Bowden voters will not see a question on the ballot this fall about renaming the Bowden Igloo arena in honour of a popular resident.
At its Aug. 12 meeting, Bowden council, out of concern the matter is dividing the community, again decided the town will not rename the arena for Don “Choppy” Poynter and shot down the idea of having the community vote on the matter through a plebiscite.
Poynter, who worked for many years for recreation departments in Bowden, Olds and Innisfail and played a key role in the Bowden arena's development, died in January and a trio of his friends are spearheading a campaign to have the arena renamed in tribute.
Although Bowden council voted in April not to rename the arena for Poynter, Carla Radke, her niece Jaleen and Tara Roth persisted in their cause and, after putting together a petition containing 273 names, again appealed to council at its July 22 meeting.
At that meeting, Mayor Robb Stuart said since it would be unfair for council to make a decision that would honour one Bowden resident when others are just as deserving, the best course of action would be to have the question about renaming the arena for Poynter be the subject of a plebiscite during the October municipal election.
Council agreed to discuss the plebiscite concept on Aug. 12 and Stuart said at that meeting he had decided putting the renaming question on a public ballot is not the way to go.
“Personally I think that's way overboard,” he said. “It's for if you're funding a new community hall.”
Coun. Sandy Gamble said although council gave the community a chance to offer input on the renaming question when it was first brought up in March—where the majority of respondents were opposed to changing the arena's name—council should have closed the door on the matter when it first arose.
“We should have said no right at the start,” she said. “And that was our mistake, was not saying no right at the start.”
Telling council she had heard from a number of people in the community since the July 22 meeting who do not want the arena renamed, Coun. Sheila Church said the matter has sparked some anger in town.
“I find that the issue is becoming divisive, making the community divisive,” she said. “We all liked Don and we all knew Don and things are starting to be said that I think are very, very unfortunate.”
Church added people have told her they are upset because council made a decision on the matter in April and it's being brought up again.
While council has debated whether it should even consider such a matter, Coun. Cory Jasper said bringing the renaming concept to town was the right thing to do.
He added that past discussions about the unfairness of honouring Poynter over other people who have given a great deal to the community isn't fair since council has received a specific request regarding Poynter, not other individuals.
“This isn't the time or place to talk about all the people that have done well for this town,” he said. “If somebody wants to see if they can get immortalized here, they come to council.
“We should just deal with the request that comes before us.”
After discussing the matter, council agreed to stand by the original decision given in April that “council does not rename the Igloo Arena and that council is open to further deliberations in regards to an alternative memorial that is privately funded.
Carla Radke, who was friends with Poynter for 35 years and now lives in Calgary, was not at the Aug. 12 meeting but said in an interview she wasn't surprised with council's decision since she had a “feeling” at the July 22 meeting “that they were saying what they could say to shut us up.”
“I'm not surprised,” she said. “I didn't really have a good feeling that they would go through with it anyway. “I'm very disappointed but not surprised considering the town of Bowden has never had each others' backs.”
