Name change is ‘right,’ Redskins president says

The Nepean Redskins’ decision to change their name is “right and just,” club president Steve Dean said Friday.

It was clear the name was offensive to some members of the aboriginal community, Dean said, and club officials wanted to avoid their young players being branded racist.

“This is a North American issue, not just a small-town Barrhaven issue,” he said. “But the name brands us, it doesn’t define us.”

Dean said the club had been considering the name change for about two years and had taken the decision independently despite a complaint filed earlier this month to the Ontario Human Rights Commission by local Ojibway musician Ian Campeau.

The club, which has more than 500 players and cheerleaders, plus coaches and other volunteers, has used the Redskins moniker for 30 years and will likely not fully complete the transition to a new name and new logos for three seasons.

The new name, which Dean said hasn’t yet been chosen and likely won’t be until December, will begin to appear next season on the equipment of some the younger-aged teams and will be gradually phased in through the more senior groups.

The club has already had numerous emails with suggestions for a new name, but Dean suggested that some weren’t appropriate.

Unlike most sports clubs, the Redskins own all equipment except players’ shoes, and now face a hefty bill of around $150,000 to complete the transition.

The cost will be borne by the club through fundraising, said Dean. “We don’t want to pass on any costs to players or their families,” he said.

Campeau has offered to bring together his fellow musicians for a fundraiser and the club would likely welcome the offer along with several other offers it has received during the past couple of days, Dean said.

The musician has been campaigning against the club’s name for more than two years and revised his efforts earlier this month with the help of two local lawyers who offered to work on his human rights complaint for free.