A London MP is entering a city council conflict in which a mix of patriotism and military history has collided with bureaucratic rules and accusations of politicking.

With competing proposals to name a park in honour of the Battle of Vimy Ridge — and neither likely to be formalized by its 100th anniversary in April — MP Peter Fragiskatos is urging council to quickly approve a community-led option he believes best honours Canadian veterans.

“This is Canada’s 150th ­anniversary,” the London North Centre Liberal MP said. “We have to remember that Vimy helped to define our country. I recognize that the naming of local parks is . . . up to city council and staff. But this is about vets.

“Let’s remember Canada’s past, let’s honour our veterans and let’s try to get something done.”

What started as a community-led effort to mark the 100th anniversary of Vimy, the legendary First World War battle that helped establish Canada on the world stage, has become far more complicated at city hall.

On one side is the east-end community group that built a memorial, complete with benches, flags and a military sculpture, on a piece of unused city-owned greenspace adjacent to the combat-inspired Charley Fox memorial overpass and roundabout.

They did so without the approval of, or funding from city hall, and now are asking council to formally designate it a park.

On the other side is Coun. Bill Armstrong, who believes an existing park, Mildred Barons Park, would be a more appropriate spot to re-name in honour of Vimy.

In the background, a time crunch: the anniversary is only six weeks away and city staff, directed by politicians last week to study options for honouring Vimy, say there’s no way they can meet that deadline.

There also are indications of political tension, with Armstrong and the community group, which includes his old political rival Bud Polhill, clashing in a recent ­debate.

Armstrong said he would never start a park project, formal or otherwise, without widespread public consultation.

He questioned the existing memorial’s safety and said declaring it a formal park would be “a huge mistake.”

Shawn Lewis, a member of the community group that built the memorial and wants the park designation, offered a sharp ­criticism.

“It seemed like councillors were more interested in (getting) their own names credited for doing something instead of supporting what the community has already done,” he told The Free Press.

Council’s community and protective services committee has directed staff to study both spots, or possibly another option, to name Vimy park. There’s no way that will be done by the April centennial.

City council will debate the matter this Thursday.

In a letter he sent them, Fragiskatos urged council to support the community group’s request that the greenspace housing its memorial be declared a city park and formally named in Vimy’s honour.

“Action is required on the part of those who benefit from the sacrifices of other Canadians,” he wrote.

“We must continually educate ourselves, reflect on these tragedies, and visit memorials that represent those we have lost.”

City hall’s Vimy Ridge struggle