‘Black people pay tax dollars, they are Canadians too’: Attempt to derail Yonge-Dundas renaming voted down by council
Mayor Olivia Chow says it’s time to consider the renaming of Yonge-Dundas Square a done deal as she and her allies fended off an attempt to derail the project during a emotionally charged meeting Thursday.
At the end of a debate that featured an explosive speech from one of Chow’s deputy mayors, council voted down a pair of motions that would have shelved or defunded the previously approved plan to rechristen Toronto’s downtown plaza as Sankofa Square.
Debate has raged in the media and at city hall for months about the costs of the plan, and whether it’s fair to blame Henry Dundas, the 18th-century British parliamentarian behind the square’s old name, for delaying the abolition of slavery.
Even some proponents of the plan have conceded there were flaws with how the new name Sankofa, which references a Ghanian term for learning from the past, was introduced without notice at a council meeting in December.
But in fiery remarks before the vote that had some colleagues standing and applauding or wiping away tears, Coun. Amber Morley (Ward 3, Etobicoke—Lakeshore) said renaming the square was “deeper than Dundas,” and represented “an important opportunity for members of the Black community of Toronto to be recognized.”
Morley, who is Black and a ceremonial deputy mayor, said her ancestors “were brought here forcibly” and the effects of that trauma still reverberated.
“Black people are Canadians, too. Black people pay taxpayer dollars, too. So God forbid we put a couple of dollars towards a truth and reconciliation to hold space for community members who have long been disregarded and discarded in violent and traumatic ways,” she said.
Chow echoed those remarks, saying members of the Black community have told her “look, we want to feel we belong, we want to be recognized.” She reminded colleagues that council had previously voted for the renaming, and claimed that opposition to the plan had been fuelled by “lies” about how much it would cost.
Chow said the matter should finally be put to rest. “Let’s move on.”
Coun. Brad Bradford (Ward 19, Beaches—East York) introduced the motion that would have redirected funding for the renaming to accessibility and safety infrastructure in the square.
He said the renaming had been “railroaded” through council, and many residents believe the money for it would be better spent elsewhere. “The process has been a failure,” he asserted.
He was joined in opposition by Coun. Stephen Holyday (Ward 2, Etobicoke Centre), who moved a motion that would have effectively paused the renaming indefinitely. He provoked jeers from progressive colleagues when he declared that he’d discovered the true motive behind the Sankofa plan.
“I connected all the dots,” he said. “This is about socialism as far as I’m concerned.”
That prompted Coun. Gord Perks, the veteran left-wing representative for Parkdale—High Park, to shout “There’s a Red under your bed!”
Both Bradford’s and Holyday’s motions lost by votes of five to 18.
Council voted in 2021 under then-mayor John Tory to rename Dundas Street and other civic assets bearing Dundas’s name. But as estimated costs grew to almost $13 million, Chow and council pared down the plan to include only the square, two subway stations and a library branch.
According to the square’s board of management, the rebranding effort will cost between $160,000 and $965,000, depending on the scope of the celebrations, education, signage and other factors.
About $335,000 has already been set aside for a marketing campaign and new signage. Chow has said the city is exploring corporate partnerships, and pledged that taxpayers won’t be on the hook for additional costs.
This article was first reported by The Star
