Vimy Park officially renamed after Jacques Parizeau

Montreal's controversial decision to rename Vimy Park after former Quebec premier Jacques Parizeauhas been made official.

The"intimate"ceremonytookplacethisafternoonatthesmallneighbourhoodpark.MembersofParizeau'sfamily andOutremontMayorMarieCinq-Mars attended.

City council voted overwhelmingly in favour of the plan in June.

Critics have slammed thename change, calling it an insultto rename a park dedicated to the World War One Battle of Vimy Ridge after Parizeau,a politician who nearlyled Quebec to independence in the1995 referendum on sovereignty.

Parizeau lived near the park for years and, as a child, attended nearbyStanislas College. The proposal to rename itwas originally madeby Outremont'shistorical society.

Following the name change, Mayor DenisCoderre saidthe city would create two new public spaces in 2017 to commemorate the battles ofVimyRidge and Dieppe.

Last month,Coderre announced a portion ofNotre-Dame-de-Grce Park would be renamed asVimy Place.

• Quebec historian defends plan to change Vimy park name in honour of Jacques Parizeau
• Does Vimy mean something different to Quebecers?