Sudbury park renamed after long-time volunteer
A park in Sudbury's Flour Mill community has a new name honouring a long-time volunteer.
City officials gathered on Percy Avenue late Thursday afternoon to rename the neighbourhood playground the Parc Claude Charbonneau Park.
Charbonneau, who was born and raised in the neighbourhood, has volunteered thousands of hours. His fundraising work helped improve the Percy Park fieldhouse and rebuild the outdoor rink.
"It's amazing, the feeling that I have being so grateful for what's gone on here today," Charbonneau told CTV News in an interview.
"Thankful for all the support I've received, the leaders from our society here, the city, it's just an honour."
Long-time Sudbury volunteer Claude Charbonneau has Percy Park renamed after him. Dec. 8/22 (Ian Campbell/CTV NorthernOntario)
It was the Labourers' International Union of North America (LiUNA) that put forward the request to have it renamed.
- Download our app to get alerts sent to your device
- Get the latest newsletter sent right to your inbox
Percy Park had been named for Percy Johns, the Sudbury-area businessman who had donated the land to the city in 1941.
The city said it sought the permission of the Johns family, who were present via Zoom for the dedication, before the renaming.
"For me, this is a place where when the kids come here, they can forget about everything," said Charbonneau.
"It's great that we have a beautiful facility here, it's safe and it's new. Kids love it. We have adults that come and use the exercise equipment. It's great to see a variety."
In his speech, he gave credit to his neighbours who he said were instrumental in helping maintain the park.
Councillor Joscelyne Landry-Altmann said the honour couldn't go to a more deserving individual.
"He means everything to this community. He's the support, he's the person you go to when you need help. He's the person that will organize an activity and or an amenity, making sure the ice is in good condition, or making sure the kids have skates or they have something hot to eat at least once a week," she said.
"He's the one when you have vandalism in the park, instead of calling the police, he goes to visit the parents to see if there's something he can do to help. That's the person we're talking about."
Landry-Altmann, who represents the Flour Mill as part of Ward 12, said it's just a small token for the amount of work Charbonneau's given to the city.
"40,000 hours and $14 an hour, you do the math," she said.
"I had the pleasure of getting to know Claude in my former role and saw his advocacy and how passionate he was about this area. Once you get to know Claude, you see the leadership in him, the passion in him about his community," said Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre.
Charbonneau received the City of Greater Sudbury Civic Award in 2008 and the June Callwood Award for Outstanding Volunteer in 2016.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.