In what’s being called a Canadian first, a Saskatchewan town is putting its own name up for sale. The town of Duck Lake, located about 90 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, is inviting corporations to bid for the naming rights to the community, which has just under 600 residents. Mayor Jason Anderson says he got the idea after seeing a stadium in the U.S. sell its naming rights for millions. At first, he considered selling the name of the local rink or town office, but then he decided to aim higher. “I thought, why not? Let’s give it a try with the town’s name,” Anderson said. He says the goal is to breathe new life into the historic community by funding much-needed upgrades to roads and other infrastructure. Renaming the town carries a minimum price of $10 million. Anderson highlights Duck Lake’s location along Highway 11, where thousands of vehicles pass each day, and says a corporate name would put the company literally on the map. “Their name would be on GPS, their name would be on the Weather Network, their name would be on all the signage and all the maps, and that’s not just in Saskatchewan, that’s worldwide,” he said. Reactions among locals are mixed. Jennifer Leduc says the publicity could help the town. “I think any publicity is good publicity. So as long as it promotes our town, I think it’s a good thing,” she said. Taeok Park, who owns the local general store, says the money from a name change could help her business. “I think it’s okay,” she said. “It grows my store and my town.” Others are more skeptical. Brody Falcon says he is frustrated because the town’s name represents local history. “I’m a little bit annoyed about it because with the history of the name of Duck Lake, it’s not just a name,” he said. Duck Lake is widely known as the site of a significant battle during the North-West Resistance in 1885. Roy Mike says he was surprised by the proposal. “I’m so shocked. I didn’t think they’d be renaming Duck Lake,” he said. Duck Lake is accepting tenders until March 31. Residents will vote on whether to rename the town at their next public meeting in April. In a statement to CTV News, the provincial government says council can request a name change, but ministerial approval is required. “Under current legislation, there is no guidance provided or restrictions on what a municipality may select,” the statement said.
