"NIMBY Rage Place": Vancouver's new event space fuels sarcastic suggestions for names

What do you want the name of the new PNE Amphitheatre to be? That’s the question put forward last week after it was announced that Quebecor, one of Canada’s major national wireless providers, had scored the naming rights.

Its subsidiary, Freedom Mobile, will have to be included to some degree in the name of the new $104 million event space, and people are going beyond poking fun at the suggestions in the comment section already.

Currently, the names that the public can weigh in on are Freedom Mobile Amp, Freedom Mobile Arch, Freedom Mobile Rise, and Freedom Mobile Place.

But, many are suggesting some other options instead.

“NIMBY Rage place – more accurate,” one person wrote on X.

NIMBY Rage Place – more accurate

— Matthew Iwama (@MatthewIwama) May 24, 2024

Others want the new building, which will replace the 1960s-built structure, to better reflect British Columbia’s history.

“I want the option where the contributions of BC and Vancouver taxpayers over decades are honoured by naming this monument after a noted British Columbian who is deserving of the recognition,” they said.

Many were downright annoyed with the naming rights situation overall.

“‘What’s next? The Smirnoff Library?’ -Larry Campbell, former Vancouver mayor,” one X user said.

Another simply wrote, “ew.”

ew
ew
ew
ew

— Marc (@ouch_canada) May 26, 2024

Some even suggested the company itself was the issue.

“$20 says Freedom Mobile won’t be around in 2026 under its current branding,” they wrote.

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Another added, “Just wish that their service in Chilliwack was better, it’s basically non existent, would have loved to see that $ put into better service areas, sigh!!!”

“They spend more on advertising than on infrastructure or service,” another X user wrote.

Whereas some said that a mobile company in a space like this was confusing.

Tagging on the mobile name to an amphitheatre just sounds out of place when it has nothing to do with mobility. Instead just take out the word mobile and call it the Freedom Amphitheatre. After all when people refer to Freedom Mobile they just say Freedom and leave out the mobile… pic.twitter.com/W7fU6lPNv4

— John Hillier (@JohnMHillier) May 25, 2024

But a few seemed glad Freedom Mobile’s competitor, Rogers, wouldn’t be on the building.

least it’s not rogers or rogers

— Mackenzie ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ🇨🇦🦋 (@VETTE____) May 24, 2024

May 2024 artistic rendering of the new PNE Amphitheatre. (PNE)

While people definitely took a spicy stance, some were less negative.

“Amp cause it’s music atmosphere,” one suggested.

There were also a few votes for Freedom Mobile Arch.

I like the sound of the arch. Distinctive. You know what you are referring to when you say the concert is at the arch.

— 🇨🇦 Aaron Ottho 🇺🇦🕊🇮🇱 (@aottho) May 24, 2024

“Please be freedom mobile arch…..then it can just become the arch.”

Another person said, “Arch is better as there’s already BC Place.”

Arch is better as there’s already BC Place

— coco🐣 (@chichi_m3) May 25, 2024

The deal means that the covered outdoor 10,000-seat space will have the new name for 10 years, starting in 2026 when the building is completed.

What do you think of the name? Let us know in the comments below.

With files from Kenneth Chan