By Samir Abdella with contributions from Adonis Huggins

(Samir is a youth journalist with the FOCUS Media Arts Centre)

On July 23, 2021, in a ceremony hosted by Toronto Mayor John Tory and City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, the Regent Park Aquatic Centre was officially renamed after Pam McConnell.

Who was Pam McConnell? In addition to been a teacher and a former school trustee, Pamela Margaret McConnell was a municipal politician who served on Metro Toronto Council from 1994 to 1998 and Toronto City Council from 1998 representing the Regent Park community, before she passed away, on July 7, 2017.

Pam McConnell worked tirelessly for the community of Regent Park to see change. Pam was passionate about revitalization and was very influential in adding new amenities like our beloved swimming pool, community centre, athletic grounds and more. Throughout her life she fought for equal opportunity and accessibility for all and worked with other politicians in our city to ensure that the revitalization of Regent Park was not taken advantage of by developers or investors.

Here’s what some of the attendees had to say about Pam.

" Pam Loved this Community centre, she loved this community, she loved all of you, she worked with many of you in personal ways " - Kristyn Wong Tam

" Pam is one of the mothers of Regent Park Revitalization. She had huge advocacy for Social justice and for Women " - John Tory

" What an amazing tribute to my mother and her work, Regent Park is where my mothers heart was, we are honored to have her name on what I believe is a centre of equality within this community. Equality was one of my mother’s biggest projects in life." - Heather Ann McConnell

The Pam McConnell Aquatic facility features a lap pool, therapy pool, leisure pool, waterslide, green roof, sun terrace as well as Toronto's first ultraviolet sanitation system. Many women in the community have benefitted from the pool through programs like private swimming classes for females with female instructors which helps women feel more comfortable.

In honour of her contributions, the City of Toronto will have a statue of Pam McConnell built in front of the aquatic centre-in recognition of the great things she did for this city.