A downtown park has been named after a former city councillor and strong advocate for LGBTQ rights in Edmonton.
The city’s Naming Committee announced Thursday the park at 10126-104 St. has been named after Michael Phair.
“Michael Phair is one of the great Edmontonians that has made our city an amazing place to live. He knows what makes us great and motivates us to be even better than we are,” Councillor Scott McKeen said.
Phair was a city councillor from 1992 to 2007.
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Since he stepped away from politics, Phair has been active in the LGBTQ, arts, and academic communities. He founded HIV Edmonton and was named the chair of the University of Alberta board of governors in February.
He was also a member of Edmonton on the Edge which led an initiative to reclaim the park that now bears his and have it refurbished to be more inviting.
The Michael Phair Park is one of downtown’s newest park spaces.
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In 2015, a new school in Edmonton’s west end was also named after him.