Renaming will result in the Grace Bowen Arena

In honour of an extraordinary young athlete, the Pond ice surface at the Cobourg Community Centre will have a new name.

Cobourg council has voted at its April meeting to proceed with a renaming of the smaller ice surface at the Cobourg Community Centre in honour of young hockey player Grace Bowen.

The request was made at council's April 9 meeting of the Community Services, Protection and Economic Development Committee in response to a presentation by Grace's parents and actor Ryan Reynolds.

Young Grace was one of the most enthusiastic members of the Northumberland Wild hockey team when she was diagnosed with the same cancer Terry Fox had. Like Terry Fox, she fought back and never gave an inch, in spite of losing a leg.

Her incredible spirit captured Canadian hockey legend Hailey Wickenheiser, who asked her to go onstage with her when she got her star at the Canadian Walk of Fame. The little girl admitted to a wish to meet Ryan Reynolds, who was also present, and he promptly joined her onstage.

Reynolds related to the committee how Grace inspired him to become an activist on behalf of the Hospital for Sick Children. And when the hospital honoured her as one of its unforgettable memories on the occasion of its 150th anniversary, he was further inspired to join Grace's parents in requesting the renaming.

The Grace Bowen Arena will become the new name for the Pond surface. And just for consistency in nomenclature, Director of Community Service Brian Geerts said, the Bowl surface will be known as the Bowl Arena.

On behalf of the Northumberland County homeless shelter, Alison Lester represented the Transition House board of directors who, along with the Citizens Liaison Committee, were represented in the gallery.

Lester wanted to express concern about the Emergency Care Establishment Bylaw amendment to limit to two the number of licenses the town can issue at one time.

Lester's point was that the county owns the building and Transition House is the party contracted to operate it – and when they applied for their license last November, they were told they would require two licenses.

As licenses must be required annually, they worry about the scenario that awaits them – they will be told Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre already has one so only one more is available.

Council cost $245,585.48 for remuneration and $11,785.78 for expenses. This breaks down to Mayor Lucas Cleveland's $54,216 remuneration (with $5,195.71 for expenses), Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty's $36,485.17 (with expenses of $2,884.22), and the councillors. Brian Darling and Randy Barber each got remuneration of $31,421.85 (with expenses of $2,246.64 and $1,459.21 respectively), while Aaron Burchat, Adam Bureau and Miriam Mutton each got remuneration of $30,656.27 (with no expenses paid in these cases).

On the Police Service Board, Councillors Beatty and Bureau got no remuneration, but did submit for expenses - $1,484.77 and $1,622.12 respectively. Members Dean Pepper and Sean Graham each got remuneration of $7,706.24 (plus expenses of $4,553.89 and $3,006.75 respectively), and Ronald Kerr got remuneration of $9.633.08 and expenses of $3,619.39.

No councillors sit on the Committee of Adjustment. Robert Marr got remuneration of $850, with $750 each for members Terry Brown, Peter Delanty, David Deter and Brian Murphy. Only Murphy received expenses, totalling $2,095.12.

Mayor Cleveland received $3,501 for his service on the Town of Holdings Inc. and $23,242.44 for his service on Northumberland County council (with expenses of $7,191.01). Deputy Mayor Beatty got no remuneration for county-council service but did receive expenses of $407.80.

For the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, Councillors Barber and Mutton received remuneration of $525 and $600 respectively (and expenses of $104.94 and $133.43 respectively).

In all, these payments represent in remunerations and in expenses

$301,224.48 total remuneration and $35,993.99 in expenses total.

Such a report is required to be made public annually under the Municipal Act.