Mayor Gerald Aalbers with members of Ken Baker's family. (Submitted photo/City of Lloydminster)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Legacy cemented

Lloydminster park renamed in honour of former mayor, Ken Baker

Aug 23, 2022 | 3:55 PM

One of Lloydminster’s more popular green spaces now bears the name of long-serving mayor and city councillor, Ken Baker.

The area formerly known as Kin-Kinette Park, which surrounds the outdoor pool in West Lloydminster, was renamed to honour the late, former mayor, who served the Border City as a municipal official for two decades. This was recommended by city council and comes with the support of the local Kinsmen and Kinettes Club.

The long public servant passed away in 2020 at the age of 79, just after finishing his last term on city council.

Mayor Gerald Aalbers, who worked with Baker since he won the 2016 Municipal Election, spoke to council and administration’s search for a way to honour his many years of public service and the important role he played in the formation of the current community. He noted that Baker and his wife, Jean, raised their family in the West Lloydminster neighbourhood near the former Martin Browne School site.

“As a political leader, he was deeply passionate about creating opportunities for recreation and community gathering,” Aalbers said. “When the idea arose to name the largest park in this area for Ken, council recognized it as a tremendously fitting way to memorialize our friend and colleague.”

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“We felt that was an excellent place to carry on his legacy of the work that he’s done in this city,”

The renaming was made official during a small dedication ceremony on Tuesday where members of the Baker family, along with city councillors, city staff, and members of local media, gathered to remember Baker and witness the unveiling of the new park signage.

Aalbers credited Baker, who was the lone incumbent elected in 2016, for encouraging council members to dig a little deeper into information brought by administration and not be afraid to ask tough questions.

“The rest of us came in as rookies, so we truly were grateful for his input,” Aalbers said. “He would be the first to admit we didn’t always agree, but we always came together as a team and supported whatever the decision was.”

Darcy Wildemen, spokesperson for the Lloydminster Kinsmen & Kinettes Clubs, said club members were pleased to see the man’s legacy honoured in a way that would be recognized among future generations of Lloydminster residents.

“Ken was a dedicated member of the Kinsmen Club for many years, so when the city approached us about the re-naming of this park space, we embraced the idea,” Wildeman said. “This park space is particularly special to our Kinsmen and Kinettes members, as our club played a major part in funding construction of the outdoor pool in the 1950s and we have continued to invest in park enhancements since that time.”

(Submitted photo/City of Lloydminster)

Quite the legacy

Baker time in local politics began in 1994, where he served as a city councillor until being elected as mayor in the fall of 2000. Baker represented the city as mayor until 2009 and was re-elected as councillor in a 2014 byelection and again in the 2016 general election.

The Baker family have called Lloydminster home for over 54 years, during which Ken helped build the community as an elected official and through his career in the local construction industry. Among his accomplishments were playing a central role in the development of Servus Sports Centre and the Vic Juba Community Theatre.

In 2019, Ken was selected to receive the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) Distinguished Service Award. His years of municipal service were also recognized by the Municipalities of Saskatchewan in 2019.

“Having the privilege of serving the community is very special and has been a great honour in my life,” Baker said, upon learning of the award recognition at that time. “I have always believed that if you want to see your community provide quality of life for people, then one must step up and help make it happen.”

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

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