If you live on Bell Street, Goulbourn Street, Elm Crescent, Long Meadow Way, or Meadowland Drive, watch your mailbox this week for your opportunity to vote on a new name for your street.
The shortlist of names is actually quite a long list. The choices for each street include 105 names that were submitted by residents and passed the city’s street naming criteria.
The eclectic list includes Beluga, Bonfire, Boxty, Canada Goose, Foamberry, Fun, Knowledge, Little Village, Muskie, Puddle, Seagull, Shiraz, Star Cloud, Whiskey, Velociraptor and Yokoso.
HAVE YOUR SAY: We’ve set up an online poll to find out what the community thinks. This survey has no bearing on the City’s official decision – we just thought it would be fun to see your favourites. CLICK HERE TO PICK YOUR FAVOURITES…
“I greatly appreciate the feedback we have received and I feel that this new listing of street naming suggestions is a large improvement from the last round provided to residents in June,” wrote Councillor Shad Qadri in a newsletter to residents.
The previous shortlist of names was met with derision from many in the community, so much so that the city re-opened the suggestion box for another round. At least two petitions have circulated opposing the renamings.
As we learned a few weeks back, for the most part no commemorative street names (streets named after individuals) will be considered for this round of changes (although several name suggestions have been reserved for future subdivisions). “Henry Goulburn” did make the short list for Goulbourn Street, and “Butler House” made the list for Elm Crescent. (Butler House was a former name of the brick building that stands at the corner of Abbott and Stittsville Main, now home to Hundson Insurance.)
As for the voting, each property owner on the selected streets will be allowed to vote for one choice from the list of suggestions.
Here are all the choices, street by street.
Bell Street
| Alpinia | Tropical flora |
| Beluga | Canadian fauna |
| Bobcat | Canadian fauna |
| Canada Goose | Canadian fauna |
| Celandine | Canadian flora |
| Claddagh | Irish symbol |
| Encyclia | Tropical flora |
| Engine | Referencing the train history in Stittsville |
| Failte | Irish for “welcome” |
| Foamberry | Canadian flora |
| Fressia | African flora |
| Frieden | German for “peace” |
| Glory Lilies | African/Asian flora |
| Goose | Canadian fauna |
| Gray Squirrel | Canadian fauna |
| Gray Wolf | Canadian fauna |
| Groundhog | Canadian fauna |
| Heliconia | Tropical flora |
| Herlig | Norwegian for “lovely” |
| Hollyberry | Canadian flora |
| Lodgepole | Canadian flora |
| Moose | Canadian fauna |
| Musas | Tropical flora |
| Muskellunge | Canadian fish |
| Muskie | Canadian fish |
| Musky | Canadian fish |
| Newfoundland | Canadian province |
| Passion | Referencing the emotion |
| Pasture | Reference to Ontario landscape crops |
| Pibòn | Algonquin for “winter” |
| Pickerel | Canadian fish |
| Polar Bear | Canadian fauna |
| Potomac | Native Anishinabe translation for “something brought” |
| Pronghorn | Canadian fauna |
| Prosecco | Italian wine |
| Raccoon | Canadian fauna |
| Salam | Arabic for “peace” |
| Seagull | Canadian fauna |
| Shiraz | Dark skinned grape used to produce red wine |
| Snowberry | Canadian flora |
| Star Cloud | A cluster of stars |
| Star Haven | Natural reference to stars |
| Starflower | Canadian flora |
| Strawberry | Canadian flora |
| Tadpole | Canadian fauna |
| Toller | Dog breed |
| Trek | A long arduous journey, especially one made on foot |
| Trout | Canadian fish |
| Velociraptor | Dinasour species |
| Veseo | Bosnian for “happy” |
| Weigela | Canadian flora |
| Welina | Hawaiian for “welcome” |
| Yokoso | Japanese for “welcome” |
Elm Street
| Andeg | Algonquin for “crow” |
| Anìb | Algonquin for “elm” |
| Beluga | Canadian fauna |
| Bobcat | Canadian fauna |
| Brae | Brae means “steep bank” or “hillside” |
| Bucksaw | Canadian timber tool |
| Butler House | Butler house was a former building in Stittsville |
| Cape Cod | Architectural home style |
| Celandine | Canadian flora |
| Claddagh | Irish symbol |
| Clematis | Canadian flora |
| Failte | Irish for “welcome” |
| Frieden | German for “peace” |
| Fun | Feeling generated in the community |
| Grassroots | Defined as the most basic level of an organization |
| Groundhog | Canadian fauna |
| Herlig | Norwegian for “lovely” |
| Jalaskas | Estonian for “elm” |
| Kawartha | Lake region in Ontario |
| Lumber | Referencing Canada’s lumber trade |
| Milkweed | Canadian flora |
| Mitig | Algonquin for “tree” |
| Moose | Canadian fauna |
| Olmo | “Elm” in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese |
| Perseco | |
| Pibòn | Algonquin for “winter” |
| Polar Bear | Canadian fauna |
| Pronghorn | Canadian fauna |
| Puddle | Small accumulation of liquid |
| Raccoon | Canadian fauna |
| Saintbury | Town in the United Kingdom |
| Salam | Arabic for “peace” |
| Shiraz | Dark skinned grape used to produce red wine |
| Snipe | Candian fauna |
| Star | Referencing our star lit sky |
| Star Cloud | A cluster of stars |
| Star Haven | Natural reference to stars |
| Sugar Shack | Referencing a building where sap from a sugar bush is boiled |
| Toller | Dog breed |
| Twig | Canadian flora |
| Ulmo | Esperanto for “elm” |
| Veseo | Bosnian for “happy” |
| Welina | Hawaiian for “welcome” |
| Whiskey | Beverage |
| Yew Tree | Canadian flora |
| Yokoso | Japanese for “welcome” |
Goulbourn Street
| Beluga | Canadian fauna |
| Blazing Star | Canadian flora |
| Bobcat | Canadian fauna |
| Boxty | Reference to an Irish dish |
| Candytuft | Canadian flora |
| Celandine | Canadian flora |
| Claddagh | Irish symbol |
| Education | Referencing local private school |
| Failte | Irish for “welcome” |
| Frieden | German for “peace” |
| Gray Birch | Canadian flora |
| Groundhog | Canadian fauna |
| Henry Goulburn | Undersecretary of State for War and the Colonies, 1812 to 18 |
| Herlig | Norwegian for “lovely” |
| Hyacinth | Canadian flora |
| International | Referencing local private school |
| Knowledge | Referencing local private school |
| Loggerhead | Canadian fauna |
| Mayallon | Referencing an area Northern Ireland |
| Moose | Canadian fauna |
| Phlox | Canadian flora |
| Pibòn | Algonquin for “winter” |
| Polar Bear | Canadian fauna |
| Pronghorn | Canadian fauna |
| Prosecco | Italian wine |
| Raccoon | Canadian fauna |
| Rail Centre | Reference to the history of local train activity |
| Salam | Arabic for “peace” |
| Sedum | Canadian flora |
| Shiraz | Dark skinned grape used to produce red wine |
| Spirea | Canadian flora |
| Star | Reference to nature |
| Star Cloud | A cluster of stars |
| Star Haven | Natural reference to stars |
| Sweet Gale | Canadian flora |
| Toller | Dog breed |
| Veseo | Bosnian for “happy” |
| Welina | Hawaiian for “welcome” |
| Yokoso | Japanese for “welcome” |
Long Meadow Way
| Bearpaw | Canadian fauna |
| Beluga | Canadian fauna |
| Bobcat | Canadian fauna |
| Bonfire | Bonfires are relevant to the campground on which this subdivi |
| Campground | Alexander Grove’s soccer field used to be a Methodist childre |
| Celandine | Canadian flora |
| Claddagh | Irish symbol |
| Failte | Irish for “welcome” |
| Frieden | German for “peace” |
| Groundhog | Canadian fauna |
| Herlig | Norwegian for “lovely” |
| Lodgepole | Canadian flora |
| Moose | Canadian fauna |
| Pastoral | Pastoral is a synonym for meadow and keeps with the existing |
| Pibòn | Algonquin for “winter” |
| Polar Bear | Canadian fauna |
| Pronghorn | Canadian fauna |
| Prosecco | Italian wine |
| Raccoon | Canadian fauna |
| Rossica | Canadian flora |
| Salam | Arabic for “peace” |
| Saskatoon | Canadian flora and City |
| Shiraz | Dark skinned grape used to produce red wine |
| Star Cloud | A cluster of stars |
| Star Haven | Natural reference to stars |
| Toller | Dog breed |
| Veseo | Bosnian for “happy” |
| Welina | Hawaiian for “welcome” |
| Yokoso | Japanese for “welcome” |
Meadowland Drive
| Beluga | Canadian fauna |
| Bobcat | Canadian fauna |
| Celandine | Canadian flora |
| Claddagh | Irish symbol |
| Cornflower | Canadian flora |
| Failte | Irish for “welcome” |
| Frieden | German for “peace” |
| Groundhog | Canadian fauna |
| Herlig | Norwegian for “lovely” |
| Little Village | Reference to the community of Stittsville |
| Moonbeam | Township in Ontario |
| Moose | Canadian fauna |
| Pibòn | Algonquin for “winter” |
| Plantain | Canadian flora |
| Polar Bear | Canadian fauna |
| Pronghorn | Canadian fauna |
| Prosecco | Italian wine |
| Raccoon | Canadian fauna |
| Salam | Arabic for “peace” |
| Shiraz | Dark skinned grape used to produce red wine |
| Star Cloud | A cluster of stars |
| Star Haven | Natural reference to stars |
| Toller | Dog breed |
| Turtleback | Descriptive of the hill on Meadowland |
| Veseo | Bosnian for “happy” |
| Welina | Hawaiian for “welcome” |
| Yokoso | Japanese for “welcome” |
***
Here’s the entire list of shortlisted names:
Here’s a name suggestions that were rejected:
They have so many street names that a few votes could result in an unwanted name or a tied vote. The City should have eliminated all the ones that are difficult to pronounce or which have alternative pronunciations. After all, wasn’t the purpose to have names that couldn’t cause confusion? Also some are duplicated – what happens if people on 2 streets want the same one? Maybe people should deliberately vote for the same name on more than 1 street to send the City a message
I don’t live on any of the streets that will be renamed, but most of these options are ridiculous. Several are difficult to pronounce or to spell. Isn’t that almost as confusing as similar sounding or duplicate names, particularly in an emergency?
I was going to do your vote, but the names are just so silly, I couldn’t pick any.
Really? “Engine”? “Velociraptor”?
I would rather have the confusion. How about do what they did with Main? Add the word “Stittsville”. “Stittsville Elm” could be referred to officially for emergency services, but still known to the locals as “Elm”.
Why could we not simply add ” woods” (just an example) to the end of the street names. “John Woods”, “Elm Woods, “Bell Woods” etc. This way long time residents would still recognize the renamed streets, residents would not really loose their street names and they would also be recognized to all as having been renamed. Other regions of the city could use a different suffix for their renaming purposes.