Kingston’s city council is set to vote on renaming a road with a controversial name this week, but while some say it’s time for a change, other residents of the street say the process is making them feel left out of the conversation.
About 60 addresses sit on Indian Road off Portsmouth Avenue in Kingston.
Longtime resident Jennifer Lam says she doesn’t agree with changing the name, which she feels a deep connection to.
“They’re taking away my home,” Lam said, while emotional. “Been here so long.”
Lam moved to Indian Road 37 years ago and says at the time, the name was meant to honour First Nations.
“I have First Nations people in my family. I have First Nations friends, and it’s an honorarium to who they are and they are strong people, eclectic people, people that are talented.”
Area city councillor Jeff McLaren conducted a door-to-door survey that found a majority of residents do not want the name changed, with 85 per cent of them rejecting all four of the proposed alternative Indigenous names.
Some of the suggested Ojibwe names on the city’s shortlist include Aki (earth/land/ground), Binesi (large bird), Nookomis (grandmother) and Odamino (to play).
“There are ways to change things, and that’s what democracy is about. I’ve done three surveys of this entire neighborhood or this entire street and the numbers don’t suggest that we should be changing this. If it happens organically, then I would be very much in support of changing it,” McLaren said.
Bylaw requires derogatory names be changed, councillor says
Brandon Maracle, executive director of the Kingston Native Centre and Language Nest, says the name is derogatory to many.
“It’s like one of these minor steps towards a healthier Kingston, a healthier Ontario and a healthier Canada that when we when we get the opportunity to change these things that do make Indigenous people feel uncomfortable, and for some people, actually initiates a trauma response,” Maracle said.
This is the third time a name change has been considered.
Coun. Greg Ridge, who put forward the motion to change the name, says Kingston’s bylaws require derogatory names be changed. Residents would receive support and financial compensation.
“It’s a step that I hope anyone would take with any name that would be harmful or hurtful to any group of people. And so, we need to weigh this within the broader context of our policies and what we want as a city,” Ridge said.
The vote will take place at the next Kingston City Council meeting on Tuesday night.
