Renaming la rue Amherst

25 posts / 0 new

Wed, 2017-09-13 05:02

lagatta4

I think that many babblers are aware of the many demands to rename the street named for Lord Jeffrey Amherst, because of his history of using smallpox-infested blankets as a means of bacteriological warfare and genocide against Amerindian peoples who had taken the side of New France. It is no surprise that such tactics were more readily used against foes seen as "savages".

http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/montreal/507852/toponymie-amherst-aux-...

But some have expressed a desire to rename it for a Québécois figure such as Jacques Parizeau (remember, not only a politician, but an important figure in the Quiet Revolution) and while I certainly think Parizeau deserves a street somewhere, writing this historical wrong calls for a street name that is either Indigenous or commemorative of an Indigenous event, feast or concept.

If it is a name in French, it could be something like Rue de la Grande paix, or rue des Deux-Esprits (a positive Indigenous concept relating to LGBT+ people, as it is an important street in what is now the Gay Village), but personally I'd prefer an Indigenous name. In any case, to right the historical wrong, it must relate to Indigenous peoples' history, culture or world views, not Québécois ones.

And renaming must not mean forgeting. Boulevard Alexis-Carrell has become boulevard Rita Levi-Montalcini (another Nobel prize winner and an extraordinary woman who I like seeing honoured).

Wed, 2017-09-13 08:25

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

Wasn't a park named after Jacques Parizeau? I remember it being somewhat of a big deal to some because the park in question was a Vimy based park.

There are a lot of streets named after questionable figures from our past. Like Lionel-Groulx.

I agree that Amherst should be renamed. But not after Jacques Parizeau. I'd like to see it renamed after an important Mohawk figure. IMO of course.

Wed, 2017-09-13 09:10

lagatta4

Absolutely not Parizeau. Parizeau could get something in the financial district or in the neighbourhood where he lived. Seems he already has a park there, no?

Making amends definitely requires an Indigenous name. Another good choice would be Myra Cree, as it is close to Radio-Canada - CBC. https://indspire.ca/laureate/myra-cree-2/ I knew here from Terres en vues, where I've freelanced for over 20 years. The wikipedia article on her mistakenly calls her "bilingual" - she was trilingual at least, committed to the revival of the Mohawk language. And spoke French and English perfectly and eloquently.

Wed, 2017-09-13 10:12

lagatta4

The new Mtl flag and coat of arms will have an Indigenous symbol, the white pine, at its centre.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-flag-amherst-indigenous-...

Probably everyone in Mtl or with connections to the city should write to insist that the new name be Indigenous (either in an Indigenous language or related to an Indigenous event or concept).

Wed, 2017-09-13 13:04

progressive17 progressive17's picture

Then there is the matter of Christopher Columbus Rd.

Wed, 2017-09-13 14:00

lagatta4

Do you mean avenue Christophe-Colomb, or a similar street name in some other city? No shortage of them throughout the Americas.

Wed, 2017-09-13 20:04

pietro_bcc

I'm glad that its getting renamed and agree that it should be renamed after something related to First Nations people or specifically related to the peoples he tried to destroy.

Also yes there are many other streets that should be renamed and they should be, just like Alexis Carrell was.

Wed, 2017-09-13 20:13

Mr. Magoo

Quote:
No shortage of them throughout the Americas.

Speaking of which...

Wed, 2017-09-13 20:36

(Reply to #8) #9

Ken Burch

Mr. Magoo wrote:

Quote:
No shortage of them throughout the Americas.

Speaking of which...

"God bless Vespucciland....."

Thu, 2017-09-14 00:36

(Reply to #9) #10

progressive17 progressive17's picture

lagatta4 wrote:

Do you mean avenue Christophe-Colomb, or a similar street name in some other city? No shortage of them throughout the Americas.

Yes. That's the one. If I remember correctly there is a little park with his statue in it not far from the street.

Thu, 2017-09-14 02:30

#11

lagatta4

Yes, it is just a bust, in little parc de Turin, not far from Christophe-Colomb but not directly adjacent to it. I've lived in the general area (Villeray - Petite-Patrie/Petite-Italie) for longer than I care to admit, but mostly due to Jean-Talon market and the two métro lines (the never-extended blue line took me to Université de Montréal in a few minutes).

Thu, 2017-09-14 02:56

#12

lagatta4

Yes, it is just a bust, in little parc de Turin, not far from Christophe-Colomb but not directly adjacent to it - the park is about half-way between Christophe-Colomb and Papineau, north of Jean-Talon. I've lived in the general area (Villeray - Petite-Patrie/Petite-Italie) for longer than I care to admit, but mostly due to Jean-Talon market and the two métro lines (the never-extended blue line took me to Université de Montréal in a few minutes).

There is also a bust to Isabella "The Catholic", in parc Laurier overlooking the southern portion of Christophe-Colomb in the Plateau. Ferdinand and Isabella's reign was also notorious for the expulsion of the Moors and the Jews who had contributed so much to Iberic society, as well as sponsorship of the guy from Genoa.https://artpublic.ville.montreal.qc.ca/oeuvre/monument-a-isabelle-la-cat...

As for the Americas, (or "America" often, in Romance languages), Turtle Island only refers to the Northern portion, north of what is now Central America. Abya Yala, a Kuna-language term, is probably the best equivalent to "America" or "the Americas": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abya_Yala

By the way, I don't believe in pulling everything down; often it is better to contextualize history by a plaque also indicating the nefarious deeds of rulers and other famous people.

Thu, 2017-09-14 06:27

#13

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

Should John A MacDonald's statue in Dominion Square be taken down? There's a lot of talk about that. I agree,the sins of the past SHOULD be remembered but in a plaque,not a larger than life statue. Another questionable statue is Admiral Nelson at Place Jacques Cartier. I think if we took down all the statues of figures mired in sin,there wouldn't be no statues in the city.

So how far should we go?

Wed, 2019-06-19 09:44

#14

lagatta4

Finally, this Indigenous Peoples' Day, the street will be renamed. There is a commemoration beginning at 10:30 am at Quai de l'Horloge (the Clock Tower) which is more or less at the foot of No Name Street. They always do a renaming, but usually it is symbolic, of say, a corner in a square. The new name should be announced at 9 am. No, I don't know it, and haven't asked to know it in advance.

Wed, 2019-06-19 10:02

#15

Unionist

I'm only posting this for the historical record - and so that we can proudly post a photo of the new name after Friday. Better late than never.

Wed, 2019-06-19 10:30

#16

lagatta4

Thanks. Have to remind the STM to change the name of the no. 14 Amherst bus as well.

Wed, 2019-06-19 10:33

#17

pietro_bcc

Good, glad the Plante administration is making this move.

Wed, 2019-06-19 11:28

#18

Pondering

I don't think streets should be named after politicians. It is glorification.

Once something is named it should stay named and stand for whatever the person did including infecting people with smallpox. If anything that is even more important. We should not forget the evil our politicians are willing to do in our names because they are still doing it.

Wed, 2019-06-19 15:01

#19

NDPP

I agree. Don't destroy the evidence. Especially in a Euro settler-state so prone to cosmetic symbolics instead of real change. If it must be renamed, 'Rue Genocide' would be my choice.

"Could it not be contrived to send the Small Pox among those disaffected tribes of Indians? We must on this occasion use every strategem in our power to reduce them. That Vermine have forfeited all claim to the rights of humans...You will do well to try to inoculate the Indians by means of blankets, as well as to try every other method that can serve to extirpate this execrable race. I should be very glad if your scheme for hunting them down by dogs could take effect, but England is at too great a distance to think of that at present..." - Amherst letters (1763)

Wed, 2019-06-19 15:53

#20

cco

The name of rue Amherst isn't evidence of his crimes. It's evidence he was thought highly enough of to name a street after. Street names are poor choices for monuments to crimes (there's no Pickton Avenue in Vancouver). This is Canada's version of the Confederate flag arguments I grew up with, and it's every bit as tiresome as the "heritage, not hate" argument to hear that we should keep the name and just agree it's now a commemoration of a villain instead of a hero. Perhaps the descendants of the victims should have some say in it, no? They seem to think the name should go.

Fri, 2019-06-21 16:49

#21

lagatta4

Unveiling of rue Atateken, which means "siblings" but more generally refers to brotherhood/sisterhood, solidarity, fellow-feeling Also seems like a great name for its location in the Village.

https://www.lapresse.ca/videos/201906/21/46-1-la-rue-amherst-devient-la-...

Fri, 2019-06-21 23:28

#22

Pondering

I take it back because it hasn't been changed to someone else's name. I hope they are doing the entire street not just a portion of it as they did with Dorchester.

Sat, 2019-06-22 08:10

(Reply to #22) #23

Unionist

Pondering wrote:

I take it back because it hasn't been changed to someone else's name. I hope they are doing the entire street not just a portion of it as they did with Dorchester.

The whole point of this exercise is to erase the name of that mass murderer. So what do you think?

As for Dorchester, it was a street in a separate municipality. Montréal couldn't change it.

In other cases, where there was no need to wipe out a name, there were compromises - part of University was renamed Robert-Bourassa, but the rest was left as is.

Sat, 2019-06-22 22:09

(Reply to #23) #24

Pondering

Unionist wrote:

Pondering wrote:

I take it back because it hasn't been changed to someone else's name. I hope they are doing the entire street not just a portion of it as they did with Dorchester.

The whole point of this exercise is to erase the name of that mass murderer. So what do you think?

As for Dorchester, it was a street in a separate municipality. Montréal couldn't change it.

In other cases, where there was no need to wipe out a name, there were compromises - part of University was renamed Robert-Bourassa, but the rest was left as is.

I think the name change is great because it wasn't changed to another person's name and because it concerns indigenous peoples. I don't think we should be naming streets after politicians. It's self-aggrandization. They really don't need bigger egos.

I don't agree with the "compromises". A street should get one name and that is it. The purpose of a street name is navigation.

If we do choose to honor someone by naming a street after them it should stay named otherwise what's the point?

For a situation like Amherst, and there are many, I would do something like put a border around the name to indicate that they did something really bad and should not have been honored, or should not be honored without indicating that the person is infamous. To me it is almost like erasing our shame that we chose to honor such a man. Education in that it indicates what terrible things men can do and still be honored in our society. I realize it doesn't play out like that but I wish it would make us look at the people that are currently in power and look at what we are collectively letting them get away with.

Sat, 2019-06-22 22:24

#25

lagatta4

If no street names are changed, we will never achieve anything close to gender equality (not to mention class and other factors). Street names are not only for navigation. If not you'd get the soulless places that only have numbered streets. I knew some of the labour and feminist activists who have had streets named or renamed for them. It always warms the cockles of my heart on a cold January day.

Psst, honour. We aren't in the US.