Item - 2021.EX25.1

The Executive Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council direct the City Manager to initiate a public engagement process to seek input on the draft City of Toronto Principles for Commemoration in the Public Realm, included as Attachment 1 to the report (June 18, 2021) from the City Manager and to report back to the Executive Committee with recommendations for a new framework and implementation plan to guide how the City commemorates public figures and events in street and place names, monuments and other civic assets by the second quarter of 2022.

2. City Council direct the City Manager to convene a Community Advisory Committee made up of Black and Indigenous leaders and representatives from the diverse communities represented along Dundas Street to develop and seek community input on potential new names for Dundas Street and other City-owned assets bearing the Dundas name, and report back to the Executive Committee with recommended names by the second quarter of 2022.

3. Subject to the adoption of Recommendation 2 above, City Council direct the City Manager to develop a transition plan to support Dundas Street residents and businesses impacted by the name change, and include this plan as part of the report to the Executive Committee in the second quarter of 2022.

4. Subject to the adoption of Recommendation 2 above, City Council direct impacted City divisions and agencies to include costs related to renaming Dundas Street as part of their 2022 and 2023 Budget submissions.

5. City Council direct the City Manager to explore options to reduce the cost of renaming streets and civic assets and include the results in the upcoming new framework and implementation plan.

6. City Council authorize the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, in consultation with Ward Councillors and other City divisions and agencies as appropriate, to process applications for new street names received between October 1, 2020 and July 15, 2021, despite the previous moratorium on naming or renaming of streets and other civic properties, in order to test the practical application of the draft City of Toronto Principles for Commemoration in the Public Realm, included as Attachment 1 to the report (June 18, 2021) from the City Manager.

7. City Council authorize the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the Director, Indigenous Affairs Office and the City Librarian, to investigate options for naming the community recreation centre to be located at 100 Ethennonnhawahstihnen' Lane, in alignment with draft City of Toronto Principles for Commemoration in the Public Realm in Attachment 1 to the report (June 18, 2021) from the City Manager , and in coordination with the Toronto Public Library's process for naming the new on-site library branch, despite the previous moratorium on naming or renaming of streets and other civic properties, and to recommend a name to the North York Community Council by the fourth quarter of 2021. 

8. City Council approve the name "Freemon Redmon Circle" to identify the proposed public street at 971-979 Warden Avenue.

In June 2020, City Council received a petition signed by close to 14,000 individuals calling for Dundas Street[1] to be renamed, citing its namesake Henry Dundas' role in delaying the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Subsequently, in September 2020, City Council approved a consultation and research plan to explore four potential options for responding to the petition: doing nothing (which was not recommended by staff); maintaining the street names with additional interpretation; maintaining the street names but changing the names of other civic assets bearing Dundas' name; and a full renaming of the streets and civic assets carrying the Dundas name.

The petition has led to a broader review of how the City commemorates public figures and events in place names, monuments and other civic assets, with Council directing the City Manager to develop an overall commemorative framework for the City, including guiding principles for naming/renaming and other forms of commemoration. To better reflect this expanded scope, the project is now called the Recognition Review.

A key objective of the Recognition Review is to examine and respond to how systemic racism and discrimination may be embedded in place names and City assets. Public commemorations – including monuments, plaques, and the naming of streets, parks and other civic properties – reflect community values through how we choose to collectively honour the past and shape the future. The City of Toronto communicates a core value through its motto, "Diversity Our Strength". However, most commemorations in Toronto represent the stories of white settler males in positions of power. This historic imbalance has meant that other stories – including those of Indigenous Peoples, Black communities, racialized communities, women, 2SLGBTQ+ persons, and other equity-deserving groups – are underrepresented in the public realm. Developing a new commemorative framework to address this imbalance will have a positive long-term impact for the City by building the foundation for a stronger, more inclusive Toronto through an intentional, equitable and community-centred approach to consultation, naming and commemoration.

To begin this work, staff have developed draft guiding principles for a new commemorative framework (included in Attachment 1) to encourage greater equity and inclusion in place-making, promote a broader understanding of history and its legacy within communities, and confront the legacy of colonialism and systemic racism. This report recommends that staff seek public feedback on these principles, and test the practical application of the principles to name selected new streets and civic assets in the coming months while the moratorium on further naming and renaming of City properties previously directed by Council remains in place. A recommendation for the first street to be named in alignment with the draft principles is included as part of this report. This report recommends assigning the name "Freemon Redmon Circle" to a new public street at 971-979 Warden Avenue, which requires a name prior to occupancy on August 1, 2021. A new corporate framework for commemoration in the public realm, incorporating the guiding principles, updates to related policies and programs, and considerations for implementation will be recommended to Council in Q2 2022.

Responding to the Dundas Street petition is a foundational step in the Recognition Review. Following the September report to Council, City staff engaged an independent firm with extensive experience working with equity-deserving communities to develop a public consultation plan for the project. As part of this preparatory work, the City and its consultants hosted discovery sessions with Black and Indigenous community leaders, Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) located along Dundas Street, and Black business owners and entrepreneurs across Toronto to seek feedback on the proposed options for responding to the petition and strategies for engaging the broader public. Staff also met with Dundas Street resident associations as part of this initial work. In addition, City staff conducted an extensive review of academic research on Dundas' role in abolition and over 400 global case studies on the evolution of commemoration and naming policies.

Based on feedback from discovery sessions with Black and Indigenous community leaders and business groups, the findings of peer-reviewed academic research, and trends in global case studies, it is very clear that engaging the public on any option other than a full renaming of Dundas Street and civic assets runs counter to the commitments Council has made to equity, reconciliation and inclusion. The continued commemoration of Henry Dundas – who is described in peer-reviewed academic research as having played an instrumental role in delaying the abolition of the slave trade – is in direct conflict with the values of equity and inclusion that the City of Toronto upholds. Taking steps to right wrongs, challenge systemic institutionalized racism, and build a more inclusive Toronto is more important than ever. Addressing the historical legacy of Dundas Street is one of these steps.

This report therefore recommends that Council support a process to rename Dundas Street and other civic assets bearing Dundas' name, with guidance from a Community Advisory Committee made up of Black and Indigenous residents and business owners. The Advisory Committee will develop a shortlist of potential names with community input as part of a commitment to healing, and recommend new names for Dundas Street and other civic assets for consideration by City Council by Q2 2022. It is estimated that the new names for the street and civic assets could be put in place approximately one year after their approval by Council.

A key component of this work will be the development of a transition plan to support impacted residents and businesses. Dundas Street is home to over 97,000 residents and 4,500 businesses. The transition plan will include strategies to make the change as easy as possible for these residents and businesses, such as automatic mail forwarding arranged by Canada Post; working with search engines to update online results for businesses; and identifying specific supports for vulnerable residents. Most address changes can be made at no cost, though businesses could incur additional expenses to update materials such as letterhead, and approximately 60 businesses with Dundas in their name may incur further costs related to re-branding and signage should they choose to change their names as well. Businesses within BIAs that update their exterior signage to reflect a name change could be eligible for funding through the existing Commercial Façade Improvement Program, which covers up to 50% of eligible expenses.

The petition to rename Dundas Street has been the most prominent example of public calls for change about how we commemorate historic figures and events in Toronto. However, other commemorative street names, place names and monuments have also been critiqued for honouring subjects that are no longer considered to be reflective of the city's contemporary values. Staff are aware of approximately 60 other street names, primarily small local roads, which could require further examination, including at least 12 streets named after slave owners. While the previously-approved moratorium on further naming/renaming of streets and removal of monuments remains in place, the City has an opportunity to consider an approach to addressing questions related to existing place names and monuments that will examine each asset individually with an historic review, community input and opportunities to educate and celebrate Toronto's commitments to equity for all. The new commemorative framework, to be presented to Council in 2022, will help guide the City’s decision-making on the range of potential responses, and will detail resource implications for reviewing existing assets.

 
[1] For the purposes of this report, "Dundas Street" refers to Dundas Street (East and West), Old Dundas Street (a local road east and west of the Humber River, south of Dundas Street West), and Dundas Square (a local road south of Yonge-Dundas Square).