New name game all about money

By Sandra Thomas-Staff writer

Naming a room in a community centre in the memory of someone who contributed to the community is fine, says Keith Jacobson. But naming that room after a soft drink or sports company is not.

Jacobson, president of the Killarney Community Centre Association, said the association passed a motion April 24 against corporate sponsorship for interior rooms in city community centres.

"Kids are under enough pressure without naming every second room in a community centre Nike, Reebok or Coca Cola," said Jacobson.

On Monday night, the NPA-dominated parks board approved new naming policies developed by the city. One policy allows corporations to pay to put their name on rooms within community centres.

Under the policies, parks and community centres cannot be named for corporate sponsors, but gyms, hockey rinks, swimming pools and multi-purpose rooms are fair game. Facilities such as the PNE Forum, the Agridome and Pacific Coliseum would also be eligible for new names.

Last November the city approved two policies related to the naming of civic facilities, which provide a clear set of guidelines to be used when considering name requests. The guidelines cover both situations in which donations are made to secure naming rights and where a name is chosen when no money is involved. Commemorative names will also be considered.

Jacobson said his association has no problem with allowing a commemorative name, as was used for the Alice MacKay Room at the Vancouver Public Library's downtown branch.

"If somebody has done something good for the community and they want to name a room in his or her memory, we have no objection to that," he said. "But we're right beside a high school and kids are under enough peer pressure without seeing corporate signs everywhere."

COPE parks board commissioner Loretta Woodcock, who agreed with Jacobson, said the Champlain Community Centre Association also went on record against corporate sponsorship.

She noted six community centres, including Sunset, Trout Lake, Hillcrest/Riley, Dunbar, Hastings and No. 1 Kingsway, are or will be undergoing redevelopment. Two new community centres are also planned for Southeast False Creek and East Fraser Lands.

"We're going to have these brand-new splashy facilities and what corporation wouldn't want its name all over them," said Woodcock. "We've already been approached by one company that we had to turn down because its values were different than the park board's."

The new policies give the board of directors of a community centre the power to seek corporate sponsorship for rooms in their facilities. But Woodcock said that puts the volunteer boards in a tough situation.

"They look to the park board for financial assistance," said Woodcock. "But we're going to tell them they have a budget and in order to stick to that budget they're going to have to be creative. And then they have a company offering money for its name on a room."

NPA commissioner Korina Houghten said community centres that don't want to seek corporate funding will not be forced to go down that route.

"As far as the park board is concerned it's the community centres that will be the applicants and they are the folks that know the pulse of the community," she said. "If they don't think corporate funding is appropriate we'll have to consider that."

Houghten said money raised by selling naming rights could be used for equipment, more programs and to reduce community centre user fees. She said the policy requires that each application must be approved or rejected individually.

"Individuals or companies considered will have to share the mission and values of the park board," she said. "It's not like we're going to let some oil-spilling company pay for naming rights."

published on 05/02/2007