This time - a group nomination. It goes to the Council of the City of Charlottetown P.E.I.
In a 9 - 1 decision last week that Council changed the name of a street that honoured the Island's only Olympic gold medalist.
Dave 'Eli' MacEachern Court named after the 1998 Olympic gold medal brakeman will now be called Eli Court.
Council was pressured last March to make a change but hung tough.
However, it appears that a petition signed by every resident on the street won the day. Council caved. Apparently the half dozen families who live on the street were concerned that the name was too long for children to remember.
CBC reports quote MacEachern as "not upset." However, the Sun Media claim that the bobsledder finds it "a bit of an insult."
Is there a lesson here? City of Burlington Ontario Councillors used to make decisions on what to call streets too. One night, running out of ideas, they decided to name a street after an apparently (and appropriately) bored reporter who was covering the proceedings.
Burlington Council now leaves street naming to staff.
Maybe Charlottetown should too.
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