Parks committee backs renaming park after Stillman
The city’s arenas, parks and recreation committee has endorsed a plan to rename a northend park after two-time Stanley Cup champion and city native Cory Stillman.
The proposal is to rename Olympus Park on Olympus Ave., where Stillman grew up.
It would be called Stillman Park instead.
There was no discussion about it at a meeting Tuesday evening: committee members endorsed the name change and directed city staff to present a report to council recommending it.
Now it’s up to council to decide, at a forthcoming meeting, whether to rename the park.
Stillman, who has coached the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves since last May, is also a co-owner of Firehouse
Subs on Lansdowne Street West.
Steve Terry, who obtained permission to proceed with the proposal from the Stillman family, made the name change request in a March 21 letter to the city.
The Stillman family home, where he was raised, is on Olympus Ave. and for many years throughout the 1970s, his family built and maintained the skating rink in the park bordered by Royal Dr.
It was there that he learned the basic skating and hockey skills.
That led to success in the Ontario Hockey League, where he played with the Windsor Spitfires and Peterborough Petes.
He then went on to the National Hockey League, where he played for 19 years before retiring in 2011.
Stillman’s later success — including Stanley Cup wins with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and Carolina Hurricanes in 2005 — brought recognition to his hometown.
The city’s naming policy states parks should be named after those who have contributed to t public life and well being.
City staff sought input from area residents: 111 notices were hand-delivered in March to neighbours within 120 metres of the park, asking for feedback.
Of the 15 responses received, 13 were highly supportive, one was completely opposed and another did not indicate a preference, states a city staff report.