Another Muskoka road is up for a name change with the goal of strengthening relations between the area’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents.
On Wednesday, the District of Muskoka’s Finance and Corporate Services Committee will consider approving a project to rename Twelve Mile Bay Road, which extends from Hwy 400 through Moose Deer Point First Nation.
The name change falls under the prerogative of the Muskoka Area Indigenous Leadership Table (MAILT), which was formed in 2019 and includes representation from several municipal governments and First Nations organizations.
Part of their mandate was to rename some Muskoka Roads with a focus on Truth and Reconciliation, such as Muskoka Road 38, which was renamed Kanien’kehá:ka Iohatátie in 2023.
During MAILT discussions Indigenous members suggested there was value in changing the names of roads that connect Indigenous Nations to non-Indigenous communities. They suggested Twelve Mile Bay Road, which runs from Hwy 400 through Moose Deer Point First Nation, would benefit from an Indigenous language and community-chosen name. Indigenous members also noted that the settler population has attachments to road and place names and asked staff to proceed slowly and carefully, with a focus on education.
If approved by Council approval, a working group will be convened in the spring of 2025 with a target date of renaming Twelve Mile Bay Road in 2026.
The estimated cost is $14,500.
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What a waste of money! There is no need to change a name that has been in place for decades. It is also important to note that no one can pronounce the Indigenous names! This money would be better spent in many other ways!