The Town of Newmarket is holding an official ceremony to rename a park in honour of a prominent family that farmed the surrounding land.
The park at Poppy Lane and Wilbur Pipher Circle will be named in honour of Frank Williams Wednesday, Aug. 25 in a ceremony featuring Newmarket town council, staff and members of the Williams family.
Newmarket council made the renaming decision last November, recognizing the family that farmed the land on which the Copper Hills subdivision is built on from 1896 to 1988. Williams was also a prominent community member, serving as councillor, deputy reeve and reeve for Whitchurch-Stouffville between 1955 to 1967. He also served on the board of directors for the Newmarket District Farmers Co-op and the public school board.
“The park located at Poppy Lane and Wilbur Pipher Circle was never formally named when it was assumed by the developer,” the municipality said. “ Bestowing the name of Mr. Frank Williams on a park within his family’s former land is a fitting tribute given his years of local public service.”
The idea came from Williams’ granddaughter and received the full backing of council.
"He served the community in many capacities," his granddaughter wrote in a letter to the town dating back to 2014. "I would like to see something named in my grandfather's honour on the farmland where he lived and worked for 85 years."
The ceremony will take place at the park from 3:30 to 4 p.m. The town said the event will be held following public health guidelines for the pandemic, with guests required to practise physical distancing of at least two metres at all times.
