New name for Loafer’s Lake rec centre honours former Councillor Paul Palleschi in Brampton

A popular recreation centre in Brampton has a new name honouring the late Paul Palleschi, a long-time Brampton councillor and a man Mayor Patrick Brown called “one of the great builders of modern Brampton.”

The City of Brampton made the name change official on Tuesday (Oct. 10), christening the now-former Loafer’s Lake rec centre at 30 Loafer’s Lake Lane as the Paul Palleschi Recreation Centre.

First elected to Brampton City Council in 1985 and serving on Regional Council, Palleschi served the residents of Brampton for nearly 30 years before retiring from politics in the lead-up to the 2014 municipal election.

His son Michael Palleschi, who was elected that same year and is the current councillor for Wards 2 and 6, was at the recreation centre on Tuesday to unveil the new name alongside council colleagues and guests.

The City of Brampton christened the former Loafer’s Lake rec centre as the Paul Palleschi Recreation Centre on Oct. 10, 2023. (Photo: City of Brampton)

Paul died in 2016 at age 65 while on vacation in Florida, and was remembered by former Mayor Linda Jeffrey as “a councillor that didn’t shy away from his responsibilities and was always ready to roll up his sleeves.”

Mayor  Brown called Paul “one of the great builders of modern Brampton,” adding that the city owes him “a debt of gratitude for his years of public service.”

“I only wish he was still alive to see the love and respect that his City has for him,” Brown said in a statement.

During his time in politics Paul served as a member of various committees including the Emergency Services Review Committee, Peel Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee, and was president of the Peel Living Board of Directors and Chair of the City’s Planning
Committee, and was a staunch advocated for the Peel Housing Corporation and the housing needs of people in Peel Region.

For more information on all the amenities at the Paul Palleschi Recreation Centre in Brampton visit www.Brampton.ca.