Online petition calls for Harper to be named after airport, not other way around

CALGARY – An online petition hopes to give wings to the idea of changing Stephen Harper’s name to “Calgary International Airport.”

While other online petitions debate whether the airport should be renamed after the outgoing prime minister, the latest entry proposes the opposite.

The change.org petition calls for the new prime minister, Justin Trudeau, to change Harper’s name, saying it would help Harper “rehabilitate his image” following “a disastrous campaign.”

The idea is similar to an online petition proposed in 2000 by comedian Rick Mercer, who asked Canadians to support a referendum on changing Canadian Alliance party leader Stockwell Day’s first name to “Doris.”

The Harper petition had about 2,300 supporters by Sunday evening.

It says several Canadian airports have been named after prime ministers, but no prime ministers have been named after airports.

At least two petitions are circulating online about renaming the Calgary airport after Harper. A counter petition is also circulating, it’s called Prevent Renaming the Calgary International Airport.