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What's wrong with Collingsaga?
19 October 2011
This week, Collingwood Council unanimously approved the name "Beachwood" for a section of Highway 26 that runs through our town. The Ministry of Transport asked Collingwood and Wasaga Beach to come up with a name for the old highway that is being paralleled by the "realignment" currently under construction (no one wants to call it a bypass). The old Highway 26 has to be renamed when the new section opens. And the MTO doesn't seem to be happy with the prosaic "Old Hwy 26."
Beachwood is a compromise name - a portmanteau word proposed by Mayor Cooper because the two communities could not agree on a name.*
Personally, I would have preferred a name that gave recognition to a local place that resonated with historical meaning, or a local person who had contributed significantly to the well-being of the region and should be recognized (Geddes Drive? Works for me...). But I went along with Beachwood because it has a bit of both communities in the name. And neither Collingsaga nor Collingbeach have quite that same ring to it. Wasagawood, too, seems forced. Colilngaga reminds me too much of Lady Gaga and her trite pop music.**
The Beach council sent us a list of three names it found acceptable for this soon-to-be-commuter road and ask that Collingwood choose one: Champlain, Veterans' and Spirit Lake. The Beach also looked at other names, including Wilson's Way, Blue Waterway, Blue Water Drive, Lakeside Road, Georgian Bay Road, Via Belvedere, Beach to Mountain Road, Sea to Sky Road and By the Bowers Bay Drive. None of which apparently struck any of them as terribly inspiring.
The Beach council approved "Spirit Lake Road" as their number one choice. That baffled me because, according to my research, no local native group ever called the bay by that name, so I wondered what relevance it had. It has no local or geographic reference to this area.
Georgian Bay has had many names since the glaciers retreated, but different groups of natives, explorers and settlers each had their own. The Hurons - aka the Wendat, who lived along the south and east shores of the bay, including this region - called it "Lake of Attigouatan" or Lake Attigouatan. This apparently means "home of the Great Spirit." I have not been able to find out if the local native community, the Petun (a member of the Huron association), had a separate name for the lake. Petun Road might have worked, though. It would have pleased Charles Garrad.
It was the Ojibway Indians - who lived along the north and western shores - referred to it as "Spirit Lake." Or rather in their language it was called (according to Wikipedia) either Manidoowi-zaaga`igan or Waasaagamaa. Nearest location I can find for the Ojibwa is about 100 miles away. Not quite what I'd define as local. I'm not surprised the Beach decided on the English translation rather than try to pronounce the original name, although the latter might have been shortened to Wasagama. I doubt that would have found favour with Collingwood Council either.
But should we name any local road a faith-based name? Would it be appropriate to call it Jehovah Road? or Allah Drive? Buddha Street? Jesus Avenue? Shiva Parkway? I'm always uncomfortable giving any public site a religious name because it will inevitably conflict with someone else's faith. And if the word is taken to mean one of the other definitions of "spirit" - "The nonphysical part of a person that is the seat of emotions and character; the soul" or "ghost - soul - mind - psyche" then we could get into a lengthy metaphysical argument about the reality of ghosts and souls.
Spirit, as a verb, also means "to convey rapidly and secretly." Something to do with the diminishing water? Someone spiriting the lake away? Where is that water going and why is the lake level so low? I suspect practical jokers might reduce the name to "Spit Lake Road" too.
For whatever reason each member chose, Council unanimously rejected the name, "Spirit Lake Road."
The French explorer Samuel de Champlain named the lake "La Mer Douce," in his journal. His was the first European record of what he called the "Sweet Water Sea," in 1615. Or he might have meant the "Calm Sea", which it can be at times. Champlain is already recognized all over eastern Canada in dozens of place names. He doesn't need another one here. "La Mer Douce Drive" could have been fitting, if you don't have any anti-francophone sentiments.
In 1815-16, Captain William Fitzwilliam Owen of the Royal Navy surveyed the Great Lakes, and called it "Lake Manitoulin." He is remembered today in the city of Owen Sound. In the early 1880s, the British surveyor, Lieutenant Henry Bayfield, called the lake "Georgian Bay," after George IV, King of Great Britain and Ireland. Bayfield is remembered in the busy mall-and-big-box-store-lined street in Barrie. Why he decided this huge body of water was a bay, not a proper lake, is unknown to me. Maybe that's why no one suggested "Bayfield Street" as a possible name.
Veterans' Road was a possibility. But I think if we recognize our vets it should be with something better than a scruffy bit of two-lane blacktop. Naming the new section of Highway 26 - five lanes, roundabouts and pristine - in recognition of our vets would be more suitable. Naming a street by a cenotaph for our veterans is fitting, renaming a main street honours them. I just didn't see how naming a leftover road with a couple of wrecking yards along it for our veterans does them any honour.***
Councillor Gardhouse did some research and found there were two named beaches in the immediate area: Petch's Beach (Collingwood) or Brock's Beach (Wasaga). Either would have been a good name with a solid local historical reference, but neither name was proposed. He asked the museum for some historical references, and was told a 1926 Wasaga/Collingwood information Guide called it the "Blue Water Highway." He recommended Blue Water Drive or Road.
Not a bad name, but when the water is dark and grey, or covered in ice, what will visitors think of the name? And will anyone actually be able to see the water from the road? Similarly, Councillor Edwards suggested "Blue Water View Road." Again, not bad, but where's the water we're supposed to be able to view? It's hard to find a good view now, and those last open spaces are being filled with cookie-cutter subdivisions. A more appropriate name for the limited vista based on what you will really see would be more like "Scrubby Poplar Drive," "Cedar View Parkway" or "Stunted Pine Road." Even "Auto Glass Factory View Drive" is more realistic. But would anyone want to live on it?
Me, I find that while names like "Blue Water" may trip mellifluously over the tongue, like Buena Vista Drive, Grandview Crescent or Pleasantview Street, they don't describe a place as much as they describe a vague, generic longing for place. Mostly they're used in cookie-cutter suburbs as euphemisms for streets that have quite the opposite sort of view.
A street name should have a local reference, an anchor in our heritage. Beachwood doesn't, true, but rather than face a lengthy spitting match between the two communities (that would put the ball in the MTO's lap to choose a name), we chose a compromise. Let's hope the Beach agrees.
~~~~~
* Story in the Enterprise Bulletin,
** There are, of course, worse names (see this site for some examples). But there are better ones, too. When I was in England, I noted a wide variety of delightful street names, like Nether Priors, Tinkler Side, One Tree Hill, Witches Lane and Cold Arbor Road.
*** My mother is a vet and I don't think she'd feel honoured by that choice.
Beachwood is a compromise name - a portmanteau word proposed by Mayor Cooper because the two communities could not agree on a name.*
Personally, I would have preferred a name that gave recognition to a local place that resonated with historical meaning, or a local person who had contributed significantly to the well-being of the region and should be recognized (Geddes Drive? Works for me...). But I went along with Beachwood because it has a bit of both communities in the name. And neither Collingsaga nor Collingbeach have quite that same ring to it. Wasagawood, too, seems forced. Colilngaga reminds me too much of Lady Gaga and her trite pop music.**
The Beach council sent us a list of three names it found acceptable for this soon-to-be-commuter road and ask that Collingwood choose one: Champlain, Veterans' and Spirit Lake. The Beach also looked at other names, including Wilson's Way, Blue Waterway, Blue Water Drive, Lakeside Road, Georgian Bay Road, Via Belvedere, Beach to Mountain Road, Sea to Sky Road and By the Bowers Bay Drive. None of which apparently struck any of them as terribly inspiring.
The Beach council approved "Spirit Lake Road" as their number one choice. That baffled me because, according to my research, no local native group ever called the bay by that name, so I wondered what relevance it had. It has no local or geographic reference to this area.
Georgian Bay has had many names since the glaciers retreated, but different groups of natives, explorers and settlers each had their own. The Hurons - aka the Wendat, who lived along the south and east shores of the bay, including this region - called it "Lake of Attigouatan" or Lake Attigouatan. This apparently means "home of the Great Spirit." I have not been able to find out if the local native community, the Petun (a member of the Huron association), had a separate name for the lake. Petun Road might have worked, though. It would have pleased Charles Garrad.
It was the Ojibway Indians - who lived along the north and western shores - referred to it as "Spirit Lake." Or rather in their language it was called (according to Wikipedia) either Manidoowi-zaaga`igan or Waasaagamaa. Nearest location I can find for the Ojibwa is about 100 miles away. Not quite what I'd define as local. I'm not surprised the Beach decided on the English translation rather than try to pronounce the original name, although the latter might have been shortened to Wasagama. I doubt that would have found favour with Collingwood Council either.
But should we name any local road a faith-based name? Would it be appropriate to call it Jehovah Road? or Allah Drive? Buddha Street? Jesus Avenue? Shiva Parkway? I'm always uncomfortable giving any public site a religious name because it will inevitably conflict with someone else's faith. And if the word is taken to mean one of the other definitions of "spirit" - "The nonphysical part of a person that is the seat of emotions and character; the soul" or "ghost - soul - mind - psyche" then we could get into a lengthy metaphysical argument about the reality of ghosts and souls.
Spirit, as a verb, also means "to convey rapidly and secretly." Something to do with the diminishing water? Someone spiriting the lake away? Where is that water going and why is the lake level so low? I suspect practical jokers might reduce the name to "Spit Lake Road" too.
For whatever reason each member chose, Council unanimously rejected the name, "Spirit Lake Road."
The French explorer Samuel de Champlain named the lake "La Mer Douce," in his journal. His was the first European record of what he called the "Sweet Water Sea," in 1615. Or he might have meant the "Calm Sea", which it can be at times. Champlain is already recognized all over eastern Canada in dozens of place names. He doesn't need another one here. "La Mer Douce Drive" could have been fitting, if you don't have any anti-francophone sentiments.
In 1815-16, Captain William Fitzwilliam Owen of the Royal Navy surveyed the Great Lakes, and called it "Lake Manitoulin." He is remembered today in the city of Owen Sound. In the early 1880s, the British surveyor, Lieutenant Henry Bayfield, called the lake "Georgian Bay," after George IV, King of Great Britain and Ireland. Bayfield is remembered in the busy mall-and-big-box-store-lined street in Barrie. Why he decided this huge body of water was a bay, not a proper lake, is unknown to me. Maybe that's why no one suggested "Bayfield Street" as a possible name.
Veterans' Road was a possibility. But I think if we recognize our vets it should be with something better than a scruffy bit of two-lane blacktop. Naming the new section of Highway 26 - five lanes, roundabouts and pristine - in recognition of our vets would be more suitable. Naming a street by a cenotaph for our veterans is fitting, renaming a main street honours them. I just didn't see how naming a leftover road with a couple of wrecking yards along it for our veterans does them any honour.***
Councillor Gardhouse did some research and found there were two named beaches in the immediate area: Petch's Beach (Collingwood) or Brock's Beach (Wasaga). Either would have been a good name with a solid local historical reference, but neither name was proposed. He asked the museum for some historical references, and was told a 1926 Wasaga/Collingwood information Guide called it the "Blue Water Highway." He recommended Blue Water Drive or Road.
Not a bad name, but when the water is dark and grey, or covered in ice, what will visitors think of the name? And will anyone actually be able to see the water from the road? Similarly, Councillor Edwards suggested "Blue Water View Road." Again, not bad, but where's the water we're supposed to be able to view? It's hard to find a good view now, and those last open spaces are being filled with cookie-cutter subdivisions. A more appropriate name for the limited vista based on what you will really see would be more like "Scrubby Poplar Drive," "Cedar View Parkway" or "Stunted Pine Road." Even "Auto Glass Factory View Drive" is more realistic. But would anyone want to live on it?
Me, I find that while names like "Blue Water" may trip mellifluously over the tongue, like Buena Vista Drive, Grandview Crescent or Pleasantview Street, they don't describe a place as much as they describe a vague, generic longing for place. Mostly they're used in cookie-cutter suburbs as euphemisms for streets that have quite the opposite sort of view.
A street name should have a local reference, an anchor in our heritage. Beachwood doesn't, true, but rather than face a lengthy spitting match between the two communities (that would put the ball in the MTO's lap to choose a name), we chose a compromise. Let's hope the Beach agrees.
~~~~~
* Story in the Enterprise Bulletin,
** There are, of course, worse names (see this site for some examples). But there are better ones, too. When I was in England, I noted a wide variety of delightful street names, like Nether Priors, Tinkler Side, One Tree Hill, Witches Lane and Cold Arbor Road.
*** My mother is a vet and I don't think she'd feel honoured by that choice.
