The road leading into the new Sports fields at Rockmosa Park in Rockwood could soon be called Drexler Avenue.
On Aug. 13 director of public works Robin Milne told council the Rockwood Football Club had found a potential sponsor for the fields in Drexler Construction.
“Back in 2016 township staff met with the … Rockwood Football Club, to discuss fundraising initiatives that would help offset the development and construction of the soccer fields proposed for Rockmosa Park expansion and this kind of came from the direction of council,” Milne said.
“If you recall … we wanted the soccer club to be engaged in the development of the park.
“They needed to come to the table with some money because the primary focus of the development of this park was for the soccer pitches.”
If the deal, which is still in the negotiation phase, goes through, Drexler Construction would be contributing $250,000 over five years to the park.
“This is a pretty impressive amount for a business of Drexler’s size,” Milne said. “They are a large business but I think what’s really impressive is that these are community fields, this wouldn’t be considered a regional park.
“This is really benefiting the local community so in my opinion … as much as it is for the naming opportunities, this is a local business giving back to the community.”
The request for sponsorship acknowledge includes:
– the township referring to the fields as “Drexler Soccer Fields;”
– a sign saying “Drexler Fields” at the entrance to the fields;
– signs identifying “Drexler Soccer Field 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5” as identifiers at each field;
– renaming the road leading into the soccer fields, which is currently called “Mutrie Boulevard” to “Drexler Avenue;” and
– Keep the naming agreement in place for 40 years.
“Well this is good News,” Mayor Chris White said to Milne. “This is the same as the Royal Dristributing, Marden fieldhouse. That was a big boost out there … Kudos to the soccer folks for digging deep and finding this, and for you for bring it forward.”
The only point of debate for councillors was the road renaming.
Currently, that stretch of road is called Mutrie Boulevard, which honours a soldier on the Rockwood Cenotaph and is part of the Bonarrow subdivision site plan. Currently, Mutrie runs from Main St. North up around a bend and into the subdivision.
Milne’s proposal would cut that road less than halfway and give the longer portion from Main Street North to just past the soccer fields to Drexler Avenue, while retaining the shorter portion as Mutrie Boulevard.
The name change would occur at the intersection of Drexler Avenue, Taylor Avenue and Mutrie Boulevard.
The name change is a challenge because the street names given to the Bonarrow subdivision from the township represent soldiers who died in a war (Pick Road and Mutrie Boulevard) and pioneer families (Taylor Avenue and Edgar Donner Avenue).
Drexler fits neither of those categories.
“It is a family that has strong roots in the community and … there’s a heck of a lot of them who live in our municipality and they do a lot of work in this area and … they’re probably one of the bigger employers, if not the biggest employer, in our municipality,” Milne said.
Councillors Mark Bouwmeester and Louise Marshall asked if the name change could occur at the bend in the road rather than the intersection.
“Yeah I mean we absolutely could,” Milne said.
“The only problem is it’s not changing at an intersection.
“I don’t know where you’d put the street sign.”
Director of public works Harry Niemi said there is no “hard and fast rule” for when a road’s name can change.
White asked that the name change occur at the intersection so Mutrie is a bit longer.
“We’re still keeping Mutrie a reasonable size,” White said.
“He is a vet.
“Drexler’s got quite a stretch there.”
Staff will bring the final sponsorship agreement back to council once the terms and conditions have been negotiated.
