The Blue Mountains council will proceed with a public meeting to consider the possibility of changing the name of the Craigleith Heritage Depot to the Craigleith Station.
Council made the decision at its meeting on Aug. 28 over concerns raised by Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon. The Blue Mountains Public Library Board has requested the name of the facility be changed from the Craigleith Heritage Depot to the Craigleith Station.
The board has noted that the Depot name originates from a restaurant located in the building for a number of years, but that for most of its history it was the Craigleith Station.
The Blue Mountains name change policy requires a public meeting and council approved proceeding with going to the public at a committee of the whole session two weeks ago.
Bordignon asked who is able to request that the name of a town facility/building be changed.
CAO Shawn Everitt said the policy is open ended.
“The policy allows anybody to make the request,” he said.
The deputy mayor suggested public reaction to the proposal to change the name wasn’t positive and the town should dispense with the idea.
“I’ve gotten more calls on this than a lot of things,” he said. “I was flabbergasted by the number of calls. I can’t support this, there is no appetite from the public.”
Other members of council, however, wanted to adhere to the name change policy in place.
“We have a process and we’re following it,” said Coun. Shawn McKinlay.
Mayor Andrea Matrosovs also noted that the public meeting was the time for members of the community to make their thoughts known to council.
“The intent of the public is to allow any member of the public to voice either in favour or opposition,” said Matrosovs, who also reminded council that they were approving a public meeting, not the actual name change. “We are not voting for the change to the name. We are voting to move on to a public meeting.”
Council voted 5-1 in favour of proceeding, with Bordignon the lone opposing vote and Coun. Paula Hope absent from the later portion of the meeting.
