While Timmins council is supportive of honouring prominent people from the city, renaming a street may not be the preferred route.
The city has received a letter asking for Fourth Avenue in Schumacher to be renamed Mahovlich Way. Brothers Frank and Peter Mahovlich are Stanley Cup-winning former NHLers and played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series and are from the community. Frank went on to become a Canadian Senator.
The item was brought up for discussion at this week's council meeting.
Schumacher Coun. Joe Campbell said he talked to six residents on the road about the idea, noting it's not an "overwhelming" survey given the number of houses on the street.
“I can tell you right now that it’s overwhelmingly opposed to it for the simple reason that they have to change their health card, their driver’s licence, their insurance policies, their titles to their houses, the whole bag of tricks. If we’re even going to even consider this I would suggest that we have the opportunity for some input from these residents,” he told council.
“I would think that the trend is going to be there that most people don’t want to go ahead with that."
To rename a street, city clerk Steph Palmateer said it's a council decision that requires a bylaw. Leading up to that, there is typically a public consultation with people on the street and neighbouring community residents.
Instead of renaming the street, other ways to honour prominent members of the community were suggested.
Coun. Kristin Murray said there could be an opportunity to work with the Schumacher Arts Culture Heritage Association (SACHA) to create a monument if residents aren't in favour of changing the street name.
“There (are) other strategic creative alternatives that can happen as well,” she said.
An honorary street name change, similar to what was done for Shania Twain Way along a stretch of Algonquin, was suggested by Coun. John Curley. That way, he said, there is recognition of Mahovlich Way and residents wouldn't have to change their address.
Mayor George Pirie said there has to be more community consultation on the item and noted that council has to be careful about one-offs.
“Honouring the fact that people want to remember important people in the City of Timmins … perhaps we could put our heads together and think of a way to engage the community in that task,” he said.
He said the city has received the task and will arrive at some action from it.
