Town of Port Hawkesbury Considering Request to Rename Civic Centre in Honour of Former Mayor Billy Joe MacLean

Mar 4, 2026 | Local News

The Town of Port Hawkesbury has been asked to rename the Civic Centre in honour of a former mayor.

During the committee-of-the-whole meeting on Feb. 17, former town councillor Steve MacDougall led a delegation that requested the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre be named the Billy Joe MacLean Memorial Centre.

He said the Civic Centre would not be here today without the many hours MacLean spent making it a reality.

Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre

Deputy Mayor Todd Barrett said MacLean was part of the fabric of the town and Town Councillor Blaine MacQuarrie said MacLean was instrumental in the construction of SAERC and the location of the NSCC Strait Area Campus.

In addition to the presentation, Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton said the town received several letters of support for the renaming. Using the Civic Naming Policy as a guide, she said staff will figure out the next steps in the process.

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