A group of Okotoks residents is proposing the new 32 Street bridge be named McAlpine Crossing in honour of the town’s former mayor.
A letter is making the rounds in Okotoks looking for support to rename the newly constructed bridge and section of road across the river on the town’s east end after former mayor Bill McAlpine.
“It should be named after him and I think we should honour him. I just felt someone had to get with it and get it done,” said Al King, who penned the letter.
Under the proposal, the name would cover the newly constructed stretch of road from North Railway Street to the Southbank Business Park.
In the letter, King noted McAlpine’s long record of service to the community since moving to Okotoks in the 1960s, both on and off town council.
The letter praises McAlpine for many of his accomplishments during his time on council, including the expansion of the Okotoks Recreation Centre, the establishment of the Heritage House and getting Seaman Stadium, the Foothills Centennial Centre and Centennial Arena built.
“When you look at the things that he’s done, I’m quite pleased he’s done them for us and we should honour him for it,” said King. “We’re very lucky to have him here and have had him in the positions he was in.”
The bridge has been an Okotoks town council priority for more than a decade. However, many, including Highwood MLA George Groeneveld and Macleod MP Ted Menzies, have credited McAlpine for his tenacity in seeing the bridge become a reality.
King said the initiative has just started and he currently has about half a dozen people working with him on the project. However, he hopes council can consider it and, ultimately, approve is as soon as possible so it can be in place for a planned roast of McAlpine on Feb. 12.
Mayor Bill Robertson said the idea would be appropriate to recognize McAlpine for his work on the bridge and contributions to the community.
“I respect Bill for all the work he did on the bridge to get it built,” he said.
Robertson said there are already town facilities, streets and parks named after people with a historic connection to Okotoks. For example, the Murray and Piper arenas are named in honour of local families as are Elizabeth and McRae streets.
For McAlpine he said it would be an honour to have the bridge be a reminder of his legacy.
“I don’t know what to say, other than to be recognized by your peers is a terrific honour,” he said, adding having the bridge named after him was not something he sought.
McAlpine said he has heard a few suggestions for naming the bridge after him in recent months, but he always shied away from discussing the topic.
“People have said to me, ‘They should name that bridge after you’ and I said I have no comment,” he said.
The change would first need to be approved by the Town’s names advisory committee and then by Town council for it to become a reality.
Municipal manager Rick Quail said the proposal will be referred to the committee for discussion and then brought forward to town council. However, he said there is no timeframe for a decision at this time.
Town council will not need to hold a public hearing before making the change.
