Roxborough Park in Hamilton’s east end could soon be named Devan Selvey Memorial Park.
A request to rename the park in Hamilton’s McQueston neighbourhood goes before the city’s Facility Naming Sub-Committee on Wednesday.
An application submitted by Shari-Ann Selvey, mother of Devan Selvey, asked the city to rename the park, located at 70 Reid Avenue North in Ward 4.
Staff reported to the sub-committee analyzing the request.
Devan Selvey was a 14-year-old student at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School when he was killed on Oct. 7, 2019, in an act of youth violence outside the school.
A confrontation involving a group of youths escalated, and Devan was fatally stabbed.
His death drew widespread attention across Hamilton to the issues of youth violence and bullying.
Roxborough Park reportedly held a particular meaning for Devan since he played T-ball there and spent time in the park growing up.
In Hamilton city staff’s analysis of the renaming request, they note that the city has specific criteria outlined in their Municipal Property and Building Naming Policy.
The city’s criteria for renaming parks after “prominent individuals” specifically focuses on personal contributions to the community through service and volunteerism, which staff note “does not apply to this name suggestion.”
“Because there is not a category in the naming policy to consider commemorative names such as this one, staff are not able to put forward a recommendation in support of this application,” they concluded.
However, despite the criteria, staff say that the application has received “significant community support” from local residents, so they say that the renaming “may warrant consideration as an exception to the city’s naming policy.”
Staff note that Council previously approved the naming of the Jude Strickland Play Structure in Ward 6, a young resident who was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking home from school back in 2020.
While each naming request is evaluated individually, staff note that the Jude Strickland decision shows that the city has been willing to support commemorative naming in exceptional circumstances where community interest is strong.
Should Council ultimately direct staff to proceed with the renaming, the report estimates the cost of fabricating new signs at the park at approximately $300, a cost that would be covered by the applicant unless another funding source is identified.
City parks staff would then install the signage at no additional cost.
Roxborough Park itself currently takes its name from the surrounding Roxborough neighbourhood, an area that once included the former Roxborough Park School.
The park has two baseball diamonds, a concrete block storage building, a spray pad, playground structure, and double-bay swing set.
It is slated for revitalization by the city in 2027.
Revitalizations and additions include upgrades to the spray pad, playground structure and swing set, conversion of the north baseball field to a slow-pitch softball field, replacement of the south baseball diamond with a multi-purpose court that can accommodate basketball and ball hockey, and new asphalt pathways, picnic tables, and trees.
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