Former Ward 3 Councillor Lee Atkinson admires his new park sign that was unveiled on Saturday. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

By Logan Lehmann

Park Renaming

Midtown Community Park renamed to honour former city councillor Lee Atkinson

Sep 14, 2024 | 3:59 PM

A park in Prince Albert’s Midtown area received a new name during an unveiling on Saturday.

Around 50 people attended the ceremony as the space was renamed to Lee Atkinson Park in honour of the former Ward 3 Councillor.

Atkinson said the renaming of the park to honour him came as a bit of a surprise.

“I didn’t really hear [the park was getting renamed] and the city never contacted me,” he explained.

“I was at the mailbox one day and a neighbour came up to me and asked if it was okay to talk to me, and I said ‘Yeah, why?’ and he goes ‘That sign over there in the park’, and I go ‘What sign are you talking about?’, like I thought it was a joke or he was pulling my leg or something. It wasn’t like the city confirmed and said ‘Oh by the way, we were thinking of doing this’, it just appeared.”

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Lee Atkinson stands with his son, Guthrie, beside the new park sign in Midtown. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

The event was part of the city’s commitment to renaming 16 park spaces after Veterans and community leaders. The initiative began in 2022 where two parks have yet to be renamed.

Among those in attendance on Saturday were a few current city councillor, including Ward 3 Councillor Tony Head who praised Atkinson for all he’s done for the area, and the park.

“Lee has exemplified the true spirit of leadership and service, and he has left an incredible mark to our city,” Head said.

The park, located at 9th Street East and 6th Avenue East, features a basketball court, two tennis courts, an outdoor hockey rink, and a newly constructed playground and spray park.

“It’s nice that this area is getting something that’s similar to other neighbourhoods to help re-invigorate it,” Atkinson said, noting he’s happy to see the park undergo some change. “I think this is where homes are affordable, especially for young families and therefore, it’s nice to have amenities for those groups because if you don’t have new families coming in, then it goes into decline.”

He added that he hopes to see more improvements to the neighbourhood and surrounding areas in the coming years.

Lee Atkinson stands alongside Ward 3 Councillor Tony Head. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

The story of Lee Atkinson

Lee was born and raised in Ontario before moving to Prince Albert in 1979 when he and his wife, Andrea, left downtown Toronto to make a new life in Northern Saskatchewan.

Lee first started working at the satellite tracking station, while his wife found a career with the provincial government in forestry. Together, they had two children and moved to the Midtown neighbourhood in 1985 and over the years, they turned their house into a home and developed a true connection to the community.

That connection led to Lee seeking, and winning, a seat on City Council as a representative of Ward 3 where he stayed from 2000 to 2016.

Community improvement has been a driving force behind his years in politics as Lee was known for demanding transparency, creating opportunities for others, providing and maintaining services for the less privileged, and seeking clarity for those who were impacted by the Council’s decisions.

Since leaving politics, Lee remains an active member of the community and still resides in the Midtown area.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com