Montreal park honouring Vimy Ridge officially renamed after Jacques Parizeau

MONTREAL — A Montreal borough has followed through on a controversial plan to rename a park that honoured Vimy Ridge to instead pay tribute to late sovereigntist premier Jacques Parizeau.

A ceremony was held in Outremont on Sunday to officially rechristen the park after Parizeau, who died last year at the age of 84.

Critics blasted the name change when it was approved in June, saying it was disrespectful of Canada’s war history.

Former interim federal Liberal leader Bob Rae was one of many people who took to Twitter to denounce the decision, calling it “an insult pure and simple.”