At Toronto City Council last week, a new formalized approach was agreed upon for how, going forward, the City will now recognize public figures and events in monuments, street names, and property names. The driver of the changes was the first use that the new Commemorative Framework will be put to, as it informs the selection of a new name for Dundas Street, along with other properties in the city that are named after Henry Dundas.

Dundas Street, image by Giordano Ciampini

The names are being changed in accordance with the ongoing Recognition Review project, which came about following the Dundas Street renaming petition having been presented to City Council. The Recognition Review will consider how street names, property names, and monuments have shaped an understanding of public history, and develop strategies to better represent the city's history and diversity in the public realm.

The petition argued that names and symbols in public spaces matter as they can cultivate a sense of belonging, well-being, and connectedness for all, or they can fail to. They also speak to what the City and community feel is important and worthy of celebration, documentation, and commemoration, and those are values that can and have changed over time. The City is now taking up the cause especially in support of Indigenous Peoples, Black communities, and other equity-deserving groups through the Review.

Yonge-Dundas Square during Edward Burtynsky's In The Wake Of Progress presentation, image by Craig White

The new framework — which is based on the City’s research on best practices from other cities around the world, and with input from close to 12,000 residents gathered through a virtual town hall and panel discussion, public surveys, and community dialogues with Indigenous rights holders, urban Indigenous community members, Black community members, and equity-deserving groups — will provide additional guidance to support members of the public, elected officials, and City staff when naming and renaming streets and City properties in a commemorative manner, and when considering proposals to develop new, and review existing commemorative monuments.

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