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
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.