No memorial for Bob Turner, for now

CORNWALL, Ontario – It was revealed during the April 24 session of Cornwall City Council that a plan to name the pads at the Benson Centre after Bob Turner, Si Miller and Sewsy Lalonde would not be possible, this  year.

The rights to the names of the pads at the Benson Centre and of teh facility itself are owned by various organizations through term limited sponsorship agreements.

Pads 1, 2 and 3 are named after Cornwall Professional Firefighters, the Rotary Clubs and Lahaie & Sullivan respectively for $125, 000, $100, 000 and $75, 000 respectively.

The sponsorship deals are all in their seventh year of 10 year contracts and cannot be renamed until these contracts expire.

Administration offered the following alternatives as sites to be named after Bob Turner, or Si Miller or Newsy Lalonde

Lamoureux Park Splashpad, Marina 200, Potential Future Benson Centre Facilities (ie. gymnasium, football field, soccer field), Broadview Park, Dover Heights Park, Heritage Park, Riverdale Park and Meadowvale Park.

Bob Turner was the first black Recreation Director in the history of the City of Cornwall and of Ontario. The Bob Turner Memorial arena was named in his honour until it was torn down in 2013.

Councillor Claude McIntosh originally floated the idea of renaming the pads at the Benson Centre after the three famous Cornwallites.

“Its with mixed emotions that I receive this report,” he said. “I’ve always been involved in Civil Rights. Was turned back at the border going to Selma. He was the first black Recreation Director in Ontario, possibly first black Recreation Director in Canada. There was a small group trying to drive him out. It was a defining moment for the City. Council held emergency meeting that night and said they would back him, kids outside begging him to stay. and in the end he said he’d stay.

“We name buildings after people and then tear them down and forget about them,” he continued. “Perhaps a couple years down the road a couple of ideas will bear fruit.”