Three former Toronto mayors are asking the city to reconsider its decision to rename Dundas Street, questioning the practicality of the move and the research supporting it.

In a letter  to current Mayor Olivia Chow, Art Eggleton, John Sewell and David Crombie, a frequent guest on Fight Back with Libby Znaimer on Zoomer Radio, say they don’t see a valid reason to remove the name of the powerful 18th century Scottish politician Henry Dundas arguing there are more appropriate ways to spend the estimated $8.6 million the renaming will cost.

Dundas amended a resolution to endorse gradual rather than immediate abolition and the former Mayors argue he was an abolitionist “doing the best he could” under challenging circumstances, suggesting his 1792 amendment was an interim measure to salvage the quest for abolition from defeat.

 

The City of Toronto says will release suggested alternate names for the 23 kilometre road in the fall.

In addition to the street name change, the renaming would also include removing the name from other public infrastructure including 730 street signs.