White Rock will soon have a policy for naming public open spaces in the city.
City council voted Monday to direct staff to develop a policy, in response to a report outlining discussion of the issue with historian Lorraine Ellenwood and staff of the White Rock Museum & Archives.
According to the report, Ellenwood suggested – for fairness and consistency – that public spaces be named to honour pioneers and pre-1940 residents; to acknowledge significant gifts of land; and to recognize outstanding service to the city. Ellenwood noted extensive research determined that a request by the family of Ross and Joyce Prior to name a laneway which extends from Roper Avenue to Thrift between Finlay and Maple streets in their honour does not meet any of those guidelines, the report states.
The issue was first raised at council in January, during discussion of the Prior request, which noted the couple’s roots in the city date back more than 50 years.
At the time, Coun. Lynne Sinclair said simply approving a lane-naming request without a policy in place, “gets us down a road that we might not want to go.”
Last month, council amended its Naming of Streets and Numbering of Houses Bylaw to include that, when considering a name for a portion of lane, unique names may be considered for lanes no longer than one block, and that all other sections of lanes must be named after the street immediately to its south or west.
Monday, despite an effort by Coun. Helen Fathers to table the decision until a policy is in place, they voted to deny the Prior request.
