Ottawa council could name spot near city hall after Nelson Mandela

by Lucy Scholey
Metro
Mar 31, 2014

Former South African president Nelson Mandela waves to the crowd during a ceremony in Hull, Quebec, where he was presented with an Honourary Canadian Citizenship Monday November 19, 2001. [image credit: Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press]

City council could name a square outside one of its municipal buildings after the late Nelson Mandela.

On Tuesday, the city’s financial and economic development committee (FEDCO) will review a motion to name the front yard of the heritage building portion of city hall “Nelson Mandela Square.” That area also includes the Human Rights Monument.

Mayor Jim Watson put forward the motion in February and it went to a 30-day public consultation.

Out of the 40 total email and letter submissions, only three opposed the suggestion. All three said the space should be named after a Canadian and not the late South African leader.

“Nelson Mandela has been honoured enough by Canada; afterall (sic) one must remember that he is from another country,” the city report about the motion quotes Gary Odell, as writing. “Ottawa is Canada’s Capital: not South Africa’s! I propose; that a Canadian Soldier who served and died for this city and country should have that honour, not a foreigner.”

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