Streets Named After Two Politicians Raise Eyebrows At City Hall
Posted February 21, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
What’s in a name?
Not really much when it comes to deciding who city streets are named after.
Chances are most of us don’t know why Yonge St. has its oddly spelled moniker (it was named after George Yonge, the British Secretary of War in late 1793.) And to be truthful many of us don’t really care.
But two new street names are causing a major controversy at Toronto City Hall.
One bears the banner “Judy Sgro Ave.”
The other is labeled “Sergio Marchi St.”
Both are located in a newly built residential area being put up near Jane and Wilson and both honour the names of Liberal MPs.
So what’s the big deal?
Plenty, according to Councillor Doug Holyday who complains the designations clearly violate the city’s own policy on naming streets.
“There are a lot of good politicians out there, and if we’re going to start naming our streets after them, we’re going to have nothing but politicians’ names on every street,” he worries.
The majority of thoroughfares named after people – like George Yonge’s famous stretch – come only after they’re dead.
It’s permissible to attach a street moniker to the living, but only after they’ve made an exceptional contribution to a city. And even then, only a last name is supposed to be used.
Hence, Bathurst St. instead of Lord Henry Bathurst, another British War Secretary from the 1800s.
Holyday clearly believes neither Sgro nor Marchi come close to meeting the criteria.
But proponents contend both have made significant contributions to the area and deserve the accolade.
“It’s an honour for me,” Sgro maintains. “This isn’t the first time. There’s many buildings and things that have been named after a variety of people that are still living and some of them are still active in political life.”
What do those who live near the new streets think? Not much, actually.
“She doesn’t do nothing on this area here,” gripes a resident named Francesco.
“Depending on who the politician is. If it’s somebody I don’t like then I don’t want his name on it,” adds Harold Penny.
Holyday is angry that the naming process took place quietly at City Hall and thinks it deserves to be reopened. “I think that’s why, as the people with responsibility for naming these streets, we have to be careful,” he warns. “And we haven’t been careful in this case.”
Here are just a few of the rules surrounding how your streets actually get their names.
What’s in the running?
People, places and events directly related to the city and its citizens, under the following criteria:
- To honour and commemorate noteworthy persons associated with the City of Toronto. But living people are only allowed in “exceptional circumstances” and only last names should be used, unless there’s a duplication somewhere else that would lead to confusion.
- To commemorate local history, places, events or culture
- To strengthen neighbourhood identity
- To recognize native wildlife, flora, fauna or natural features related to the community and the City of Toronto
- To recognize communities which contribute to the ethno-racial diversity of Toronto
What’s not in the running?
- Any duplicate names.
- Similar sounding names (Beach Ave. and Peach Ave.)
- Corrupted names or names which denigrate other races or creeds.
- Anything that smacks of advertising.
- Any names of former streets, which could lead to confusion and perhaps most pointedly
- Names of City Councillors currently in office.
What makes one an Avenue as opposed to a Street?
If you’ve ever wondered about this, the city has an answer.
Street, Avenue, Road, Boulevard – for major thoroughfares or streets of several blocks in length
Drive, Trail, Way – for streets which are winding or curved
Terrace, Gardens, Grove, Pathway, Heights – for minor or short streets
Lane, Mews, Close – for narrow streets generally used for service
Crescent – for streets which form a crescent
Court, Place – for cul-de-sacs
Circle – for streets that are circular
Gate – for a short street that provides an entrance to a subdivision
Square – for streets that form part of a square
Source: City of Toronto
