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Late fire chief touted as namesake for new hall

More than 200 people have signed onto a Facebook group calling on Whitehorse to name its new public safety building after late fire chief Brian Monahan.

More than 200 people have signed onto a Facebook group calling on Whitehorse to name its new public safety building after late fire chief Brian Monahan.

Last month the city put out a request for input in the naming of the new building, which is expected to be done construction in late 2010.

The city recommended the ‘Fred Blaker Public Safety Building’ as one possibility.

Blaker was the first city employee and first city fire chief when the city incorporated in 1950.

He made “substantial contributions to the City of Whitehorse both as an employee and as a resident,” according to a newspaper ad prepared by the city.

But a groundswell of people think that the building should be named after Monahan.

Monahan’s daughter, Rhonda Meyn, created the Facebook site in the hopes that it would convince people to submit her father’s name to the city’s planning department.

“I feel my dad invested lots to the city and fire service as well as the safety of the community,” she said.

“Although there are other candidates out there, I believe my dad is the best candidate.”

Monahan began working as a volunteer firefighter for the city in 1971. He became fire chief in 1989 and when he finally left his position in 1999, he had dedicated almost 30 years of service to the city.

Although Meyn isn’t sure how many people submitted Brian Monahan’s name to the city she did have a lot of support from people on the Facebook site.

“Good idea and very appropriate, I had the pleasure of working with him (Monahan) on a project or two - great sense of humour and an all around good guy,” said one comment on the site.

The city received 26 submissions to name the building.

City council will review the suggested name and make a final decision in January.

Contact Vivian Belik at vivianb@yukon-news.com.