoatface or any entries deemed disrespectful.
“We’ll be eliminating those right off the bat,” said Ray Boogaards, City of Powell River director of parks, recreation, and culture, the department managing the contest.
As an entry in a naming contest for a British research council’s new state-of-the-art vessel, Boaty McBoatface went viral online a month ago; it was the clear winner in a public poll. Britain’s science minister said it would not be christened as such.
According to Boogaards, the committee choosing the amphitheatre’s name will look at all contest entries and discard those that are inappropriate.
“We’re going to look at them and say ‘no,’” he said, adding that a committee has not been formed yet, so naming criteria is still to be determined.
The committee will not have a lot of time to make its decision. According to Boogaards, ideally, the amphitheatre will be named before Powell River Logger Sports takes place from July 15 to 17.
Boogaards said contest entries should not be limited to an association with Logger Sports, as it is not the only event that will use the site.
Powell River has a number of venues named after high-profile civic figures, including Hap Parker Arena, Max Cameron Theatre and Brooks Secondary School, after Dwight and Anson Brooks.
Boogaards said his preference would be a name that highlights Powell River’s attributes, rather than an individual or corporation.
According to Boogaards, corporate naming will be something the city will closely study in the near future.
“Corporate naming is something a lot of local governments are doing now to help offset some of the costs,” he said. “There are a lot of arenas named after corporations. For [the amphitheatre], we’re not going to look at a corporate name.”
City councillor Karen Skadshiem recently returned from a meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in Winnipeg where the subject of naming and sponsorship was discussed.
“You’re selling advertising on a public building and how do you do that tastefully and not look like you’re selling out your community,” said Skadshiem. “How do you create partnerships and not look like NASCAR?”
The public is invited to submit proposals and a reason for choosing each name; there is no limit to the number of entries that can be submitted per person.
Contest forms are available on the city’s website at powellriver.ca and in the Peak Weekender on Friday, June 17. Entries will also be accepted at Powell River Recreation Complex.
Contest closes at 4 pm on June 24. The winning entrant will receive a $100 gift card.
