Duck Lake Rejects Corporate Sponsorship, Keeps Historic Name

0:00It's April 1st. This is Canada News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Duck Lake, the historic spot in Saskatchewan, tied to Louis Reale and the Northwest Rebellion, just scrapped its wild plan to sell naming rights to A. Corporate sponsor. The deadline hit this Tuesday was zero bids meeting the $10 million minimum, so the town's keeping its duck-inspired name. Mayor Anderson kicked off the campaign last fall, firing off over 100 letters to be Canadian companies like banks and telecoms. He figured that thousands of vehicles rolling through daily could boost their business, but only a handful called back, and none bit. The idea lit a firestorm in this tight-knit community of 500 folks, splitting opinions hard. Duck legs roots go deep. French-speaking mateys settled here in the 1860s and 70s, and it was ground zero for the first clash of the... 1885 uprising over land rights. No hard feelings from the mayor though, he's spinning a positive, saying the buzz pulled in developer inquiries they hadn't seen in years.

1:03The town's still hustling with its killer museum and rich history. Expect the welcome sign to stay up for businesses eyeing cheaper spots outside the big cities, ready to ride that legacy wave into something fresh.