Item - 2014.EX38.10
Tracking Status
- This item was considered by Executive Committee on February 4, 2014 and was adopted without amendment.
EX38.10 - Renaming Union Station to Sir John A. Macdonald Station
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Adopted
- Ward:
- 28 - Toronto Centre-Rosedale
Committee Decision
The Executive Committee:
1. Requested the City Manager to report on the renaming of Union Station to Sir John A. Macdonald Station on or before the July 2, 2014 meeting of the Executive Committee, at which time the public will have the opportunity to make deputations on this matter.
2. Requested the City Manager to consult with the committee known as Toronto Friends of Sir John A. Macdonald in the preparation of the report.
3. Directed the City Manager to seek public input from appropriate groups and individuals in the preparation of the report.
Origin
Summary
There is no greater Canadian than our founding father and first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. As the bicentennial of his birth approaches, the City of Toronto has a unique opportunity to recognize his contribution to our country.
Sir John A. Macdonald's contributions are numerous. His greatest achievement was having the vision to unite our country through Confederation. He was the architect of the National Policy, he was an early supporter of Women’s Suffrage and an advocate of voting rights for Aboriginal peoples. At the time of his death in 1891, Sir John A. Macdonald had created one nation united under one government which valued consensus and worked towards a common goal.
One of his greatest accomplishments was the creation of the Canadian Pacific Railway. This railway served as an important link from coast to coast, and played a significant role in uniting the country in the context of rejecting the manifest destiny of the United States.
In the spirit of recognizing this Canadian giant, I am proposing that the City of Toronto consider renaming Union Station after Sir John A. Macdonald. His association with nation building and Canada is clear and unassailable. His links to railways is clear. Furthermore, given the current reconstruction of Union Station and its rebirth, the timing could not be better.
Background Information
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2014/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-66467.pdf