Historic Saskatchewan town Duck Lake sees pushback over corporate renaming plan

WATCH: In what’s being called a Canadian first, a Saskatchewan town is putting its own name up for sale.

A historic Saskatchewan town is facing blowback from its residents over a plan that could see the town renamed after a company.

Duck Lake, northeast of Saskatoon, approved selling the naming rights in a narrow vote at a town council meeting last week.

Mayor Jason Anderson says companies can submit their bids to the town, which won’t accept anything less than $10 million.

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He says the plan could result in the town being named after a brand, but residents will have the final say in a plebiscite should a company come forward.

Denis Poirier, Duck Lake’s former mayor, says many are angry with the idea, arguing it would erase the town’s identity,

Duck Lake was settled by French-speaking Métis people and is located near the site of the first battle of the Northwest Resistance, an uprising led by Louis Riel in 1885 over land rights.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2025.