Seven different names
There has been considerable talk about changing the name of the street that runs in front of Canada's Parliament. But what to call this east-west thoroughfare?
On the far east side of Ottawa, the road starts as St. Joseph Boulevard, then as it passes under the Queensway it morphs into Montreal Road. That name lasts until it leaves Vanier and crosses the Rideau River where the street name becomes Rideau Street.
Then as it crosses Sussex Drive, it becomes Wellington Street. Wellington takes a little jog near the Tom Brown Arena and continues to Island Park Drive in Westboro. There it is Richmond Road all the way to Bells Corners at Moodie Drive on the west side of the city.
At that point, the motorist will notice the Richmond Road signs become Robertson Road. But farther west, at the Eagleson Road crossing, Roberston turns into Hazeldean Road.
Seven names for one street. Little wonder that visitors to Ottawa become confused.
And now some folks talk about giving the Wellington section another name.
Joe Spence,
Kanata
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Re: Sir John A. is our man, April 27.
Columnist Andrew Cohen provides convincing arguments for renaming Wellington Street after a Canadian. Choosing John A. Macdonald as "our man" for this honour is less than compelling. As this is the most important ceremonial "thoroughfare in all of Canada" it ought to be named for someone the vast majority of Canadians feel good about.
Having lived in the Canadian Prairies I know many people whose first thought of Sir John A. is: "Wasn't he the man who was prime minister during the time of Louis Riel?" Then there springs to mind a number of other prime ministers who have regarded the western provinces not so much containing people to serve, as resources to pillage. These are not the thoughts we want to stir in the minds of our visitors from the western provinces.
The man whom I would name this most important thoroughfare after is Tommy Douglas whose public service spanned four decades from Regina to Vancouver to Ottawa. He was a truly great parliamentarian in the minds of Canadians -- in the CBC 2004 poll, Douglas was the most admired Canadian.
And for good reasons we hold him in high esteem, he accomplished changes in the way we live -- universal medicare, unemployment insurance, old age pensions and central banking. He dedicated himself to improving the Canadian way of life.
And while I am suggesting national arrangements -- let me also propose that we put the proposed Stanley Cup monument in Red Deer, Alberta -- halfway between Oilers and the Flames -- it would mean a lot to them. Then let's revive the idea of a National Portrait Gallery and put it on Tommy Douglas Street here in Ottawa.
John Marsh,
Ottawa