Dundas Street in Toronto is a major thoroughfare that runs through the heart of our largest city.  It was named after Scottish politician Henry Dundas.  Toronto City Council decided in 2021 to rename the street because of Dundas role in delaying the abolition of the Transatlantic slave trade in the 1790’s.  Some historians insist he wanted a gradual abolition of the slave trade to ensure the foul business was eliminated entirely.  They say Dundas was a lawyer who in fact defended a runaway slave in a case that eventually saw Scotland’s highest court abolish slavery in that country almost 30 years before slavery was abolished in the British Empire, and therefore Toronto’s decision to rename Dundas Street is based on bad history and the misrepresentation of a man’s life.   However, Toronto’s new Mayor, Olivia Chow, says she is going ahead with the renaming of the street at a cost of $8.6 million.  Swing out West to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where John A. Macdonald Road is being renamed because our first Prime Minister is regarded as a key architect of the residential school system.  The new name will be Miyo-wahkohtowin Road which means “good relationships” in Cree.  People argue both for and against dropping the names of historical figures from streets, buildings, sports teams and so on.  We can’t erase history but I don’t see anything wrong with well thought through reasonable name changes.  Too bad Edmonton’s CFL team couldn’t come up with a name that’s actually a word. 

That’s Coffeetalk.  I’m Vic Dubois.