My name is Justin Edwards.  I am a local business owner in Bala.  My family has been local to Bala for 4 generations.  I am putting forward a proposal to the Township of Muskoka Lakes that the arena in Bala be renamed in the honour and memory of the late Peter Cowan.

As you know, Peter tragically lost his life in a workplace accident on November 14, 2022.  I have attached below an excerpt from his obituary.

“It is with profound heartbreak and inconsolable sadness that we have to say goodbye to our beloved Peter, who died tragically on Monday afternoon. Peter was an amazing father, husband, brother, son, uncle, friend, community builder, athlete and sports enthusiast, arborist and small business owner. He loved nothing more than his family and Muskoka. He is survived by a large and loving family: his wife Stephanie; daughters Macaulay & Mallany; parents Michael and Jeannie; mother-in-law Karen; siblings Theresa, James, Sheila, Joseph, Marita, Thomas, Paul and Jacinta; Stephanie’s siblings Sarah, Scott and Kim, as well as a huge extended circle of family, friends, co-workers and teammates. Peter loved to talk, had a generous heart, a magnificent smile and the loudest laugh in every room. We will miss him terribly.”

The Cowan family is very well known throughout Muskoka and in particular, Bala.   The entire family has made a very strong impact to the community and they are the definition of a true hockey family.  As all residents of Bala know, the Cowans were a household name growing up in the arena.  Peter’s father was the arena manager for 27 years  from 1974-2001 and his 8 brothers and sisters all grew up playing hockey in Bala; this was their second home. Peter was one of the highest skilled players to ever grow up playing and representing our town.  He was always a leader and captain and very impactful player both on and off the ice.  Bala residents would always flock to the arena to watch his games. Peter and the Cowan family can still be seen in various team photos hanging in the arena throughout the years. Peter’s impact to the hockey community went beyond playing in Bala. He was a coach in Port Carling from 2011-2013. His skill and passion for hockey was shared with many of today’s Muskoka youth.  Not only was he a phenomenal hockey player but he also a local small-business owner, husband and amazing father to two daughters.   

His hockey career lead him outside of Muskoka where he continued to play at an elite level for the Bancroft Hawks and the Lindsay Muskies in the OJHL as well as York University. 

Renaming an arena is a major consideration, and although nothing will ever be able to bring Peter back to his family, having somewhere that his daughters are able to go to see their father honoured and remembered by the community will show them that he was very important not only to the hockey community but also every resident of Bala.   Through approving this application, we will show the Cowan family that they will have continued support during this very challenging time and that no matter what, his name will forever become a staple of Bala and a staple of hockey in Muskoka. 

Through supporting this online signing, we will show that the community whole-heartedly stands behind this proposal and would like to see this become a reality.