Unauthorized change of sign at NTRC sparks user fury, ordered reversed, new policy
Posted November 5, 2025
The New Tecumseth Recreation Centre (NTRC) was recently turned into the Alliston Community Centre simply by changeover of its outdoor entry way signage.
The problem, its user groups, and council were not part of the decision making process and that boiled over Monday night with TNT Minor Hockey and the 54 Plus Club expressing their displeasure and monetary impacts it would.
TNT President Donna Horan reminded council they are the facility's largest purchaser of ice time, and along with the Alliston Hornets were tied to the NTRC name in all documents, insurance, scheduling, and official communications.
Horan said she noticed the sign change driving into the facility over a week ago.
Frankly, this lack of notice is both disappointing and disrespectful," said Horan. "TNT minor hockey has a long standing relationship with the Town and with this facility, and it is unacceptable that such a signifcant change was made without even a courtesy notification."
The 54 Plus Club, which has its own space attached to the NTRC took exception not just to the signage change, but that the new sign listed it as an "Older Adult Centre."
In her motion to revert to the original sign, Ward 6 councillor Nicole Cox, said the name "was chosen intentionally to represent the unity of all three urban areas and our rural residents, symbolizing a shared municipal identity rather than one limited to a single community."
"This change is not only inconsistent with all existing Town documentation, branding, and web content, which continue to identify the facility as the New Tecumseth Recreation Centre (NTRC), but also creates public confusion given that Alliston already has an established and distinctly named Alliston Memorial Arena."
In addition to ordering the sign change, Cox's motion requested a Facility Naming and Renaming Policy, and for any future proposed changes come to council for approval.
"Within this new policy, a record of historic naming decisions, including the original rationale behind the naming of the New Tecumseth Recreation Centre following amalgamation, to preserve the Town’s intent in municipal facility naming."
