City bungles Bourassa honour

There is no question that Robert Bourassa is worth remembering; part of his legacy is that he took on the job of leading Quebec when few others would have wanted it. But neither his accomplishments nor leadership qualities have been at the forefront of public attention over the past week. Instead, the City of Montreal's decision to rename Park Avenue and Bleury after him has been met with widespread opposition.

This is normal whenever a major issue of toponymy is raised. It does not seem very long ago that Mayor May Cutler was fighting to retain the name of Dorchester Boulevard in Westmount when the City of Montreal rushed to rename that major thoroughfare in honour of René Lévesque—before the former premier's ashtray was even cold.

Now it's the turn of Mr. Lévesque's long-time political rival. It is unfortunate that Mayor Gérald Tremblay should choose Park Avenue, even though it does run through Mr. Bourassa's old stomping grounds. The decision has raised the ire of several ethnic communities who have been living in the area for generations. They are comfortable with their 'Park Avenue' and 'Park Extension' identities, and are understandably reluctant to change.

History is preserved when a famous figure has a street, park or other public place named for them, for better or worse. Premier Maurice Duplessis is not exactly venerated today, in fact he is commonly reviled as a suppressor of French Canadian culture—but he is nevertheless remembered by a major boulevard. So there is no question that Mr. Bourassa should have a major street named for him and Mayor Tremblay has done the right thing by making it happen; on the other hand, he has bungled the situation by announcing the plans without any public consultation or other democratic process. We do not have to be reminded that this is how the Montreal megacity now seems to work, but a lot of nastiness could have been avoided if some form of consultation with various community members were held beforehand.

As it stands now, the memory of Mr. Bourassa has been cast in an unfavourable light thanks to this controversy—a controversy that could have been totally avoided with some simple foresight at Montreal City Hall.