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Backlash Mounts After Saskatchewan Town Puts Its Name Up for Sale

The mayor frames the $10 million plan as a way to fund overdue water and sewer work.

Overview

  • The Duck Lake council voted 3–2 to seek permanent naming-rights bids with a $10 million minimum, with submissions open until March 31, 2026 and a public meeting planned in April.
  • Mayor Jason Anderson says any accepted offer would be put to residents for a vote before the town applies to the provincial government.
  • Opposition surged with a new 'Duck Lake Forever' campaign and an online petition that had more than 470 signatures, according to local reports.
  • Critics, including former mayor Denis Poirier, warn a renaming would impose address and ID changes on residents and ask who would cover the costs.
  • Supporters point to potential investment, but a marketing professor says selling a town’s name is rare in Canada and unlikely to be practical.