What About JoJo Savard?
Okay, this is the last Park Avenue post for at least a month. I promise. Really! But I have something to announce: Helen Fotopulos has baked some humble pie — and JoJo Savard is invited to dinner.
As you’ve read on this blog several times already, plans are afoot to rename Montreal’s Park Avenue after the former Quebec premier Robert Bourassa. (You can conveniently read more about this in our Park Avenue category.) Since Montreal’s mayor announced the renaming, however, it has been engulfed by storm of surprisingly epic proportions. At least 20,000 people have signed petitions against the renaming and, after initial resistance, the mayor and other politicians seem to have broken down and accepted that a great deal of Montrealers want Park Avenue’s name to remain.
One of those politicians is the mayor of the Plateau Mont-Royal borough, Helen Fotopulos, a born-and-raised Mile Ender who grew up near Park Avenue. After initially voting in favour of the renaming — she’s part of the mayor’s five-person executive council — she has since changed her mind, issuing a very public mea culpa and promising to vote against the name change in a November 27th city council vote. This afternoon, she sent out an email explaining her decision.
From: hfotopulos@ville.montreal.qc.ca
Date: November 4, 2006
Subject: Park AvenueDear Concerned Citizens,
In the course of the past two weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the over 500 personal emails and messages I have received regarding the proposed name change for Park Avenue. I felt it incumbent upon me to explain my position in this debate.
The genuine and from-the-heart testimonials that I received from the Plateau and beyond, moved and chastened me and led me to reconsider the support that I had initially given to the project.
In fact, two weeks ago, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of his death, despite certain heritage reservations, I had, along with my colleagues on the Executive given my hastily considered endorsement to this proposal to honour the late Premier Robert Bourassa.
I must admit that I misread the situation.
Given the subsequent emotional debate that this issue has sparked, the Mayor asked his councillors to search their souls and vote according to their conscience. Faced with incontrovertible arguments and after some deep soul searching, I informed the Mayor I would be voting against the proposed name change.
This position is shared by my Plateau colleagues and will be confirmed with our vote against the motion at the next City Council on November 27th.
Respectfully,
Helen Fotopulos
As a Concerned Citizen and one of the “over five hundred” people who sent Fotopulos emails protesting the renaming, I’m pretty satisfied with her turnaround. It’s no guarantee that Park Avenue won’t still be renamed, but it’s a symbolic victory for the anti-Robert Bourassa Avenue camp.
Don’t let any of this give you the idea that I’m against renaming streets on principle, however. I could live with some name changes. Last week, Raf Katigbak, the Mirror’s much-ado-about-nothing columnist (and hier to the throne of Kristian Gravenor), suggested some additional renamings for Montreal streets.
Think about this: change is good. Changing names is good. In fact, I change the names of my pet turtles all the time, and Galactic Emperor Turtollemew III and Her Royal Highness Princess Shelly the Super Awesomest Turtle in the World are doing just fine with their new names, thank you very much. Now I’m not saying that what Tremblay’s administration is doing—acting without public consultation, and with a transparency and openness to discussing the issue best described as non-fucking-existent—is right. But what I am saying is, why Robert Bourassa? It has such a terrible mouth feel. Besides, don’t we have a Bourassa street somewhere in this city?
If we are going to take a well-known, historic site, which has been remembered in countless books, personal histories, and in honour of our gorgeous park designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead (he of Central Park fame) and erase it from the map, then why not pick a local who was just as important, even more diplomatic and brave and dashing? How does Captain Kirk Avenue sound?
While we’re at it, here are some other suggestions:
Côte-Ste-Catherine renamed Côte-JoJo-Savard
The first reason is obvious. We don’t need two Ste-Catherine streets. Since American tourists are already confused when we have to explain to them, “We don’t have a Taco Bell,” and that, “No, that Aerosmith CD you want to buy isn’t overdubbed in French. Yes, it is sung in ‘American,’” we should keep things as simple as possible. The second reason is that, much like the local psychic’s hair, Côte-Ste-Catherine currently crowns our beautiful mountain, wisp-ing up and down like gorgeous streaks of artificial extensions and teased blonde pigtails. Right next to the cemetery, which gives people that same creepy feeling that watching JoJo’s infomercials did.
Gouin Boulevard—Celine Dion Way
Like many of the local musical icon’s vocal arrangements, Gouin is really, really long, but never really goes anywhere interesting. It’s the kind of road your aunt would drive on and go, “Oh, that’s nice.”
Jacques Cartier Bridge renamed le Pont de Coupe Longueuil
With ’80s revivalists and fashionistas still refusing to lose their mullets, the bridge that links downtown metropolitan Montreal with Longueuil should be renamed for the hairstyle that does the same. Optional names include the Ape Drape, the Soccer Rocker and the Achy Breaky Mistakey. In accordance with the hairstyle, the bridge should also be made bi-level.
St-Antoine renamed Chemin de le Great Antonio
If anyone deserves a street named after him, it’s Montreal’s most famous strongman the Great Antonio (born Antonio Barichievich). In 1952, he made it into the Guinness Book of World Records by pulling a 433-tonne train 19.8 metres. Then he made it in again by pulling four city buses loaded with passengers. He could also wrestle 18 men at once, juggle six people on his shoulders and basically could kick Robert Bourassa’s ass with a single punt from his size 28 shoes. Okay, so what if, in 1970, at age 36, Robert Bourassa became the youngest premier of Quebec? Could he uproot trees with a cable attached to his neck at age 12 like Antonio? Je ne crois pas!
Hear hear.
Tags: Montreal, Park Avenue, Street Names
susanna says:
i just found your blog from google. i like it so much… very nice touch for different urban centres… impressed! two thumbs up!
November 5th, 2006 at 12:42 am