Last month Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter made a motion to change the name of Athol Street to Memorial Cup Drive. It was something not on the Agenda, but came at the end of the Sept 16th Community Services (CS) Standing Committee meeting under that portion of the meeting "Items Introduced by Councillors".
There was no discussion as he made his motion in the last minute of the CS meeting.
(The meeting had to adjourn at 12:30 pm to adhere to the Council Procedural Rules).
With only one minute remaining, CS Committee Chair Rick Kerr voiced his 'concern we cannot give this item its due' and asked if the Mayor 'would table it or bring it back to the next Committee".
The Mayor said no because he wanted it on the next Council meeting Agenda. Chair Kerr said he didn't think it could go directly to Council and asked if there was a rush to get this through. The Mayor indicated it was time sensitive but didn't explain why.
When Chair Kerr said he would like to amend the motion, the Mayor said it could be amended on the Council floor. There was no time for the Mayor to read his motion and anyone watching the meeting webstream would have no idea what the vote being taken was pertaining to. By a quick show of hands it was approved.
Fyi, for anyone interested in the actual wording of the motion to rename Athol St, it now can be found at the end of the Sept 16th CS Committee Minutes as Item "CS-19-106" on the city's website oshawa.ca.
Above is a 49 sec video clip from the meeting concerning the facts described above:
Furthermore...
1) Street naming is under the purview of the Development Services (DS) Standing Committee and to follow procedural rules the Mayor's motion normally would have been referred to the Sept. 30th DS meeting (note that all Standing Committee and Council meetings are on a three week rotation) and then would have followed to this week's Oct 15th Council meeting. But for some reason this was not going to work quick enough..seems likely because the period of time needed for public input...notices to residents had to go out, and comments received back and a staff report prepared likely for the Nov 18th DS meeting as the on-line survey will be open until Nov 12th...btw here's a link to the survey to submit your comments https://connectoshawa.ca/renamestreet
2) As CS Committee approved the Mayor's motion it was added to the Sept 23rd Council meeting Agenda. At that Council meeting I made it clear I disagree with the renaming. Imo it is arbitrary, unnecessary and a waste of money.
As I am Vice Chair of the Development Services Committee, the City Communications department asked for my quote to include in the Media Advisory about the proposed name change.
The other day it came to my attention that one member of Council thought I'd come around in support of the name change. Ha!, I said, he clearly hadn't read all of my quote - copied here:
"Memorial Cup Drive is a name that gives positive tribute to the Oshawa hockey team’s storied and successful achievement of bringing home the Memorial Cup so many times. However, I am not a fan of changing street names, especially given the disruption/inconvenience to property owners, the cost and in this case, the loss of historical authenticity (Athol along with Simcoe St were the first streets to be paved in 1911). In my opinion naming a new street nearby in the Medallion Corporation’s development of the former Fittings Ltd facility site would be simpler and welcomed."
There was no discussion as he made his motion in the last minute of the CS meeting.
(The meeting had to adjourn at 12:30 pm to adhere to the Council Procedural Rules).
With only one minute remaining, CS Committee Chair Rick Kerr voiced his 'concern we cannot give this item its due' and asked if the Mayor 'would table it or bring it back to the next Committee".
The Mayor said no because he wanted it on the next Council meeting Agenda. Chair Kerr said he didn't think it could go directly to Council and asked if there was a rush to get this through. The Mayor indicated it was time sensitive but didn't explain why.
When Chair Kerr said he would like to amend the motion, the Mayor said it could be amended on the Council floor. There was no time for the Mayor to read his motion and anyone watching the meeting webstream would have no idea what the vote being taken was pertaining to. By a quick show of hands it was approved.
Fyi, for anyone interested in the actual wording of the motion to rename Athol St, it now can be found at the end of the Sept 16th CS Committee Minutes as Item "CS-19-106" on the city's website oshawa.ca.
Above is a 49 sec video clip from the meeting concerning the facts described above:
Furthermore...
1) Street naming is under the purview of the Development Services (DS) Standing Committee and to follow procedural rules the Mayor's motion normally would have been referred to the Sept. 30th DS meeting (note that all Standing Committee and Council meetings are on a three week rotation) and then would have followed to this week's Oct 15th Council meeting. But for some reason this was not going to work quick enough..seems likely because the period of time needed for public input...notices to residents had to go out, and comments received back and a staff report prepared likely for the Nov 18th DS meeting as the on-line survey will be open until Nov 12th...btw here's a link to the survey to submit your comments https://connectoshawa.ca/renamestreet
2) As CS Committee approved the Mayor's motion it was added to the Sept 23rd Council meeting Agenda. At that Council meeting I made it clear I disagree with the renaming. Imo it is arbitrary, unnecessary and a waste of money.
As I am Vice Chair of the Development Services Committee, the City Communications department asked for my quote to include in the Media Advisory about the proposed name change.
The other day it came to my attention that one member of Council thought I'd come around in support of the name change. Ha!, I said, he clearly hadn't read all of my quote - copied here:
"Memorial Cup Drive is a name that gives positive tribute to the Oshawa hockey team’s storied and successful achievement of bringing home the Memorial Cup so many times. However, I am not a fan of changing street names, especially given the disruption/inconvenience to property owners, the cost and in this case, the loss of historical authenticity (Athol along with Simcoe St were the first streets to be paved in 1911). In my opinion naming a new street nearby in the Medallion Corporation’s development of the former Fittings Ltd facility site would be simpler and welcomed."
Two Athol Street residents, who strongly disagree with the renaming sent, a letter to me and to the City Clerk Department. The Interim City Clerk sent an email back to them that their letter would not appear on a meeting Agenda as written, because they had also submitted to the 'on-line portal' under the connectoshawa.ca survey (It seems that for all these 'Have your Say' requests for feedback, where the city's connectoshawa.ca website says it is the 'online engagement platform designed to give you a voice on City initiatives' there are pluses and minuses...Yes, some might want to make anonymous comments, but what has more impact and weight, comments from those who are not adverse to putting themselves out there in regular emails and Council members and the public seeing each letter/emails submitted separately, or having them all lumped together in a staff report. A consideration between what is expedient and what is real?. Here is their well written letter which the Interim City Clerk will not include on any meeting Agenda:
"In regards to the proposal for street renaming of a portion of Athol Street between Ritson Road South and Centre Street South. We are strongly opposed to this proposal, based on the following:
As identified by many municipalities and cities across the GTA, including the City of Toronto, City of Hamilton and others, street renaming should only occur after serious consideration and should only be done when certain conditions can be satisfied. Some of these include:
• Making all efforts to avoid changing the name of the street in question.
• There should be solid rationale and benefit or necessity for the renaming of an existing and established street. In the case of Athol Street there is no necessity for this change.
• Documented support, including but not limited to petitions and support letters, from a majority of property owners that abut the street; in the case of City of Toronto, a minimum of 75 percent of property owners must be in support in order to approve the renaming of an existing street.
• Consider renaming a street only when renaming would provide a general improvement to the City’s administration of essential services and in the public’s interest. In the case of renaming this portion of Athol Street, it would seem this move would not be in the public’s interest but rather, in the interest of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). This is supported by the recent debate about this proposal at a City of Oshawa Council meeting when, in response to Councillor Rosemary McConkey’s concerns regarding associated costs and suggested naming of a new street on the former Fittings site just south of the arena which is slated for residential redevelopment, Mayor Dan Carter reported “…the name had been vetted by the CHL and the Generals and it was a lengthy process to bring the issue to the council table” and “…the CHL would not support that decision”(meaning any other street other then Athol Street).
• Street extensions should continue with existing street names. In the case of Athol Street East, this currently includes the extension of the street to the east of Ritson Road South. Renaming a portion of the street would essentially sever the street, causing unnecessary confusion in regards to navigation of this well-known and established street.
In terms of the associated costs, lack of public benefit and potential negative impacts we also strongly oppose the proposal based on the following concerns:
• Costs for residents and business owners: Athol Street contains approximately 80 household properties (including single family dwellings and 49 condominium units at 80 Athol Street East) between Centre and Ritson. Households are being compensated with $250 per household, as per the notice received by residents. This amounts to a minimum cost of approximately $20,000.00 (twenty-thousand dollars) for household compensation alone. This does not take into account costs for business owners and other agencies who will be required to make changes and updates to all their materials and business-related information, nor does it include the costs for the City of Oshawa planning, works, road signage, etc, for this completely unnecessary change.
• Negative impacts on residents of Athol Street: Residents, owners and tenants alike, will be required to update all identification, utility accounts, rental agreements, social assistance accounts and addresses, insurance documents and others, and will be required to navigate a variety of service and government agencies in order to do so. This will indeed create undue and unnecessary hardship for residents, many of whom are renters/tenants and may not be entitled to nor receive any portion of the $250 allocated to each household that will be received by the property owner.
Alternatives are clearly available to this proposal, ones that could achieve the desired objectives of paying tribute to the Oshawa Generals and advancing the commitment to recognizing the war dead and veterans. These include the following:
1. Naming a new street in the neighbouring vicinity as Memorial Cup Drive, as suggested by Councillor Rosemary McConkey, rather then the renaming of an existing street and its many associated requirements for the City, and impacts on business owners and residents.
2. Assigning the name Memorial Cup Dive as a “ceremonial name” for Athol Street East, rather than a legal name. A ceremonial name is a secondary name and does not replace the official name. This is a very possible and positive option that has been instituted in many cities and municipalities, and avoids all of the negative and unnecessary impacts on the community, while at the same time achieving the positive and desired outcomes being presented by the City of Oshawa in this proposal."
"In regards to the proposal for street renaming of a portion of Athol Street between Ritson Road South and Centre Street South. We are strongly opposed to this proposal, based on the following:
As identified by many municipalities and cities across the GTA, including the City of Toronto, City of Hamilton and others, street renaming should only occur after serious consideration and should only be done when certain conditions can be satisfied. Some of these include:
• Making all efforts to avoid changing the name of the street in question.
• There should be solid rationale and benefit or necessity for the renaming of an existing and established street. In the case of Athol Street there is no necessity for this change.
• Documented support, including but not limited to petitions and support letters, from a majority of property owners that abut the street; in the case of City of Toronto, a minimum of 75 percent of property owners must be in support in order to approve the renaming of an existing street.
• Consider renaming a street only when renaming would provide a general improvement to the City’s administration of essential services and in the public’s interest. In the case of renaming this portion of Athol Street, it would seem this move would not be in the public’s interest but rather, in the interest of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). This is supported by the recent debate about this proposal at a City of Oshawa Council meeting when, in response to Councillor Rosemary McConkey’s concerns regarding associated costs and suggested naming of a new street on the former Fittings site just south of the arena which is slated for residential redevelopment, Mayor Dan Carter reported “…the name had been vetted by the CHL and the Generals and it was a lengthy process to bring the issue to the council table” and “…the CHL would not support that decision”(meaning any other street other then Athol Street).
• Street extensions should continue with existing street names. In the case of Athol Street East, this currently includes the extension of the street to the east of Ritson Road South. Renaming a portion of the street would essentially sever the street, causing unnecessary confusion in regards to navigation of this well-known and established street.
In terms of the associated costs, lack of public benefit and potential negative impacts we also strongly oppose the proposal based on the following concerns:
• Costs for residents and business owners: Athol Street contains approximately 80 household properties (including single family dwellings and 49 condominium units at 80 Athol Street East) between Centre and Ritson. Households are being compensated with $250 per household, as per the notice received by residents. This amounts to a minimum cost of approximately $20,000.00 (twenty-thousand dollars) for household compensation alone. This does not take into account costs for business owners and other agencies who will be required to make changes and updates to all their materials and business-related information, nor does it include the costs for the City of Oshawa planning, works, road signage, etc, for this completely unnecessary change.
• Negative impacts on residents of Athol Street: Residents, owners and tenants alike, will be required to update all identification, utility accounts, rental agreements, social assistance accounts and addresses, insurance documents and others, and will be required to navigate a variety of service and government agencies in order to do so. This will indeed create undue and unnecessary hardship for residents, many of whom are renters/tenants and may not be entitled to nor receive any portion of the $250 allocated to each household that will be received by the property owner.
Alternatives are clearly available to this proposal, ones that could achieve the desired objectives of paying tribute to the Oshawa Generals and advancing the commitment to recognizing the war dead and veterans. These include the following:
1. Naming a new street in the neighbouring vicinity as Memorial Cup Drive, as suggested by Councillor Rosemary McConkey, rather then the renaming of an existing street and its many associated requirements for the City, and impacts on business owners and residents.
2. Assigning the name Memorial Cup Dive as a “ceremonial name” for Athol Street East, rather than a legal name. A ceremonial name is a secondary name and does not replace the official name. This is a very possible and positive option that has been instituted in many cities and municipalities, and avoids all of the negative and unnecessary impacts on the community, while at the same time achieving the positive and desired outcomes being presented by the City of Oshawa in this proposal."