MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 7, 2010

Council of Canadians files official request to name new lake “Harper’s Folly”

Toronto- The Council of Canadians has applied to the Geographical Names Board of Canada to have an artificial lake currently under construction at the Direct Media Centre in Toronto named after Prime Minister Stephen Harper.  At a reported cost of $1.9 million, the lake is intended to resemble those found in the Muskoka region with a fake dock, fake canoes and a Jumbotron display showing cottage country photos to the international media in Toronto for the G20.

"We have sent an official request to the Geographical Names Board of Canada to have Canada's newest lake named "Harper's Folly" in honour of the Prime Minister" said Mark Calzavara, the Ontario/Quebec Organizer for the Council of Canadians. "We believe that all Canadians-regardless of their political views- will agree that the only thing more outrageous than spending $1.1 billion on a three day meeting is thinking that an indoor lake next to a big television could possibly compare to the spectacular beauty of cottage country."

With a billion dollar-plus price tag, infringements of civil liberties, massive disruptions for those who live in Toronto and Huntsville, and a 'business as usual' agenda that serves neither people nor the planet, the Council of Canadians is calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to scrap the upcoming G8 and G20 summits.

The Council of Canadians will also host the "Shout Out for Global Justice" Friday June 25, at Massey Hall in Toronto. The event will feature Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow, Bolivian ambassador Pablo Solon, writer Naomi Klein, union leader Leo Gerard, physicist Vandana Shiva, Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, War on Want executive director John Hilary, Indigenous activist Clayton Thomas-Muller and many others.

Official request to the Geographical Names Board of Canada as per information contained here.

To:
Mr. Bruce Amos,
Geographical Names Board of Canada
c/o: GNBC Secretariat
Room 634, 615 Booth Street
Ottawa  ON  K1A 0E9
Fax: 613-943-8282
E-mail:  geonames@nrcan.gc.ca

Mr. Brian Maloney
Director,
Geographic Information Branch
Ministry of Natural Resources
300 Water Street, 2nd Floor, North Tower
P.O. Box 7000
Peterborough  ON  K9J 8M5
Fax: 705-755-2149
E-mail: geographicnames@ontario.ca

Dear Sirs,

Canada’s newest lake is being constructed indoors at a cost of least $1.9 million dollars to give international media a taste of what a real lake in the Muskokas might feel like. This lake must have an appropriate name and who better to name it after than Prime Minister Stephen Harper who approved of this expenditure as well as another $1.1 Billion to be spent on three days of G20 meetings. We believe the word “Folly” is self explanatory.
Long time resident Mark Calzavara of 210-116 Spadina Ave, Toronto, is available to swear, attest and verify that for the entire three days the lake will be in existence, he will call it “Harper’s Folly”.

Latitude = 43 degrees,   38.1 minutes   North
Longitude  = 79 degrees,   24.8 minutes   West

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For more information:

Toronto : Mark Calzavara Regional Organizer Ontario/Quebec: 416-319-6524
Ottawa : Dylan Penner Media Officer: 613-795-8685