JASON SETNYK
Cornwall City Council voted in favour of expanding the proposed Bob Turner Memorial project during the May 12, 2025, meeting, adopting a revised motion that includes recognition of local women who have made significant contributions to sport. The decision followed an extensive discussion on commemoration, inclusion, and historical legacy.
The approved motion authorizes a review of the Civic Complex’s north patio design to include plaques, seating, and signage honouring not only Bob Turner, but also Si Miller, Joe St. Denis, and notable women in Cornwall’s sports history. A second part of the motion continues collaboration with the Cornwall Minor Baseball Association to explore signage and a mural behind one of the Legion ball diamonds.
“This council isn’t being asked to commemorate these people. We’re being asked to replace the buildings and fields that were named after them with plaques,” said Councillor Sarah Good.
“I fully support recognizing women as well, and I think that should be pursued independently and intentionally, not by deferring what’s already on the table,” she added.
Councillor Claude McIntosh recalled his long-standing advocacy for Turner’s recognition. “I think I started writing about this 24 years ago. I once made a motion to name the Civic Complex after Bob Turner-it didn’t pass, but I’m glad we’re finally getting something done.”
The initial proposal drew concern from Councillor Elaine MacDonald, who raised questions about representation.
“All three individuals proposed for commemoration are men and former city employees. That risks reinforcing an outdated narrative, one that overlooks the essential contributions of women and volunteers in Cornwall’s sporting culture,” MacDonald stated.
This isn’t the first criticism over representation. A promotional video released earlier in 2025 during the tariff response campaign was called out for its lack of women. The production featured male leaders, with the only notable female presence being a blurry shot of a woman serving beer.
At the time, Mayor Justin Towndale acknowledged the oversight, highlighting the ongoing need for inclusive storytelling in how Cornwall honours its past and present.
Councillor MacDonald moved to defer the decision, but later withdrew her motion in favour of a friendly amendment proposed by Councillor Carilyne Hébert, who suggested adding wording to explicitly include “local women who have made significant contributions to sport.”
“We’re not looking at statues of three men,” Hébert clarified. “We’re reviewing a design for plaques and signage. If that’s the case, let’s make sure from the start that women are represented in that plan, not added later.”
Councillor Fred Ngoundjo echoed MacDonald’s point about representation. “Properly preserving the memory of Mr. Bob Turner honours not only him, but us as a community. He fought against racism.”
Councillor McIntosh defended the inclusion of Joe St. Denis. “He founded the ‘Our Citizens of Tomorrow’ program for underprivileged youth. That was volunteer work, not something he was paid to do. He deserves that recognition.”
General Manager Mellissa Morgan explained that the plaques will include QR codes linking to detailed histories of those commemorated. “We name a lot of things after people, and no one knows who they are. This project helps us preserve those stories consistently across the city.”
Good asked if the mural project would involve a public call for artists. “That’s something we’d work on with the baseball association,” said Morgan. “They’d likely handle the signage, and we’d go through our normal procurement process for the mural.”
Several councillors named local women deserving of recognition, including Juanita Courville and Donna MacDonald.
“She (Donna MacDonald) was a triathlete who competed in Australia and ran the swim club as a coach,” said Councillor Syd Gardiner. “I hope the sports committee starts making sure females are involved in the Sports Hall of Fame.” Donna MacDonald was inducted in 2002.
Councillor Dean Hollingsworth pointed out that the city already has a mechanism-a Municipal Naming Committee-to consider and approve commemorations. “If someone wants to nominate a woman or volunteer for recognition, there’s a process in place.
Deferring this doesn’t help. Should we have more women recognized, absolutely, but I’m not deferring, because these people should be recognized.”
After the deferral was withdrawn and the amendment accepted, the motion passed unanimously.
The original $25,000 earmarked for the Bob Turner Memorial remains in place, along with $600 in community donations.
The redesigned north patio and mural project are expected to be developed in phases, with further details brought back during 2026 budget deliberations.
