Item - 2024.TE13.34

The Toronto and East York Community Council:

1. Directed the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to undertake a public consultation process, informed by the City of Toronto Guiding Principles for Commemoration and the Reconciliation Action Plan, on selecting a name for the new park at 70 Croatia Street and report back to the Toronto and East York Community Council in the first quarter of 2025 with a proposed name.

The Bloordale community eagerly awaits our new park being delivered as part of the broader residential development project at Bloor Street West and Dufferin Street. This new park will bring more green space to our growing community and create a new place for gathering.

With this new park on the horizon, finding the right name is an important part of the puzzle. Many local residents have contacted my office with ideas and questions about how a name will be selected for the new park at 70 Croatia Street.

I’ve been informed that park naming is not within the currently set scope of the established Community Advisory Committee and Indigenous Advisory Circle. Instead, residents have been directed to complete a Commemorative Property Naming Form which would be reviewed against the Commemorative Framework.

With the significant interest in the naming process, I believe that a more proactive process is needed to hear and balance the desires of the local community. In addition, I know that it is a priority to Ward 9 for the commitments made by the City of Toronto in the Reconciliation Action Plan to be fulfilled. This plan includes a commitment to “work with language speakers and Knowledge Carriers, and ensure that Indigenous language is given priority in the naming and renaming of City streets, parks and other City assets.”

With all of that in mind, I am requesting that Parks, Forestry and Recreation undertake public consultation on recommending a name for the new park at 70 Croatia Street.