You are here: “Battle of Barrack Street” starting.

Proposed renaming of Barrack Street ignores other, stronger options.

The “Battle of Barrack Street” is starting. John Wright, former owner of the KROCK radio station, and Rob Wood, former campaign advisor to Mayor Mark Gerretsen, have launched a campaign to encourage people to e-mail their councillors stating support for the proposed renaming of Barrack Street which I do not support. Here's why:

First, it is important to remember that all of council supported the idea of honouring the Tragically Hip in some appropriate way. That is not the question before us. What is before us is the question “how.”

The proposal ignores other options and is being pursued in such an aggressive manner that I suspect ulterior motives.

The cultural heritage of a community is multi-layered. It is not monochromatic, or time- limited. Further, to honour “A” by dishonouring “B” is destructive.

In this instance people are proposing the destruction of the integrity of the street name “Barrack Street” without any comprehension of what it is.

One of the oldest street names west of the Ontario / Quebec border.

What we know as Ontario was not available for settlement until after the Constitutional Act of 1791 that allowed for the creation of Upper Canada as a political entity separate from Lower Canada. Even so, the clearing of land to create what we now know as Dundas Street and Yonge Street did not begin until 1796 9or possibly 1795). Yet what I understand to be the oldest map of Kingston, (on public view on the Douglas Library of Queen’s University, second floor, Special Collections) shows Barrack Street clearly marked in 1796. I believe the only communities that might have older street names than those shown on that 1796 map are Niagara-on-the-Lake, Windsor and Sault Ste Marie. We cannot say that “history and innovation thrive” in Kingston if we dismiss it at every opportunity.

This destructive proposal ignores the possibility of naming a public space for the Tragically Hip. The urban design study for the North Block, properly titled North Block District Community & Business Enhancement Opportunities, calls for a large public space at the corner of Ontario and Barrack Streets, directly opposite the KROCK Centre. We could, if we had sufficient imagination, create a wonderful public space that could also be a performance space for such events as the Jazz Festival. I encourage people to look at “Standing on the Corner, Winslow Arizona” http://www.standinonthecorner.com/ . With the statue of Jackson Browne and the murals, it is a tremendous space for public art. With a plaza or place we could do even better - if we had the imagination.

Glover proposes “Tragically Hip Place”.

In December I met with John Wright to suggest this. He seemed sufficiently interested that I organized a meeting for him with Cynthia Beach, our Commissioner of Sustainability and Growth, to discuss it further. Naming the proposed public place directly across the street from the KROCK Centre “Tragically Hip Place” adds an honour without taking away one of the oldest street names west of Quebec.

Some are suggesting that it would be “great” if the KROCK Centre address was #1 Tragically Hip Place. I have a problem with that thought process. I know where a number of internationally-famous performance venues are, and remember the shows I saw at them, but I have no recollection of their street addresses. I do not find it credible that renaming the street will have the impact its proponents believe it will. Nonetheless, as Councillor Dorothy Hector has pointed out, there are other ways of providing for a civic addressing. By adopting a by-law, the city could give the KROCK the postal address for the public space so named.

The single-minded purpose, ignoring options, with which this street renaming is being pursued makes me suspect motive. Do people really believe that the street address will help sell tickets? Is that why it is so important? That reduces the intended honour to a possible commercial advantage, which in my view is no honour at all. Yet all of us at council agreed that an honour was appropriate.

Bill will welcome your comments / ideas about this issue.



613.549.1900
www.billglover.org
bglover@cityofkingston.ca


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