City of Brampton unveils new park name sign

A Brampton park officially has a brand new name.

A Brampton park officially has a brand new name.

The motion to rename the park, located south of Highway 407, was brought forward by City Councillor Charmaine Williams and unanimously passed by city council on Wednesday, July 8.

“Around the world, we are witnessing a historic moment in time. People of all backgrounds are coming together to collectively confront systemic anti-Black racism,” said Mayor Patrick Brown.

“Here in Brampton, honouring Emancipation Month and naming a City park Emancipation Park is a powerful way for us to acknowledge the past and reiterate that we stand with Brampton’s Black community,” Brown added.

Additionally, the city has declared August 1 to be Emancipation Day, and August as a whole as Emancipation Month.

“As the first Black woman elected to city council in the history of Brampton, I was proud to move the motion to create a recognition of Emancipation in October of 2019,” said Williams.

“The recent events that have elevated our understanding of anti-Black racism could not have been foreseen when I brought this initiative forward. However, I am so proud to say that Brampton is home to Emancipation Park.”

On August 12, the city unveiled the new park name sign.

“Proud to unveil Emancipation Park Brampton (407/Dixie),” said Brown in a tweet following the reveal. “Council unanimously and proudly supported the renaming of this park. It is a symbol of our commitment to confront historic and systemic anti-Black racism.”

Photo courtesy of the City of Brampton