Name a Waterfront Street in Bayside Toronto!
By Penny on Mar 24, 2014
If you’ve been waiting for that one opportunity to leave your mark on the wonderful city of Toronto, this is your big chance! Waterfront Toronto is asking for your help to name the street for the Main Waterfront Drive in the new Bayside Toronto development by Tridel and Hines.
With big shoes to fill, like the famous surrounding city names that have become immediately recognizable - Bay, Yonge and Spadina - this is definitely not going to be an easy task. For those of you who aren’t already familiar with the important history behind these city names, here’s a little lesson that might just inspire you to come up with Toronto’s next iconic street name.
Bay Street was originally Bear Street - it came from a story involving a bear that ran from the woods to escape hunters. The name evolved into the well-known and respected Bay Street in the 1800s to represent a small stretch of water that connected Queen Street to a bay in the Toronto Harbour. Though we love the sophisticated sound of “Bay Street,” we can’t help but think about how many wildlife metaphors could have been drawn from the original name in relation to the competitive and aggressive nature of life in the Financial District!
Looking for a way to impress a date with your Toronto history knowledge? Well, next time you take someone special out for a drink, try a cute place on Bloor Street. As you casually order yourself a beer, tell your date that Bloor Street was actually named after Joseph Bloore from the year 1855. “Who?” we predict he/she might ask, to which you will readily answer “Joseph Bloore was one of the city’s first brewers!” Don’t forget to cheers in homage and order a local brew.
Yonge Street was developed by John Graves Simcoe, Ontario’s first colonial administrator who named it after his beloved friend, Sir George Yonge. Yonge was an English MP, British Secretary at War and an expert on Roman roads.
Whether your street name idea is inspired by your domesticated teddy bear hamster, love for C2H5OH or after a very special bromance, get your ideas in before March 27 by visiting the Waterfront Toronto Facebook page, tweeting your street name using the hashtag #waterfrontstreet, or just click here.
After the submission phase, the Selection Committee will review the names and create a short list for voters. The next step is what we’re most excited about; you get to vote for the best name from April 22nd to May 2nd! The winner will be announced in May 2014.
Bayside Toronto
The street in need of a name will connect to Queens Quay Boulevard, and run along the water. It will feature beautiful homes, high-end shops, restaurants and offices, providing residents with some of the best in the city. Masterfully planned by Hines and Tridel, with state-of-the-art architecture, parks and promenades, Bayside Toronto will be an amazing addition to the city’s growing waterfront. The first residential development is Aqualina Bayside.
For official contest rules, click here.
