The community’s newest park in downtown officially has a new name.
Known before as the Franklin and Main Park, it’s now being called Kiyām Community Park after Wood Buffalo council, earlier this week, approved the recommendation from the Community Identification Committee.
Kiyām is a Cree and Michif word meaning ‘let it be.’
Speaking on Fort McMurray Matters, Mayor Don Scott says he believes it’s a perfect fit.
“It’s meant to signal relaxation which is perfectly applicable to what’s going to be a park where people can relax in.”
It will be located on the ‘arena land’ which has been used as a parking lot for several years.
There were talks around creating a new arena in the location, however, the project never moved forward despite multiple properties being expropriated and removed.
The park is set to feature community gathering spaces, a medicine wheel rock garden, micro-businesses, an interactive water feature, a full-size basketball court, along with winter season activities such as ice skating.
Scott adds the park, along with its name, will continue to highlight the rich Indigenous culture across Wood Buffalo.
“We have a strong Indigenous history in this region and a name like this… I think this was a very appropriate name given all circumstances.”
Wilco Contractors Northwest Inc. was given the contract for the project with work slated to wrap up later this fall.
More information, including potential designs, can be found on the RMWB’s website.