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Opinion: Bill Walton, Done with Dundas

We need a programme, run by an unbiased history professor.
20210712 can walton

Good-bye Henry and Dundas Street in Toronto the Good. But let us not stop with Henry Dundas, another discovered villain from years gone by. Dundas was mixed up in the slavery business but was also involved with Indian Affairs – not Canadian natives, but in India on the other side of the world – but don’t let facts get in the way of removing him as we did Sir John A.

However, let us not stop now.

We have to get this removal of statutes, symbols, rewriting (correcting) history books, retribution payments to descendants, church apologies (not to be confused with church apostates), government apologies by our PM (whose father gave the middle finger to the West – do one for him too, Justin) – yes, we need to get this organized. 

We need a programme, run by maybe an unbiased indigenous history professor (she was on TV the other night) from Queen’s or McGill – oops – bad choice because both of those universities need to be renamed. We need to be rid of any reference to colonialism, slavery, assimilation programs for indigenous peoples, racial persecutions during wars, religious attempts of conversion, and cultural genocide. Some of our Provincial flags need revision to remove those colonial European references.

That is, I am certain, just a start as we begin this process of self-examination and mea culpas.

My goodness, what is left? The War of 1812? It was actually a British-led squad that set the White House ablaze, but again don’t let facts get in the way.

For the sake of organization, let us start on the west coast where there is low-hanging fruit.

The capital of BC, Victoria definitely needs a name change. Vicky was in charge of The Empire when she knighted John A, so de facto, she and all her namesakes must go. The references to explorers of said Empire must also go because they opened the country to foreigners and colonization which led to all our problems. Therefore, we need to rename Vancouver, both city and island, get rid of all things Cook, Fraser, and Thompson. The name of the province itself needs a cleanup. We cannot just use the initials BC (Before the Christian era) because we need to be rid of all things referencing religious orders and churches that had anything to do with residential schools.

You can see where this is going to be a large project because so many cities, towns, streets, schools, islands, inlets, sounds, and parks were named in honour or in reference to people who did something that seemed important to the colonizers of the day. What were our ancestors thinking?

The one saving factor in this reconciliation with the past is that some places were named after the native peoples and their leaders, mythical figures, and quite often, land features and woodland creatures. We must sound a caution here, making certain that none of the indigenous names carry any connections to bad things that may have happened in the recorded history of the native peoples of what is now called Canada. We do not want disgruntled new Canadians coming back 20 years from now claiming so and so was a slave owner, child sex abuser, or a murderer and have to rename streets again.

One can see that in the former British Columbia, the cost of doing the name changes, remapping, and tourist brochure printing is going to run into hundreds of millions of dollars. And this before we get to Alberta (another royalty connection) and Saskatchewan, (Kisiskatchewanisipi in the original Cree) although that might be the first province to keep its name. Regina has to go, of course. This project may take years before we reach St John’s NL on the east side of the country. John the Baptist and John Cabot: the name has to change on two counts.

The inevitable question from someone is going to be: how do we pay for this?

A Toronto councillor estimated that it would cost the City several millions of dollars just to do the signage, maps, and updating bylaws and city records for Dundas Street. Well, the answer is simple: we start a GoF***Me campaign with a double hashtag for each city or town. Victoria, and their anti-Canada Day mayor can make the first donation to GoF***Me ## Victoria. This funding arrangement will excuse those citizens who do not want the changes, although there may be some media shaming to encourage this post-pandemic economic driver.

We in North Bay may escape these renaming costs although there a few streets that need adjustment: Albert St, Brule St, Camelot Crt, Champlain St, Desgrosseillers St, Elizabeth St, Fraser St, Gladstone Ave, Harris Dr (because of Mikey), Prince Edward Dr, Sovereign Dr. etc. The local churches can attend to their own renaming but that might be tougher than just naming streets and avenues with numbers and directions.

Perhaps it is time to say enug ist enug. Maybe, maybe it is time for forgiveness and kindness. Maybe now we should move forwards together because we cannot go back.

Now is not a time to tear down, but a time to build up the Canada that we are. Together, as friends, neighbours, and Canadians all.





Bill Walton

About the Author: Bill Walton

Retired from City of North Bay in 2000. Writer, poet, columnist
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