A majority of Toronto residents support renaming Dundas Street, but there is much less agreement when the cost is factored in, a new poll finds.

The Liaison Strategies poll was conducted Oct. 3-4 and surveyed 817 Torontonians through interactive voice recording.

The poll found that while 54 per cent of respondents support renaming the street, support drops to 42 per cent when the estimated $8.6 million cost is considered. Opposition to the move rises from 12 per cent to 35 per cent when the cost is considered, while the number of those unsure goes from 34 per cent to 23 per cent.

City Council voted to rename the street in 2021 amid a renewed awareness around racial justice. The street was named for Henry Dundas, first Viscount Melville (1742-1811). Dundas played a role in delaying the abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the 1790s.

Historians have argued over his part in history, with some saying he was in fact an abolitionist who was trying to introduce amendments that would allow some form of abolition to pass rather than being defeated outright.

A committee has been studying options for alternative names and is expected to report back this year.

Critics have said that spending almost $9 million to rename a street at a time when the city faces deep financial challenges is irresponsible.

A group of former mayors sent Mayor Olivia Chow a letter this past summer asking her to reconsider. They questioned the practicality of the change and some of the research behind the decision.

 

SUPPORT FOR CHOW STILL STRONG; FEDERAL LIBERALS HAVE SLIPPED

The poll also looked at the popularity of Mayor Chow and the federal and provincial parties within Toronto.

It found that Chow still enjoys strong support three months after being sworn into the job, with 75 per cent of residents surveyed saying they approve of the job she's doing. Some 17 per cent disapproved, while eight per cent were unsure.

The survey found 37 per cent of decided and leaning Torontonians would support the Liberals if an election were held today, while the Progressive Conservatives and NDP would each get 28 per cent support in the city. That represents a four per cent drop for the PCs and a five per cent gain for the Liberals.

Meanwhile support for the federal Liberals has slipped in Toronto. The poll found 40 per cent of leaning and decided voters would cast a ballot for the Liberals if an election were held today. That compares to 52 per cent support for the party in Toronto in the last federal election.

The Conservative Party would get 29 per cent support while the federal NDP would get 24 per cent support. That amounts to a five per cent gain for the Conservatives and a six per cent gain for the NDP in the city.

The poll is considered accurate to within 3.43 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.