Naming a building after donors is an antiquated approach

Thestar.com
Sept. 22, 2020
*opinion

After 10 years, $1.7B and several controversies, Vaughan’s hospital is finally complete, Sept. 18

Why do we continue to name hospitals or other public buildings after those who donate money to their construction?

The new hospital in Vaughan is an example. The article reports that taxpayers have been paying off $80 million in land costs as a surcharge on their property taxes since 2009. Yet the name Cortellucci gets plastered all over the hospital because of a $40-million donation. It would have made more sense to put all the taxpayers’ names into a hat and name the hospital after one of them in honour of their “donation” over the past 11 years.

Better yet, stop this antiquated tradition of naming a building after anybody; maybe a plaque in the lobby would be sufficient.