Fenton right to leave
Congratulations to Mike Fenton, chair of the Yonge-Dundas Square Board of Management, on resigning from this farce of a renaming committee. Sankofa Square? Does it relate to anything in our history? Is it a word from either of our official languages? Why choose a name you have to explain to both a visitor and a resident? Go back to our beginnings: Toronto was referred to as "The Meeting Place" or "Gathering Place" by the Indigenous people of this Land. Find a word or phrase that actually makes sense and pays tribute to our city. If council finally came to its collective senses of changing the name of Dundas Street, perhaps they want to reconsider a name that means nothing to the local or Canadian culture.
Steve Veale, Toronto
Thank you Mike Fenton for having the backbone that was sorely missing in council members. The public was told when the renaming process was started that there would be widespread public consultation on the new name. It appears council decided this was not necessary and Mayor Olivia Chow did not speak up about that promise. You are a man of integrity and I appreciate your sacrifice for democracy.
Greg Sheehan, Mississauga
Honour Indigenous history with square name
Sankofa Square? I get it. Yonge-Dundas Square needed to be renamed, but Sankofa? Would it not make more sense to name a public square in Canada with an Indigenous word? All of us who live in Toronto occupy Indigenous land. Would it not make more sense to honour those who have lived here for thousands of years before us? Where was the public consultation?
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Glen Powell, Ajax
It is fine to rename Yonge-Dundas Square but what is a mystery is why city councillors would choose some abstract that has almost nothing to do with Toronto's heritage and history. Surely a more suitable name would come from a concept of local Indigenous origin, from those that first occupied this land such as the Huron-Wendat or others. Those are the peoples that deserve tribute. Consider that both Toronto and Ontario name places are Indigenous in their genesis.
While we’re at it, is it not time to redesign our provincial flag and shield of arms? We have the Royal Union Flag, the Union Jack, in the canton yet also have a somewhat duplicative St. George’s Cross above three gold maple leaves. It is time to replace the St. George's Cross with an emblem fashioned by and meaningful to Indigenous Peoples and so to all Ontarians.
Mike Brown, Burlington
I think there is a lot of charm to the new name for Yonge-Dundas Square, but council won't find meaningful adoption without consultation. There was a huge opportunity missed here for consultation with Indigenous elders at the very least. We have much history to reconcile, perhaps this was a place for that, even if said place is all electricity and concrete. It needed something with meaning for the space, before the name was even considered.
Jeff Keenan, Toronto
Names need location reference
This article mentions city council is asking the TTC to rename the Dundas and Dundas West subway stations. If Dundas Street itself isn’t being renamed, the subway stations should not be either. People should be able to expect that if they want to get to Dundas Street, they get off at the Dundas stop. Those familiar with the TTC often forget about newcomers, tourists, or those who only occasionally go into the city. Transit should never be confusing. If you want more people to use it, always make it as simple as possible.
Jil McIntosh, Oshawa
Colorado right to stand in Trump's way
There seems to be no end to the conjecture about Donald Trump's criminality. Reporter Allan Woods suggests that there is some score settling with this ruling. Nonsense. Almost four years after the Jan. 6 insurrection event, Trump has used money and the courts to evade responsibility. Did Trump not want to see his supporters on the Capitol grounds? Did he exhort them to march on the Capitol and "fight like hell?" Did he wait hours before acting to stop the mayhem? Has he not repeatedly stated his intentions to overturn the election results, even though there has been no evidence of fraud after so many court challenges?
Carl Hager, Gatineau, Quebec
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Matthew Marosszeky, Aurora
Keep accessibility in mind with housing cash
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Kate Chung, co-founder, Accessible Housing Network
Newsmaker? More like noisemaker
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